Civil War History with the St. Albans History and Mystery Tour 2022!

Tour Guide, Denise Cyrus

One of the things I love almost as much as the paranormal is learning about local history. As a native West Virginian, I'm fascinated by my state's rich and unique background, and the stories of those who have called these hills home over the years. And obviously, whenever, I see an opportunity to experience the SPOOKY and unusual history of the Mountain State, I jump at the chance! Last week I did just that with a guided walking tour of St. Albans!

Led by local historian Denise Cyrus, this month's St. Albans History and Mystery Tours are focused on the Civil War era and the impact of the war on the citizens of a small, but bustling town known then as Coalsmouth. Like many towns in what is now West Virginia, this area truly embraced the old 'brother against brother' saying, as families, friends, and neighbors were split as to whether their sympathies were with the Confederacy or with the Union...and interestingly enough, some citizens' sympathies seemed to align with whichever side was in control of the village at the time! Still, other families just left the area entirely. But, those who stayed left quite a treasure trove of stories to be passed down for us today.

St. Mark's Episcopal Church

Our group met at The Loop, and after an introduction to the history of the town, proceeded to our first stop, which was St. Mark's Episcopal Church on 'B' Street. Originally organized as the Bangor Parish on the other side of town, St. Mark's was built on this site around 1847 after the previous church burned down. During the Civil War, Union troops camped on the site and used the church to stable their horses. In fact, our first spooky story is connected to this Union occupation of the grounds. A lady was out back behind the church and witnessed a man dressed as a Civil War era soldier. This gentleman was so clearly seen that she just assumed that he was some sort of re-enactor...but no re-enactors were present.  In a weird twist of fate, as we walked back to the area where the presumed spirit was seen, the group noticed that there was a man lying down near the corner of the property! I can't help but wonder if it was just a homeless guy taking a rest in a relatively safe and comfy spot...or if we collectively caught a glimpse through time and observed one of those Union soldiers, still camping out there behind the church. 

Anyway, while we were back there, we discussed the nearby Hansford House on Riverside Drive. The Hansford Family were prominent citizens in the area, and Victoria Hansford was a figure whose name came up in multiple stories throughout the evening. I don't want to give too much away, because I encourage you to take the tour for yourself, but let's just say she was quite a brave young woman! The house she called home, however, was the site of at least two tragic deaths. After the Battle of Scary Creek, it is said that a wounded soldier who knew the family made his way to Hansford House in search of help. Unfortunately, he passed away from his injuries, right at the entry to the house. After the Civil War, 78 year John Hansford was going out to vote and was walking along the train bridge when he was struck by a passing train and knocked off the bridge. He was dragged home from the river's edge, still alive, by his daughter Victoria and a servant, but unfortunately passed----in the SAME EXACT SPOT the soldier had died in. 

Behind St. Mark's where the ghostly soldier was seen

Moving on, we stopped at the new, modern post office building and talked a little about postal service in Coalsmouth during the time before, during, and shortly after the Civil War, which was really quite interesting. But, more importantly, the current site of the post office is actually the original site of the the Chilton House, before it was moved in the 1970's. Now known as Angela's On the River, the old Chilton House is a beautiful, upscale (yet fairly priced!) restaurant. 

The Chilton House was built around 1857 by Allen Smith, and didn't become known as the Chilton House until well after the Civil War, when the house was purchased by Mary Elizabeth Wilson Chilton and William Chilton I. And, it has a reputation for being haunted. Or rather, it DID have a reputation for being haunted. I had actually written a blog post about the hauntings of the Chilton House after speaking with an employee during the St. Albans History and Mystery Tour of 2019! I know have some updated information to add to that blog! You can read my original post HERE, but in short, when the current owner took over the building, she had bought an antique mirror which had come from England. Apparently, fingerprints were noticed on the mirror, and no amount of Windex could scrub these things away. Things progressed, and what were just fingerprints on apparently the inside of the mirror, became the vision of an entire HAND, which culminated in an image of a terrifying FACE peering back out from the mirror! Strange knockings and other disturbances seemed attacked to the mirror as well, so it was decided that the thing had to be gotten rid of...and was put out on the curb where some lucky passerby snagged  him or herself a FREE possessed mirror! 

Angela's On The River,
formerly the Chilton House

Walking down the river's edge a short ways, we stopped to discuss the importance of the old covered bridge that once stood over the Coal River and how as Confederate troops left town, they burned the bridge in attempt to stop the Union troops from following them. Hilariously, I guess it had been a particularly dry season, because the Coal River was low enough for them to just walk across without the aid of the bridge, so that piece of history was lost in an instant for nothing.  And, while we were still in sight of the Coal River, Denise told us the ironic tale of a former preacher who gave up the pulpit for the whiskey selling business, but drank away all his profits and ended up killing his wife and 'hiding' her body in the river. His subsequent trial and hanging were a big deal and featured in newspapers well beyond the borders of then-Virginia! 

The next location was St. Paul's Baptist Church, where there is some beautiful artwork on the doors to the church, and then a short uphill hike to everyone's favorite house in St. Albans---The Mohler House. Now, technically, the Mohler House isn't really Civil War related as it wasn't built until the early 1900's, but Denise found a couple of ways to tie it in, including the fact that where the house sits was once part of the large Muckamore estate, and was probably where the enslaved members of the estate lived. The Mohler House has an absolutely fascinating history, including being used to house nearly 100 young women known as 'Rosies' during WW2 who worked at the Naval Ordnance Plant in South Charleston. It's also thought to be haunted, of course! Activity isn't really specific, but the area around the staircase and in the basement tends to give people a very, very bad feeling. 

Mohler House

More stories were told as we got to take a little sit-down break on Old Main, and even more stories wrapped up the evening back at the parking lot.  Along the way, the sun had set and a bright, fat moon peeked eerily out from behind the clouds. It was a perfect evening...despite the earlier wind and clouds, it never got too terribly chilly, and it never rained. Just a wonderful night for a lot of history and a lot of mystery!  I absolutely had a fabulous time and learned a lot about the history of St. Albans. Denise was a great story-teller, and a wealth of information about anything and everything having to do with the history of the area formerly known as Coalsmouth. I can't imagine the dedication and hours of research that went into making these different tours, but it shows in her passion for sharing this knowledge with her tour guests. Each guest went home with a really cool photo postcard of the old covered bridge, a walking tour pamphlet of historic locations around St. Albans, and hopefully a greater appreciation for the history and mysteries of our little neck of the woods!

Know Before You Go:  

Make sure you're following St. Albans History and Mystery Tour on Facebook for updates on tour schedules and much more. See schedule below as well!

The October tours meet at the Loop in front of Family Care, across from the bridge.

The cost is $10 for adults/$5 for kids.

Tours generally run about 90 minutes.

Estimated length is 1.5 miles.

(It's a fairly easy walk, with only one fairly small hill. Even with my bad back, I managed to do just fine!)

2016 Keenan House Ghost Photo

Photo by Kim Miller

Hey, everyone!  I apologize---I need to start this blog off with a bit of bad news.  As many of you already know, my paranormal investigation group, HPIR, has spent the past 10+ years giving FREE ghost tours of downtown Guyandotte, WV.  Unfortunately, there will be no Haunted and Historic Guyandotte Walking Tours for the 2018 season for either Halloween or Guyandotte Civil War Days.

