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Manuel Springer House
Old Town Albuquerque
Except for the turret peaking over the dried red chiles (ristras) hung second floor balcony of the Covered Wagon, a tourist emporium, the historic brick two-story Queen Anne style Manuel Springer House is nearly obscured from view from Albuquerque's Old Town plaza.
Mr. Springer was a well to do mercantile owner whose business was located next to the house. He was appointed county commissioner in 1904.
In the rear of the store is an entrance into the living quarters of the house. In the bedroom is the built-in gold inlay dresser. Original tile is still on the wall in the small kitchen and a courtyard with a water feature can be seen from a side window.
After Springer’s death, the building, located on the south side of the plaza, was used as a brothel, or as one of the docents said, "a house of negotiated affairs", and then as a speakeasy during Prohibition.
The Springer House is another stop on the nightly Albuquerque Ghost Walk. In the 1920s, according to legend, Scarlett, a stunningly beautiful lady of the evening, bled to death from a stab wound while waiting for the doctor to complete his poker hand. The ghost of Scarlett has been reportedly seen on the second story of the Springer House balcony, naked except for a garter belt.
Next stop on Old Town Walking Tour
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