Abandoned Mansion on Bird Cay

While exploring the Berry Islands of the Bahamas, Ben and I stumbled upon a remarkable abandoned settlement on the island of Bird Cay.

The big house of the settlement, a stone mansion, was situated among lush greenery towards the center of the island, in close proximity to a small settlement of houses and outbuildings near the beach, also abandoned. The overall compound encompassed about 20 buildings, which in addition to the mansion, included garages, storage buildings, a central kitchen and a church. However none of the structures had been occupied for years, and were being overtaken by nature and the elements.

Having no access to internet in the Berries, Ben and I had no idea who built the settlement, when, or for what reason. We were curious and nosy, so we went exploring.

The most fascinating part was that the buildings still contained all their normal household items from the early to mid-century like furniture, cooking utensils, board games, linens, and books. Obviously money was no object, as the materials used to decorate (solid wood furniture, art deco light fixtures, floor to ceiling bathroom tile, cast iron hardware) were the top of fashion at that time, and would have been insanely expensive to ship to the remote island. There was all this intricate design and effort to make Bird Cay a home, but it was as if the occupants left one day unexpectedly, and never returned for any of their belongings.

Visibly, the place had been robbed and scavenged, and probably occupied by a squatter or two. However, in such a remote area only accessible by boat or sea plane, carrying the large furniture or large quantities of items is impractical, which is the only reason we can assume the belongings are still there.

Hiking through the settlement

Mansion Lawn

Exterior

Swimming Pool

Pool and Whale Cay View

Main Staircase

Bar

Desk

Bookshelf

Book Up Close

Books

Chest of Drawers

White Lamp

Whitewashed Ceilings

Fan, Records and Record Player

Garden Entrance

Wall Lamp

Garden Patio

Numbered Window Panes

Green Lamp

Wood Doors

Stationary Bike

Bentley Piano

Exercise Machine

Lamp

Propane Heater

Rocks and Minerals Booklet

Pink and Green Bathroom

Master Bathroom

Kitchen Counter

Teacups

Kitchen Items

Snake in the Stairwell

Keys to the Flying Fish

Taking advantage of this time capsule marvel, I wanted to get as many photos as possible as we explored the grounds and the house. But the place was quiet and eerie, and as walked from room to room, I got scared if I lost sight of Ben in the old creepy house. We came to the basement entrance, which neither of us were willing to climb into. I thought it was odd to have a basement in a place so close to sea level, and wondered what its purpose might be. I took a quick photo, and we moved on. Later, once we returned to our boat to look over our photos, we found the creepiest thing of all from the photo of the crawl space entrance. Does anyone else see what I see?

After we reached Nassau weeks later, we were able to research the creepy abandoned settlement on Bird Cay. We found that the island of Bird Cay was first owned and settled by heir of the Standard Oil fortune, Francis Francis. Francis bought the private island in the 1940’s to spend winters with his family, and entertain celebrities and important political figures. The outbuildings and living quarters surrounding the mansion were occupied while the mansion was being built, and presumably later used by the onsite staff. Mrs. Francis, an actress and philanthropist, was responsible for the décor of the main house, which was the epitome of style in the 40s. The lush greens surrounding the house had once been a driving range and putting lawn implemented by Mr. Francis.

Although we found articles stating that the private island had been sold in 2002 by Mrs. Francis, we found no evidence that anyone is making any attempt to restore or occupy Bird Cay…

….except the ghost in the basement!

Thanks for reading,

Ben, Quinn and Ruca

#destinations #Bahamas