We have absolutely loved sharing the history of this community in a fun and spooky way, and have met so many great people along the way.  This is not a permanent end, but just a break to reassess how we can best serve a changing community.  For now, I encourage you to hop on over to the Haunted and Historic Guyandotte Tours Facebook page where our President and Founder, Melissa, is busy sharing plenty of stories, articles, and pictures in the interim.

And, for today's blog, I wanted to share with you ANOTHER spooky photo taken by one of our tour guests!  This photo was shared with us by Kim Miller.  The photo was taken during our 2016 tour season during one of our Civil War Days tours.  The home in question is the historic Keenan House, built in the early 1800s.  Over the years, the Keenan House has served as a home for several prominent citizens, acted as a historical society headquarters, and suffered a devastating fire that destroyed much of the interior.  It's biggest claim to fame, however, is the purpose it served over the course of November 10 through 11, 1861.

Close-up 

That year, a small Union recruitment camp and training center was set up in the then-bustling town of Guyandotte, Va., much to the chagrin of the local citizens who were largely made up of Confederate sympathizers. Late Sunday evening, on November 10th, the camp was raided by Confederate troops under the leadership of Captain (later General) Albert G. Jenkins. Surviving Union recruits and Union sympathizers throughout town were rounded up, tied together two-by-two, and held overnight at the Keenan House.  The next morning, those surviving the night were marched to Richmond to be imprisoned.

With 200+ years of life and death, combined with a good deal of suffering contained within its walls, could there be spirits still present at the Keenan House...and if so, could this photo show some of that energy?

One of the biggest things I'll miss about tours this year is the infectious excitement of our tour guests when they have an experience they cannot explain or capture a photograph they can't debunk. It's so fun to share that excitement with them and give them the opportunity to explore the haunted history of their own community...or even to introduce them to the haunted history of a new location for them!  We've actually had guests come from as far away as Israel enjoy our tours!  Keep an eye on our Facebook page, linked above.  I think we'll be back before you know it, stronger than ever!  Happy Haunting, ya'll!

The Haunted History of Maryland's Landon House: Guest Blog #3

From Wikipedia

Theresa's Note: Today is another absolutely fascinating guest blog! I met the author, Jen, several years ago at a local festival and I'm thrilled she has decided to share these ghost stories with us! These stories are from the historic Landon/Stancioff House, located in Urbana, MD. The home has a looong history. Among other historical facts of note, at various times the house was used as a silk mill, a private residence, several educational institutions, and a field hospital during the Civil War. After reading this collection of experiences from Jen's husband and mother-in-law, I'm inclined to believe that this location may be Maryland's most haunted location! As always, please enjoy this wonderful guest submission. A huge THANK YOU goes to Jen and her family for sharing these wonderful tales with us!

Jen writes:

These stories come from my husband, Dave, and his mom and pertain to the Landon House in Urbana, MD circa the early 1980's. Dave remembers hearing about a few of these right after they happened, but most of the stories were told to him later in life by my mother-in-law. He says he doesn’t remember anything that happened to him directly, outside of the last story. The women of the family were the focus for most of the hauntings as the men were usually at work when they happened.

Dave's biological father was the caretaker of the Landon House for half a year in 1982 when Dave was 5 years old. Dave, his parents, and his siblings lived in the updated left side of the house. The right side was kept original to the time period of the mansion’s heyday, with most of the original furnishings, or historic replicas, decorating it. The incidents didn’t start out small and escalate like you hear from a lot of hauntings. They started strong and stayed that way until the family left six months later.

Cherry Tobacco
Every once in a while, there was a strong smell of cherry tobacco. No one in the family smoked a pipe. The owners said that the previous owner had smoked cherry tobacco and had died in the house.

The Attic
Dave’s aunt and uncle had been living with the family prior, so naturally moved to the sprawling Landon House with them. They originally chose to stay in the attic, but soon moved to the basement as they were hearing inexplicable cannon fire from their attic room.

The Man in the Basement
The basement seemed to be worse than the attic. One day, his mom heard his aunt screaming for her from the basement. When she opened the door, the aunt ran past her, white as a ghost. She said that she couldn’t get out of the basement because there was a man blocking the door.

Footsteps on Tape
Dave’s mom wanted to see if she could record some of the noises they were hearing, so she put a blank tape into a tape player to start recording while she and the aunt took the kids to the mall. When they got back, they checked the tape. About midway through, there was the sound of walking throughout the hallway. No one had been home during that time.

Confederate Sighting
This one’s a bit short, but apparently Dave’s uncle saw a Confederate soldier run across the front yard.

They’re Heeeeeere
The kids were outside trying to climb the rope to the treehouse. Their mom went to the basement to talk to their aunt. She was down there for maybe three minutes and came back to the kitchen to find all of the cabinets open. The kids were still outside and no one else was in the house besides the two ladies.

The Dresses
There was a costume party being held in the house and Dave’s mom and aunt found a couple of dresses in a trunk in the basement. After the party, neither woman returned their dresses. Dave’s aunt kept hearing a voice telling her to put the dress back. His mom had put her dress in a box with one of the kid’s basketballs, and the basketball started bouncing on its own. They both put their dresses back into the basement trunk. His aunt and uncle were done and moved out of the house shortly afterwards.

Kick in the Butt
One of the family’s guests was laughing at an old portrait on the wall because he thought the man’s hair looked ridiculous. As he said so out loud, he felt someone kick him in the behind. He ran out of the house and never came back.

The Lady
Incidentally, living in that house is what made my husband interested in the paranormal. He says he doesn’t remember this, but his mom claims she heard him talking to someone when he was in his room playing by himself. Take that with a grain of salt, though. Kids at that age tend to talk to themselves when they’re playing. However, Dave’s mom also tells a story about Dave coming downstairs and telling his parents that there was a lady in his room. Maybe this is who he was talking to?

Soap Moving
There was an old claw foot bathtub in the upstairs bathroom. Dave’s mom was taking a bath and closed her eyes for a moment. She heard a “skreeeeech” and when she opened her eyes, the metal soap dish was on the other side of the bathtub. She was understandably upset and very sternly told whoever moved it that she was going to close her eyes, and that thing had better be back where it belonged when she opened them. She closed her eyes again, and heard the “skreeeeech”. When she peeked, the soap dish was back on the other side. No word on whether she took quick showers after that. But she did tell the ghost off for peeking at her in the bath.

Exorcism
After all of this, the family had a priest come and exorcise the house. For some reason, he had a psychic with him. In the basement, the psychic said “something bad happened down here”. Dave’s mom pointed to the shackles on the wall like they hadn’t already figured that out. Dave’s parents owned a used toy store at the time, so they took the kids there to stay overnight while the exorcism was taking place at Landon. On their way back home early the next morning, the family stopped at the local convenience store across the street from the house and two of the employees joked that they weren’t invited to the party. Apparently, after the priest and his assistant had left the night before, there were the unmistakable sounds of a party, complete with loud music and all of the lights in the house turning on and off. Dave’s aunt and uncle had already moved out by this point. Unless the priest had an impromptu dance party, there was no one in the house. Dave’s family moved out soon after this incident.

