Greene's Antiques and Barber's Book Store
215 West Eighth Street
Fort Worth, Texas
Neither Barber's Book Store nor Greene's Antiques still exists in downtown Fort Worth. Greene's Antiques was actually located in the original Barber's Book Store building, which is now more than a hundred years old. It was built in 1908, and the section that once housed the bookstore had previously served as a seedy but busy hotel in downtown's infamous red-light district, just beyond the boundaries of the former Hell's Half Acre. This area was a cowboy's dream—full of women, gambling, and anything else one could imagine.
One of the places said to be haunted was the rear staircase leading upstairs to the Adams Hotel. According to the story, a girl ran away there with her lover, and they were in room number 11 when her father discovered her. He was shocked to learn that his daughter also worked at the hotel. The father killed her lover, and the girl killed herself by jumping from the building. Some say that this girl still haunts the building. At one time, when a merchant used the room to sell antiques, objects moved around frequently, but that was only one of the ghosts.
Another story takes place in the hallway. While book lovers could once lose themselves in the bookstore and be very happy, they might become frightened when they heard footsteps on the stairs, yet no living person appeared. Books also fell to the floor without explanation, and even the rustling of pages being turned could be heard. People also noticed the scent of perfume, which many detected. Anyone who is very sensitive might feel a bump or a gust, as though someone had walked past—someone or something that cannot be seen.
On the corner of Eighth and Throckmorton Streets, the building was remodeled in 1935 with an Art Deco facade. In addition to the bookstore and antique shop, it also housed a café. The bookstore closed in 1997 after opening in 1925 and was recognized as the oldest continuously operating bookstore in Texas. It was also once another bookstore called Back Store Bookstore, whose owner told ghost stories. His cat was known to refuse to go to the third floor of the building and would often hiss at empty space.
Now you can visit only a small piece of the past that may or may not preserve the lingering memories of the otherworldly presence of two lovers who still haunt the place where they died.
Jamba Juice in the Jett Building
400 Main Street
Fort Worth, Texas
Jamba Juice is located in the Jett Building, a place with its own chapter in this book, but so many specific incidents have been recorded here that it deserves a separate mention. In the city center, it may not seem like the most likely place for ghosts. The building was once in a rough part of town and served as a hotel with a possible history of prostitution; one of the prostitutes probably died here, and a librarian also died here.
Some of the stranger stories from this location include employees' reports of noises coming from the back room and objects moving without explanation. If you get thirsty in the middle of a ghost hunt, stop by Jamba Juice and see what impressions you take away from the place yourself.
