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Located in the eastern panhandle, Shepherdstown has often been called West Virginia's most haunted town. Among the many locations plagued with paranormal activity is the quaint little bakery known as the Shepherdstown Sweet Shop. Visitors to this favorite local business are treated to a wide selection of artisan breads, cakes, sandwiches, gourmet coffees...and a ghost named The Colonel.
The Sweet Shop was opened in 1982 by Howard Butcher and is located at 100 West German Street in downtown Shepherdstown. The building is about 200 years old and like many old buildings in the area comes with a past. During the Civil War, it was used as a Confederate field hospital, most notably being the site of countless amputations following the September 17th, 1862 Battle of Antietam. These amputations were conducted on the second floor and discarded limbs were thrown out the windows onto flatbed carts, where they were taken to the Potomac River and dumped.
Back then, medicine obviously wasn't what it is today. Little to no anesthesia was available during the grisly assembly line of amputations, and the screams of men in agony as the pile of severed limbs and blood piled up must have been horrific. Sanitation, especially between patients was also pretty much nonexistent, and there weren't any antibiotics to help stave off infection. Therefore, even if you survived the amputation, you were still at risk of dying of infection and disease.
No wonder this place is said to be haunted, and no wonder the second floor, which now serves as apartments, is the most active.
Strange noises, including the low murmur of conversation have been heard. However, the main entity who makes himself known is a man who has become known as 'The Colonel.' The apparition of an elderly man with white hair and mustache, dressed in a gray military uniform has been observed, mostly at night, but during the day as well. Once, a person being interviewed for a job interview at the bakery saw The Colonel walk through a wall! Other people have felt him brush up against them, but luckily, none of the activity at the Sweet Shop seems malevolent.
The Sweet Shop was featured on Season 1, episode 1 of Destination America's Ghosts of Shepherdstown, and investigators thoroughly examined the history and the reports of paranormal activity at this little local bakery. They had several strange EMF hits, collected some EVPs, and even had some personal experiences. It was determined that The Colonel was actually the spirit of Major Alexander Tinsley, who was Chief of Surgery. Tinsley was sticking around the shop, wanting forgiveness for not being able to save the soldiers under his care.
The Civil War was an ugly time in America's history and here in West Virginia, it seems particularly brutal as it literally tore our state apart. There's a good chunk of our ghost stories and hauntings that are directly related to that conflict and the Sweet Shop is just one example. So, the next time you're in the eastern panhandle and craving a yummy pastry, stop in for a treat...you might just get a glimpse into the past as well.
Sources:
Guiley, Rosemary Ellen. The Big Book of West Virginia Ghost Stories. Published 2014 by Visionary Living.
Thompson, David W. Haunted Potomac River Valley. Published 2021 by Haunted America.
Shepherdstown Sweet Shop Bakery Website
When Acting is Not Enough. "Ghosts of Shepherdstown Season 1 All Six Episodes Review." Blog
*Want MORE Shepherdstown ghost stories? Check out my blog post on The Ghosts of Shepherd University's Gardiner Hall!*
My Grandparents Harry U, and Etta Bell Fletcher lived above the sweet shop back in the 1960s. We visited there often as children. I remember playing in that attic and at that time the walls were filled with the signatures of many of the soldiers who were cared for there. I wrote my name in the cement slab right as you entered the attic ( Debbi Guyer). After visiting in the early 90s for my Aunt Betty Fletcher ( a secretary at Shepard college) my sister and I asked the owner of the bakery if we could go up in the attic. He went up with us, my name was still there but the walk with all the names, dates, and messages from the soldiers had been removed. The owner at this time told us the place was haunted . It holds so many memories for me and now seeing it on a Television show is so sereal. Thank you.
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