---------------------------------

As both Dave and his mom have pointed out, the experiences of the family sound like a classic 1980's horror movie and can be a little hard to swallow. I asked about the cherry tobacco and he said that there was something about the former owners in one of the Frederick County ghost books. Not only did I possibly find some answers as to what they experienced, but I’m a little creeped out that several of the hauntings they claim to have gone through have also happened to other tenants.

There is a book called “Ghosts and Legends of Frederick County” that talks about the previous owners. The book was written in 1979 by Timothy L. Cannon and Nancy F. Whitmore. I pulled out my copy to check for Landon House stories and I got chills when I read this excerpt on page 17"

“In 1862, Landon served briefly as the headquarters of General J.E.B. Stuart, until overtaken by northern troops.  During this time, Stuart was accompanied by a Colonel Luke Tiernan Brien, his chief of staff. Brien, a native of Frederick County, liked the area so much that almost 20 years after the war he and his wife purchased 180 acres of rich farm land surrounding Landon, calling their estate Tyrone.

Since the deaths of the Briens in the early 1900’s, there are those who say that Landon is haunted. Porch rockers move for no explainable reason, and on occasion an old man has been seen walking in the basement.

Recently, while in the basement, the grown son of the present owner and a friend were frightened by the appearance of the upper torso and head of an old man floating about.

The old man is believed to be the ghost of Colonel Brien.

However, Mrs. Brien is usually the more visible of the two. Children are often tucked into bed and when questioned, they insist that an old woman wearing a shawl was in their room.”

-------------------------------------

Does this mean that Dave’s lady friend was the ghostly Mrs. Brien and Mr. Brien was angry that Dave’s aunt had taken over the basement?

There was also an article in our local paper that tells the same story of the ghostly woman tucking the kids in. Katherine Marks of the Frederick News-Post wrote in a 1998 article that a woman in white was known for tucking in the children and/or bringing them milk. 

That's a whole lotta activity! Since Dave and his family's time in the house, it has changed owners several times. It became a popular wedding venue and for a time, even offered ghost tours to the public! The house has been written about in numerous books and articles, and may even be home to some additional sightings not experienced by Dave's family! Jen writes that one of the more popular contemporary tales involves ghost dogs. While in residence at the home, Dave and his mother noted that there was a living hound named Ollie on site, but no ghostly ones! Once again, thank you so much Jen!

Further Resources:

Historic Landon House Sold at Auction (2013)

Landon House Wikipedia

Ghost Soldiers Paranormal Investigation Team

The Haunted History of Parkersburg's Quincy Hill

With outstanding views of the Ohio River and downtown Parkersburg, clean restrooms, a quaint wooden gazebo and a cute little play area, Quincy Hill Park seems like a peaceful place to relax, and to possibly get a little exercise and fresh air.  But when the sun goes down, Quincy Hill Park is anything but peaceful.

Originally known as Prospect Hill, the area of Quincy Hill Park was used as a tent hospital during the Civil War.  It was actually one of five Civil War hospitals that sprung up in the area during the war years, and from what I can gather, this tent-city operation, which was home from anywhere to 500-1000 sick and wounded soldiers, was one of the lower rungs.  It was where the African American and Irish immigrant soldiers were sent.  At one point, a small pox epidemic raged through the camp, devastating the patients and overwhelming the small staff. Moans and cries from the sick and dying could be heard all the way in downtown Parkersburg, and it seems as if some of those soldiers never left.  Over 150 years later, the moans of those who suffered terribly atop the hill can still be heard.  In the book, A Guide to Haunted West Virginia, authors Gavenda and Shoemaker tell of one tale in particular which occurred on the evening of September 26, 1996 as two young girls ascended Quincy Hill to get a good view of that night's lunar eclipse.  Below them, they heard the moan and the rustling of what they assumed to be the restless spirits of long-dead Civil War soldiers.

Susan Sheppherd, of the Parkersburg Ghost Tours also related a rather interesting ghost tale associated with the Civil War spirits of Quincy Hill.  Ron Nelson, an historian, Civil War re-enactor, and ghost hunter visited the area one evening and conducted an EVP session.  He was shocked to find on his recording what sounded like someone whistling the commercial from an Irish Spring soap commercial!  Consulting experts, he found that the song whistled in the commercials was an old Irish folk song...and that the soldiers sent to this particular hospital were largely of Irish heritage.

Another ghost story from Quincy Hill isn't related to the Civil War, but it does take on a more visual experience.  One way to get to the top of the hill is to climb the 150+ stairs leading up from Avery Street.  About halfway up, there is a small concrete landing lit with a lamppost.  Joggers and other early morning visitors to this area have seen the apparition of a Native American standing on this spot.

Quincy Tank Disaster

With all the ghost tales stemming from the Civil War era and earlier, a tragic event in the area's history is sometimes overlooked.  Back on March 19, 1909, the hill was still known as Prospect Hill, and at its top were perched the city's two reserve water tanks.  Around 5:10am, one of the tanks burst, crashing into its twin and causing it to burst as well, sending 2 million gallons of water rushing down the hill and directly into town.  A newlywed couple was killed when their small home was washed away, several were severely injured, and a church and several homes were destroyed.  Other homes and businesses received a great deal damage, and debris littered the streets.  Although I am unaware of any ghost stories resulting from this tragic event, one can't help but note that this one little area has seen a great deal of tragedy within a short period of time. 

Sources:
Quincy Hill Water Tank Disaster: Photos and articles from Jim Dawson
Haunted Parkersburg Ghost Tours by Susan Sheppherd
A Guide to Haunted West Virginia by Walter Gavenda and Michael T. Shoemaker

The Veiled Lady of Camp Chase Confederate Cemetery

Americans: Unveiled in 1902

Okay...so I made a mistake; it wasn't Memorial Day weekend I was supposed to go to Columbus.  It was THIS weekend!  Aaron went to the Columbus Ohio Retro Gaming Society's convention on Saturday, and I tagged along so that afterwards, I could check out some of Columbus' most awesome used book stores, historic sites, and haunted places!

One of those locations I had hoped to check out was the Camp Chase Confederate Cemetery. Unfortunately, we couldn't make the time to cram this stop into our already full itinerary, but I still wanted to share a little bit about what I learned about its history and haunts with you guys.

Camp Chase began its Civil War history in May of 1861 when it opened as a training ground and mustering-in location for Union recruits under the name of Camp Jackson.  However, as the War Between the States got underway, the need for a facility to house Confederate prisoners of war was eminent, and by July of 1861, in addition to its other duties, Camp Jackson (now being called Camp Chase after Salmon P. Chase, Lincoln's Secretary of War) was accepting captured Confederate officers.

