Florida Has A Haunted Doll Worse Than Anabelle, Robert The Doll

This is the horrifying history of 117-year old doll, Robert The Doll. The doll resides in the Fort East Martello Museum, Key West, Florida. In Key West locals who grew up during this time period may tell you that these stories are all true. Robert The Doll is obviously much more terrifying than Annabelle.

In 1904 the doll was gifted to a young boy named Robert Eugene Otto. Robert’s parents thought it would be a normal gift for the child, but they soon learned otherwise.

Things started moving around the home and this started the horror of “Robert did it!”.

According to legend, young Otto began to blame mishaps on the doll. While this could have been laughed off as childish storytelling, adults also started noticing odd occurrences, especially as Otto and Robert grew older. As an adult, Otto lived in a stately home he called “The Artist House,” where Robert could be seen positioned at the upstairs window. Schoolchildren swore that he would appear and reappear, and they avoided the house. Myrtle Reuter purchased the Artist House after Otto’s death in 1974, and also became Robert’s new caretaker. Visitors swore they heard footsteps in the attic and giggling. Some claimed Robert’s expression changed when anyone badmouthed Otto in his presence. Rueter said Robert would move around the house on his own, and after twenty years of antics, she donated him to the museum.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/story-behind-robert-the-doll

Origins Of Robert The Doll

The doll is thought to go back to early 1900s Germany, where it was made by the Steiff Company. The same company that made the original Teddy Bear – they may have used it as a window display.

It is believed Robert’s grandfather found the doll on a trip to Germany and purchased it for the boy.

Fort East Martello Museum, Robert’s Final Home

Robert was gifted to the museum, but for a time it sat in storage. That didn’t stop the activity reported by those surrounding the doll however.

A plumber supposedly said that Robert The Doll had moved from his original spot at the museum. He even said it looked like the doll had thrown the small dog toy across the room.

Attributions

By Cayobo from Key West, The Conch Republic – Robert The DollUploaded by LongLiveRock, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24411304

By Ebyabe – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14786823