Within two years, however, overcrowding became a HUGE issue at the camp, which in addition to housing around 8000 prisoners of war, was still being used as a recruitment camp and processing center for Union soldiers being mustered in and out.  1863 was overall a tough year for Camp Chase.  Despite taking up six acres and containing no less than 160 buildings, many of the prisoners, now of ALL ranks, were housed in tents.  Shortages of food and supplies exacerbated a smallpox outbreak and the camp lost 499 prisoners to disease in February alone.

That same year, a new facility was built on Johnson's Island to house the imprisoned Confederate officers, which helped alleviate some of the overcrowding, but it became apparent that enough soldiers were dying at a rate that justified establishing a cemetery on the property.  Prior to this, deceased soldiers were buried in the local cemetery.  Their bodies were moved back to the Camp Chase Confederate Cemetery when it was established.

As the war came to a close, the majority of buildings on the Camp Chase property were torn down.  A few remained for several years, being used as housing for squatters, but by 1895 all that was left as a reminder along Sullivant Avenue was the remnants of the decrepit cemetery.  That year, a retired Union Colonel, William Knauss, took it upon himself to restore the cemetery and honor those who served their country, no matter what side they fought on.

Today, you can visit the estimated 2260 graves of Camp Chase, but if you do, keep an eye out for the Veiled Lady of Camp Chase.

It is said that an apparition of a woman wearing all gray (or sometimes black) with a veil covering her face has been seen walking among the gravestones.  Re-enactors at certain historical events have even heard the ethereal cries of a woman in deep mourning, and experienced unexplained cold breezes blowing through the cemetery.  Most tangible of the manifestations has been the fresh flowers found on graves, apparently with no earthly hands to put them there.

The grave that seems to attract the most attention and receives the most flowers is that of Private Benjamin F. Allen of the 50th Tennessee Infantry, Company D.  His grave is numbered 233 among the over 2000 marked burials.  Because of this attention paid to Pvt. Allen, many have speculated that the Veiled Woman of Camp Chase must have been his young bride or bride-to-be.

History points to a more likely candidate, however...

Louisiana Ransburgh Briggs

Louisiana Ransburgh Briggs was born in Missouri in 1849.  Her father was originally from the Columbus area of Ohio, but had moved down south and married a southern girl from Louisiana.  When the war broke out, and the family plantation raided, John Ransburgh sent his young daughter north to stay with relatives.  Louisiana stayed true to her southern heritage and remained a Confederate sympathizer, despite her surroundings.  But, love overruled even the strongest distaste for the North, when Louisiana met and fell in love with Joseph Briggs, a young, yet rich, Union veteran.  The two set up home on the Briggs property near Columbus.

Being the wife of a prominent Union veteran after the war had ended, Louisiana had to find a covert way of honoring her southern brothers' memory.  Therefore, she took to dressing in all black with a heavy veil concealing her identity, and walking the rows at the then neglected Camp Chase Cemetery late in the evenings.  Tossing fresh flowers upon the badly neglected and weed-ridden graves earned her the nickname, The Veiled Lady of Camp Chase.

Louisiana died in 1950, at the age of 100 and is buried in Green Lawn Cemetery.  She lived long enough to see Knauss' public campaign to restore the cemetery, and a general public acceptance of honoring the memory of ALL American soldiers.  Yet, does her spirit still roam Camp Chase, destined to bring attention to the cemetery in death as it was in life?

For more information:

Louisiana Briggs article by Leslie Blankenship, Columbus Historical Society
Find-a-Grave entry for Louisiana Briggs
Camp Chase Official Website
Forgotten Ohio's Camp Chase Page

Harpers Ferry KOA Campground

Civil War trench at KOA, by StoneSentinels.com

I'd like to thank Melinda from the Theresa's Haunted History FaceBook page for the tip on today's location!

The location is the KOA campground in Harpers Ferry!  Over 30 years ago, this land operated as a Civil War Showcase Museum, which held different living history events throughout the season.  It eventually became a KOA campground, and then later The Holiday Travel Park.  After that, it was officially known as the Harpers Ferry Campsite, catering to many of the re-enactors and visitors to Harpers Ferry National Park.

In 1996, the family-run franchisee company, Recreational Adventures Co., took over the site and returned it to a KOA facility, complete with a host of improvements and amenities for the modern guest interested in the history of the area as well as the other recreational activities offered.  One offering that does NOT get published in the pamphlet is the haunted camp store.

According to Melinda, a local paranormal investigation team was called in to deal with a host of paranormal activity, mainly affecting the camp store.  The most disturbing activity that was witnessed was the apparition of a woman crawling and dragging herself across the floor.  She was missing the lower half of her body.

Colonel D.S. Miles

I honestly have no idea how this woman got to where she's been seen, or who she may possibly be, but I wouldn't completely rule out the turbulent Civil War history connection.  The site that now houses the KOA campground and where actual trenches can still be seen was the site of the last stand of Colonel Dixon Stansbury Miles.

There really isn't a ton of information available about this battle and its my theory that the cause of this is because the old adage of history being written by the winners.  Since the defeat of Colonel Miles and the surrender of Harpers Ferry on September 14, 1862 by the Federals happened with the culmination of this battle, sometimes known as the Sheraton Heights or the Boliver Heights battle, not much gets written about it.  Local historian, Dennis Frye, has written the most thorough account of the incident that I've found and that article can be found linked below.  However, just briefly:

Colonel Miles had taken up his headquarters at Harpers Ferry as commander of George McClellan's Railroad Brigade, protecting the railway from Confederate troops.  In mid September, as Stonewall Jackson's troops surrounded his position on Boliver Heights, things still looked promising.  However, things suddenly changed and by Sunday September 14th at 8am Miles had surrendered.  Jackson lost 289 men, but there was no mention of any Civilian/female casualties....

Still, with such a historic reputation, awesome activities for both history buffs and outdoorsy-types, AND the possibility of seeing a ghost, I know exactly where we're staying the next time we go to Harpers Ferry! With the demolition of Harpers Ferry's most haunted hotel, this is an awesome alternative.  As an added bonus, the campground is pet friendly!

Frye's Historical Account

KOA Website

Other Harper's Ferry Haunts to check out while you're in the area.  Scroll down to the bottom of the page!

John Brown's Ghost

John Brown

The War Between the States was not something that started overnight.  Tensions were running high years before the first battle ever broke out, and in Harpers Ferry, VA (now WV) it was no different.  It was this small town on the border of Maryland that made its mark on the Civil War even as early as 1859.  It was that year when John Brown would make his ill-fated raid on the Harpers Ferry Arsenal.

John Brown was an abolitionist, who in October of 1859 led a raid designed to secure arms from the Harpers Ferry arsenal in order to supply a slave revolt.  On the night of October 16th, Brown, along with 20 men, both black and white, free and enslaved, left their planning headquarters in Maryland and marched towards Harpers Ferry.  There, Brown hoped that additional slaves and freed blacks would join, but that wouldn't be so.  By the evening of the 17th, a troop of U.S. Marines, led by Robert E. Lee would oust Brown from his "fort" in the arsenal's engine house, killing several of his men, and capturing Brown.

The first man killed in the raid was Dangerfield Newby, whose body was fed to local hogs, haunts the appropriately named Hog Alley...but John Brown himself has also been seen...

After John Brown was captured, he was accused of treason and murder and taken to Charles Town.  He was hanged there on December 2, 1859, but his ghost has been seen around Harpers Ferry.

Witnesses to the apparition have seen what appears to be a flesh and blood human being, in period dress, walking around the town, sometimes accompanied by a little dog.  This person is so life-like that many just assume that he is a re-enactor.  So authentic looking is he, that many tourists to the popular historic park will ask the gentleman to pose for a photograph.  He complies, but when the photo is developed, the man is not there....just a blank spot where he should have been.

This happened so many times that about 20 years ago, the local newspaper ran this story, and if I remember correctly, had an accompanying photo that showed a happy tourist posing with SOMEONE...someone who wasn't actually there.  The apparition of a gentleman who bears a strikingly strong appearance of John Brown is still being seen around Harpers Ferry, so keep your camera handy if you're in the area!  John is more than willing to pose for you, but whether or not he'll show up for you is debatable!

As an interesting side note, there was a photograph taken at the Haunted Cottage that shows what looks like John Brown's image peering in through an image.  Obviously, this doesn't fit his MO that he's held onto for so many years.  Is John Brown changing things up?  Is this the apparition of ANOTHER ghost of the super-haunted town-turned-park?  Or, are we simply dealing with the ol' pareidolia explanation.  Take a look and decide!

John Brown's Ghost Photo

This link has a great summary of the events:
John Brown and the Harpers Ferry Raid

Engine House Today

Skeleton Found 50 Years After Battle of Guyandotte

FOUND SKELETON 

OF HUMAN BEING 

Probable Victim of Civil War Battle

Believed to Have Been Killed in Flight During Burning of Guyandotte

Guyandotte Cemetery, Photo by Melissa Stanley

While walking near 31st Street and the Ohio River Sunday, Richard White unearthed portions of a human skeleton that is believed to be the remains of one of the victims of the battle which took place when the town of Guyandotte was burned during the Civil War. A skull unearthed by slipping of the soil led to a search and several other parts of the skeleton were found.

Its state of decomposition removed all suspicions of murder that could have been committed within recent years.  

The theory was then advanced that some soldier wounded in the encounter of Confederate soldiers under General Jenkins and Federals under Colonel Zeigler, had crawled away from the battlefield to perish without the knowledge of his comrades.  Or perhaps had been buried and the marks of his grave obliterated in the lapse of years.

-Huntington Advertiser, 27 March 1911

I was looking up some unrelated information and came across this newspaper article in the Huntington Advertiser.  I often talk about how I have the good luck to come across some really interesting items in my research.  This little tidbit is no exception, and is particular interest to my work with HPIR's Haunted and Historic Guyandotte Tours!  HPIR started its tour business with haunted history tours held each year during Guyandotte Civil War Days, an annual festival that commemorates the raid, and subsequent burning' of Guyandotte, which in November of 1861 was home to a Union recruitment camp.

While our tours have grown, and we now offer several different options throughout the year, our yearly Civil War Days tours are still our favorite...giving us the perfect opportunity to share the rich, Civil War history (and associated haunts, of course) with our guests.  A big part of that history does involve the Confederate attack on the town, much of which did actively take place on the old suspension bridge leading out of town.  We do know that there are several deaths associated with the bridge, as men both fought valiantly against the raiders coming across...but also tried to flee by jumping into the icy waters and swimming to freedom.

What I find particularly interesting about this article is the lack of any follow-up.  I scanned the newspapers for the next few weeks, but found no mention of where the bones were taken, or if they were ever identified.  However, digging into some of the historical accounts of the battle, and other documents concerning those who lost their lives that night, I hope to help uncover this mystery!

Please join me and the other members of HPIR's Haunted and Historic Guyandotte Tours this fall to hear MY theories on who this unfortunate soul could have been...plus many other fun, historical facts and NEW ghost sightings/evidence concerning Huntington's oldest neighborhood.  Mark your calendars now because its gonna be a spooky ride!

Tour dates will be announced soon!
www.guyandotteghosts.com

Spring Mills Phantom

Photo from Sotterly Plantation's Website

Imagine it's late at night and you're driving down an unfamiliar country road, trying to get back to the highway.  As the fog creeps in, so thick you can't see 10 feet in front of you, you pull over at a crossroads and try to get your bearings.  Suddenly, the fog takes on a greenish hue, and time seems to stop.

Movement from the woods to your right catches your eye, and as you sit, paralyzed in fear, a figure slowly emerges, staggering through the fog and headed right towards you.  The figure is that of a man, dressed in Confederate Gray.  He's clutching his lower back with both hands, a pained look spreading across his face.  With his last remaining strength, he flings himself, hands first, across the hood of your car. 

You jump out of your vehicle to assist the man who is obviously terribly wounded.  However, by the time you race out your door around to your hood, the man has vanished.  All that remains are two bloody hand prints, which will slowly fade away before you make it back to civilization, erasing with it any proof of your phantom encounter.

It sounds like a cute little piece of fiction, but to many traveling in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle, its an experience that is all too real.  For years, motorist have been having encounters with what is known as the Spring Mills Phantom.

Back when I was in elementary school, my step-father was the athletic director for a local high school.  When that school's football team made it to the state championship finals, being held nearby, we turned the trip into a family vacation...and no family vacation with my mom and me is complete without a little haunted history hunting!  Our local newspaper had recently run a series of articles on famous haunts in WV, and this story made the cut, so we added it to the itinerary. 

We pulled up to the crossroads mentioned in the article, shut off the engine and waited.  And waited.  And waited.  After what seemed like forever, sitting in the dark and the fog, we started to see movement coming from the woods.  At first sign there might be ANYTHING coming out of those woods, my now-former step-father turned the engine on and stomped on the gas, lol.  I will never know whether or not I missed my opportunity to meet a Civil War veteran in real life.

Anyway, this gentleman hasn't been seen to my knowledge for many years, but if you find yourself on the Hammonds Mill Road section of  Route 901 in Berkeley County, keep an eye open at the crossroads...you might get the opportunity I missed!

*Note*
I am not 100% sure where this location is.  It's been over 20 years since I was there last, and my mom doesn't remember exactly, either.  I do know that a crossroads played a vital role in this story, and that the road we were on was very rural.  From what I've found, I would GUESS that the crossroads is actually where Route 901, which stretches between Hedgesville and Falling Waters, connecting WV9 and US Rt. 11, meets with a road called Harlan Run or Harlan Springs Run.  It is near the very haunted Hammond Mansion and Grist Mill.

More information can be found at the Southern Spirit Guide!

Wayne County's Elmwood Cemetery

Tombstone of Milton J. Ferguson

The Elmwood Cemetery, located just off State Route 37 in Wayne County, is one of the area's largest cemeteries, still receiving burials in the present day.  However, the cemetery began, as many do, as a small private, family cemetery for the Ferguson Family before being incorporated into a larger, public burial ground.

The Ferguson Family of Wayne County begins with Samuel, and his wife, Mary Jameson, both of whom were believed to have been born and raised in Ireland before coming to America, and eventually settling in Wythe County, VA in the mid-1700s.  One of their sons, William Leonard Ferguson, was born in Wythe County in 1777 and would go on to marry Sarah Stokes in that county in 1799.  A few years later, their son Milton Jameson Ferguson was born, on October 3, 1801.

Some time between 1803 and 1808, the family moved to what is now Wayne County, West Virginia (at the time, the area in which they lived was still a part of Cabell County, VA). 

According to a personal account, found at THIS SITE, it is a local legend that it is the spirit of Milton J. Ferguson who has haunted the cemetery since his death on December 9, 1853.  In fact, his spirit is said to "welcome" visitors to the cemetery, as they enter the old, Ferguson family plot.  The author of the account listed seemed skeptical at first, but did note that a feeling of uneasiness permeated the area.  Later photo analysis (unavailable) showed unexplained anomalies.

This is the only account I've heard of a possible haunting at this particular cemetery, so I'd love to hear from anyone out there who has more information to share!  Also, remember the next time you visit this cemetery, be sure to greet Mr. Ferguson and the rest of the Ferguson clan buried at Elmwood Cemetery!  As an aside...there is another member of the Ferguson Family who is NOT buried at Elmwood.  Milton's son, Milton Jameson, Jr., who went by Jameson, was an extremely prominent citizen in Wayne County, being admitted to the bar at the age of 20, and serving as a Colonel, and even under General Albert Jenkins during the Civil War.  He is buried in Fairview Cemetery in Ft. Gay.  THIS SITE has a wonderful history on this member of the Ferguson clan.

*Photo by Find-a-Grave user, OurPast.  Click on the link for internments.*

*Please note that this is NOT the same cemetery that HPIR was asked to investigate.  For information on that cemetery, please see:  Wayne County Cemetery Investigation* 

Have Yourself a Scary Little Christmas!

I'm sure you've heard the line, and possibly sang it hundreds of times for yourself..."There'll be scary ghost stories and tales of the glories of Christmases long, long ago!"  But, have you ever really asked yourself what it MEANS?  Plenty of people have pondered the subject and many of those have written extensively their own theories, but the answer is actually quite simple.  This favorite line in It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, is referring to a Victorian tradition that I personally hope will see a rebirth in the 21st century...and that is the tradition of telling ghost stories, not at Halloween, but at CHRISTMAS time!

Once you think about it, supporting evidence seems to pop up everywhere in pop culture.  Charles Dickens' iconic classic, A Christmas Carol is one such example, being listed as one of the most widely known ghost stories of all time!  For those of you who fell in love with the Woman in Black movie this year, if you read the actual book, you'd find that Arthur Kripps is actually recounting his tale during his family's Christmas celebration!

But WHY did ghost stories become such an enthralling yuletide pasttime?  That answer is a little more vague and ambiguous and I don't think there is any one straight forward, all-encompassing answer.  I've heard other bloggers mention that the telling of ghost stories was a way to calm down overly excited children for awhile.  I've also heard almost the opposite--that the winter telling of ghost stories was an exciting way to blow off steam after being cooped up inside for so long.  Some have even mentioned that during the Victorian era, new books were usually published right before Christmas, and since the Victorians loved their ghost stories, the new batch usually always contained something creepy for people to share around the fire.

Still, its widely believed that the tradition comes from simply the time of year, and its pagan connections.  During the winter solstice, on December 21st, the day is the shortage of the year, making the night the longest of the year.  Thus, the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead are at their all-time thinnest.  The world around us is "dead" and cold and dark...a perfect recipe for ghosts to walk the earth.  The actual connection with Christmas, comes from the ideas that there is no hard evidence mentioned anywhere that Christ was born on December 25th.  Rather, in the early days, the church, trying to eradicate pagan festivals, actually overlaid Christian holidays with pagan celebrations.  In fact, many other Christmas traditions, full embraced during the Victorian era, stem from pagan celebrations.

In a very modern perspective, Christmas DOES seem to stir up thoughts of ghosts for a variety of reasons.  Christmas, and other winter holidays, are times when families come together.  Why shouldn't those family members that have already passed be a part of the celebration, too?  In fact, many people do report visits from deceased loved ones this time of year and paranormal websites are flooded with "ghost" photos around the tree!  Some cultures have formal traditions incorporating departed loved ones on the holidays, such as the Ukrainian tradition of setting a place at the holiday table for deceased family.

And, there are even some other reasons why Christmas time seems to be QUITE haunted.  When we look at the past, there are a lot of tragedies associated with winter.  In a time before modern medicine, it wasn't unheard of to die of the common cold or flu...often in the winter months.  This was also a time of many accidents as candles and fireplaces were instrumented to a much greater degree to light the long nights and warm the cold.  Accidents involving icy roads and runaway oxen carts were also quite common!

So, this Christmas, after the obligatory reading of the Night Before Christmas, nestle by the fire and regale friends and family with your OWN personal ghost stories, or pick a volume of ghost tales from any of the numerous books at your local library or bookstore.  Keep your camera handy, too, but if you can't wait until Christmas Day for a little paranormal fun, we have an alternative for those of you living in the tri-state area!

2018 Update: There will be no Christmas Tours this year.  Sorry!

As the Christmas season is upon us, HPIR's Haunted and Historic Guyandotte Tours is offering a unique experience for our tour guests!  Tomorrow, December 15th, we will be conducting our first ever Victorian Christmas Ghost Tours of the sleepy little hamlet of Guyandotte, WV.  Please join us as we share with you the history and the haunts of some of the many Victorian era homes, some undoubtedy decorated festivally and beautifully for the season!

This is a one-day only event, and tours will meet in front of the historic Buffington House on Main Street.  Our first tour leaves at 5pm, but with limited space available, you may pick up your tickets and designate a preferred time slot as early as 4pm.  A wonderful spread of refreshments will be available FREE for all tour patrons.

As this IS the holiday season, we at HPIR and Haunted and Historic Guyandotte Tours would like to give back to our community.  For that reason, we are asking for tour patrons to make a donation of either 2 non-perishable food items OR $1 per guest.  100% of donations will go to area charities to help ensure everyone in the Huntington area is taken care of this winter.  We would love for you to join us in this very special walking tour, which lasts a little under an hour and a half.  Please dress warmly and feel free to bring your camera!  Flashlights are also highly recommended and our website, listed below, will have all the information you need!

http://guyandotteghosts.com/Victorian_Christmas.htm

Another Journey to Nowhere...Frist House

Nothing frustrates me more than having a great ghost story, complete with alleged names and the likelihood of verifiable details...but then not finding anything in the historic archives to actually back that story up.

This is the case with one popular tale from the Moorefield, Hardy County, area.  The tale I refer to is that of the John Frist House and its run-in with a guerrilla warfare group by the name of McNeill's Rangers.  This story originally appeared on page 62 of the iconic Coffin Hollow and Other Ghost Tales, written by Ruth Ann Musick, and published in 1977.  According to the notes in the back, this story was submitted in 1966 by Robert Fertig of Hardy County.  Here is that tale in its entirety--as it appears in Coffin Hollow:

During the Civil War, Hardy County was one of the few counties in West Virginia to go Confederate.  The reason Hardy turned rebel was that several well-to-do farmers in the county used slave labor.  The only important person opposed to the Confederacy was John Frist, an influential man who lived in a large house outside of Moorefield.  Because of John's resistance, a group of hotheaded rebels went to his house one night and murdered him, his wife, and their three children.

After this, John Frist's home was used as a prison for runaway slaves who were caught.  The slaves would be taken into the basement of the house, chained to the wall, and left for dead.  Those who performed these acts of insanity were called the McNeil Rangers, and they operated out of Moorefield.

After the South's surrender the slaves in Hardy County were released--all except the ones who had died in the cellar of their prison.  A group of townspeople went to the Frist house and cleared out the bones and decaying bodies.

This house is still standing and is in very good condition.  Several families have owned or rented it since the end of the Civil War but none of them has remained in it for more than a year.  I know of five families--all from other places--that have owned it in my lifetime.  The families that have lived there claim that once a year, on the anniversary of the Frist family's murder, blood appears on the floor and walls of the room in which they were killed.  It slowly wears off during the year, but it can't be painted over or sanded out.  Also strange screams and the sounds of chains rattling come from the cellar.

All my life I have heard that this house is haunted; I hope it does not carry a curse, because my parents rented it for a few months, about a year after they were married, and I was born there.

In 2004, popular chronicler of ghost tales, Troy Taylor, submitted an updated piece on this story, including some additional background (and correct spelling) of the McNeill's Rangers, the group allegedly responsible for this horrendous acts, to the WVGhosts website.  However, no additional details on John Frist and his family were explored...and perhaps, for very good reason.  While this tale is a favorite among West Virginia Civil War ghost-lore, and the hauntings are well documented...it seems that the actual history is NOT.

After many hours of searching the WV State Archives, Ancestry.com, and other genealogy/history sites around the web, I have found no evidence of a John Frist family near Moorehead at the time of the Civil War.  I have found no historic homes listed on the National Register that mention a Frist family (or any similar name) or even list a history comparable to that discussed in this tale.  More importantly, I found no evidence that McNeill's Rangers ever took part in such a horrific event.  I do realize there are plenty of untold, undocumented horrors of a war that placed brother against brother, neighbor against neighbor, but for being such an important man, no easily obtainable record of Mr. Frist exists.  At least, I haven't found it, and neither has several other independent researchers, historians, and Hardy County newspaper contributors. I've explored the possibility that there was a mistake in the name, but aside from a John French family who doesn't fit the scenario, I couldn't find any other possible matches, and the time period in which this would have occurred is conveniently missing from the State Archives online database.

Another aspect of the story to think about is the fact that when you start to really examine the logistics of this tale, it doesn't make good fiscal sense---captured slaves wouldn't have been left to rot.  Even if the McNeill Rangers DID capture runaway slaves during their down time from raiding railroads, it would have been much more likely that such slaves would have been returned to their owners for a bounty or re-sold for profit.

The WV State Archives has a nice history of McNeill's Rangers, led by John Hanson "Hanse" McNeill, who did live in Missouri during the outbreak of the war.  When he was killed in 1864, his son Jesse took over leadership of the group.  It is debatable as to the extent of the elder McNeill's temper, but most agree he wasn't the monster described in this tale.  However, his son was said to be more hot-tempered and since records of the group's activities aren't as strong during this time (and some members left), I would wager that if any part of this story is true, then it was under Jesse's leadership or perhaps carried out by rogue members calling themselves McNeill's Rangers.

If you have ANY information at all on the Frist Family, or the Frist House, or any other detail that would give credibility to the history of this haunting, please contact me at:  theresarhps@yahoo.com. 

The Little Drummer Boy

Located in the heart of Harper's Ferry, the Town House, as it is called, was once used as quarters for Union soldiers.  Among the ranks of the soldiers lived a young Confederate drummer boy that had been captured.  Fearing that the young child would never survive being sent off to a prison, the Union troops adopted him as their mascot...and personal slave.

The young boy was ordered to do all the chores, and to basically serve the Union soldiers as if he were their slave.  Eventually, the constant badgering of the boy left him broken and depressed.  He began to weep constantly and beg for his mother.

One night, the soldiers had been drinking, and the young boy's crying and begging began to irk them even more than usual.  As a game, they picked the boy up, and began taunting him, as they literally threw him from person to person.  One soldier missed the boy as he was tossed to him, and out the window the boy flew, where he crashed to the ground several stories below, hitting his head on a rock and dying instantly.

Visitors and employees to this day have heard strange sounds in and around the building:  the whimpering cry of a young boy begging for his mother.

Image above by Henry Kidd

Mt. Vernon Baptist Church and Graveyard

The subject of the Mt. Vernon Baptist Church Graveyard in Teays Valley has been weighing heavily on my mind for several weeks now, so I decided the time was right to dig a little deeper into its history.  This post will be updated if I hear of any new information, but for now....please enjoy reading my latest weird encounter!

Several months ago, I got serious about geocaching again, and whenever I had some spare time and found a cool cache that I could easily find, I'd set out to find it.  Such a cache was located in the Mt. Vernon graveyard.  The night I decided to find this geocache, I set out in the early evening.  It was already dark by the time I arrived, but it still wasn't what I would consider late...it was between 8 and 8:30pm.  I felt confident that I could easily find the hidden "treasure," despite the fact that I could NOT find my GPS...but the pictures posted and the description and clue gave me a pretty good idea of exactly where to look. 

As I pulled my car onto the road through the graveyard, I noticed that it seemed very, very dark that evening, despite the usual glow of the neon fast food signs in the distance, and the nearby housing development that literally butted up against the side of the graveyard property.  Still, I didn't feel like anything was wrong.  I had been in this graveyard many times, and all hours of the day, doing research for the Find-a-Grave site, and just to explore.

However, as I got to about the middle of the cemetery, right before where the road slopes down, I felt like I literally became paralyzed with fear.  I stopped the car, because this is about where I thought I needed to be to find the cache anyway, but REALLY didn't want to get out.  That's the first time I can ever really remember being that scared, and especially in that cemetery.  I had previous feelings of uneasiness in the area down past that knoll, but never in this section.  Trying to be brave, and not wanting to give up on my geocache so easily, I grabbed the flashlight and headed out. 

Seconds after leaving the road and walking among the tombs, my flashlight flickered and died.  It was a trigger light, and no matter how much I pumped and squeezed, the thing refused to come back on.  Being that it was REALLY dark, I figured I was screwed, but decided to give a look around and see if I could pinpoint where the name on the stone that the geocache was allegedly hidden near.  I looked high and low, but figured it was just too dark, so I started walking back toward the car.  That's when I heard a figure crunching through the leaves and fallen twigs.  I could barely make out the shape of a man, or what I thought was a man.  Thinking that it was either another geocacher or someone coming to check on why I was poking around the graveyard at night, I stopped and called out "hello!"  The crunching of the leaves stopped...and what I thought was a shape of the man faded into the inky blackness of night.  I ran the rest of the way to the car, jumped in, and zoomed off.

I actually did go back later that evening...around 11pm.  The weird feelings I had on my initial visit were gone, and I actually parked at the church's back lot, and walked directly to the geocache.  I haven't been back there since, but I've remained fascinated with the location, and wanted to learn more.  Many, many years ago...like when I was in middle school...I had a dream about the church.  I was standing where the graveyard is now...on the knoll...but there were no tombstones.  There was also no Mt. Vernon Rd.  I was standing in a line with many other people and we were waiting for transportation to go somewhere.

A friend of mine who grew up nearby also had strange dreams about the place, dreams that seemed to have been set in the time of the Civil War.  This same friend also had some creepy experiences in the graveyard.  Doing some online research, I've noticed that although there's nothing really that says the graveyard is haunted, several paranormal teams HAVE investigated.  In fact, several years ago, a young man posted some photos from the graveyard on a message board that I belonged to.  To me, the photos, which were said to show anomalous lights of paranormal nature, actually  just showed some neon marquees from the many nearby restaurants and gas stations...but something must have drawn him and others to look into the possibility of paranormal phenomena at this location.

I'm still following some leads and have contacted several people, but from what I've been able to verify so far, the location does have quite the historical roots. The Mt. Vernon Baptist Church is believed to have the oldest organized congregation in present-day Putnam County.  The church was organized on July 1, 1843 and made up of 30 members of the Mt. Salem Church (no longer standing) and 23 members from Union Baptist Church, which still stands in Milton.  The first pastor was Rev. James Mitchell, and the original congregation contained a man of color, simply named as "George," and a woman of color, known only as Milly.  George and Milly were actually not allowed to attend services with the rest of the congregation, and thus, sat in the overhead hayloft during services.

The original church was a converted sheep barn located on property given to the church by a J.W. West, who in turn, became the first deacon of the church.  By 1859, the church had outgrown its former barn, and a wooden frame structure was built at the site of the present church.  During the Civil War, records went silent, but it is believed that the church did act as a Civil War hospital, serving troops from both the Union and the Confederacy.

By 1909, the brick structure that stands today was started, with an official dedication in 1910, with Pastor Rev. J.F. Cook.  Over the years, many additions and renovations have taken place to accomodate the growing congregation.  The newest sanctuary has two reserved seats in honor of George and Milly, who in their lifetime, were not permitted to be seated with the rest of the congregation, and when the church celebrated its 167th anniversary last year, a processional was led from the site of the former sheep barn to the new church.

As for the graveyard, the earliest stones seem to only date back to the 1908-1909 period, indicating that the burial ground was only implemented when the brick church was erected.  Whether or not an earlier burial ground existed nearby or on the same land is a question I'm hoping to soon uncover!  If you have any information on the history of this location, or have your own weird, creepy, or paranormal experience, please let me know! 

UPDATE July 2013:  I actually had another creepy experience here of my own!  While sitting in the parking lot one night, I experienced a shadowy figure approach my car and disappear.  I'm beginning to think there is a ghostly protector of this property, shooing away those who are loitering around where they don't belong.  You can read about my latest experience HERE.

Links of interest:
Church's website, with lots of great history
Find-a-Grave Internments

Photo above from the church's homepage-history section.

Book Review: Haunted U.S. Battlefields

Title: Haunted U.S. Battlefields
Author: Mary Beth Crain
Publisher Data: Globe Pequot Press, 2008

As a history AND paranormal buff, I tore through this book in one evening, and found it informative and enjoyable.  Crain discusses famous battlefield and war-related ghosts from a variety of conflicts, including the French and Indian War, the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the American Civil War, The Alamo, the Battle of Little Bighorn, and then a short compendium of battles fought by Americans elsewhere in the world.

Unfortunately, as a West Virginian, I felt left out, as there was no mention of our great state and our many haunted battlefields!  A large portion of West Virginia ghostlore is directly related to the Civil War, and the disputed first battle of the Revolutionary War took place here, so we've got the haunts...we just need to tell them to the world.  Perhaps a second volume could be arranged?  *wink, wink*

Anyway, this is a book I'd recommend, especially for those with a love of military history.  Even if you're more on the ghost side as opposed to the history side, don't fret.  The history is concise, well explained, and not so overly in-depth as to detract from the spookiness of the stories.

Purchase Information 

Henry Young Rides On

The following story is copied from Witches Ghosts and Signs, by Patrick W. Gainer.  It is another example of my efforts to further document and share the rich folklore and haunted history of the tri-state area:

THE HEADLESS HORSEMAN OF POWELL MOUNTAIN

This story is well known among the people who live in and around Birch River, a village at the foot of Powell Mountain in Nicholas County.  In recent years the road over the mountain has been relocated and modernized, and the ghost of the headless horseman is seen no more.

The story was told to me [author, Patrick Gainer] by Sylvia Cox, a student in my class at Glenville State College.

Out on the top of Powell Mountain in Nicholas County there is a lonely grave.  It is the final resting place of Henry Young, a young man who was killed by the "home guard" during the Civil War.  During the Civil War civilians sometimes organized into groups who called themselves the "Home Guard."  Their purpose was supposed to be to protect their homes against the ravages of enemy soldiers, but some of them were in reality nothing more than guerilla bands of outlaws.  It was such a group that murdered Henry Young.

A lonely road, now seldom used, winds down the hill from the grave.  Part way down the hill there is a huge rock, which in days of old made a fine camping spot for people who came from miles away to gather chestnuts in the fall.  First can be heard the clanking of chains which bound him, then as the shadowy outline of horse and rider come into view, one notices that the rider has no head.  Closer they come, and out of the night emerges the headless horseman, carrying his head in his lap.  He does not stop, and he bothers no one.  He does not even so much as move the head in his lap to right or left, but he passes on down the trail to emerge again the following night just at midnight.


A little research into this tale does confirm that a Henry Young of Powell's Mountain was shot and killed at this location.  Henry Young, son of Bazel and Agnes Nancy Pierson Young, was born 20 January 1827 in Nicholas County.  On 27 September 1847, Henry married Lucinda James.  A daughter, Sarah Jane, was born on October 12, 1859.

Henry Young was shot and killed by Federal soldiers on September 8, 1861 on Powell's Mountain, about five miles from the Braxton County Line.  He was buried several days later near where he was slain.  It is said that the citizens waited several days because they were afraid of an ambush by Federal soldiers if the body was retrieved.  A story passed down from the Young family states that it was a member of the Young family, a cousin named David Young, who actually buried the body where it lay, as he had no help to get it to the cemetery.  This interview with David Young's descendants also shed some additional information as to what happened that day.

Henry Young and four other young men were sent out to scout how many men Gen. Rosencrans was bringing.  Young went on ahead, and was overtaken by the Union soldiers.  He stepped out from behind a tree, sacrificing himself, so that the other four men would hear the shots, and be able to retreat in time.

For 36 years, Young's grave had no marker.  Then, in 1897, family members decided to erect a fitting monument.  In 1963, Carl Wilson partook in the excavation of the Young grave, finding that Young had indeed been shot in the front of his head, and through the cheek.  Road construction, completed in 1970, had called for the reburial of Henry Young.  There is now a state Historical Highways Marker to commemorate Young's sacrifice.

More Info