Williamsburg, Virginia, is celebrated as a living history museum, where the past is preserved in all its colonial glory. But beneath its charming facades lies a darker legacy – one of restless spirits and eerie encounters. Every corner seems to have its own ghostly tale. Today, we will be taking a walk through colonial Williamsburg together and exploring its most haunted spots.
The Wythe House
The Wythe House is named after George Wythe, another Founding Father who signed the Declaration of Independence. He died at the age of 80 after being poisoned by George Sweeney, his grandnephew, who was set to inherit his estate. Doctors ignored his pleas that he was poisoned, diagnosing him with cholera instead. Unfortunately, by the time Sweeney was suspected of playing a role and jailed, it was too late.
The Wythe House – Copyright US Ghost Adventures
Upset at being robbed of his life, his ghost continues to haunt his former residence. Legend has it that it is also haunted by George’s friend, Lady Skipwith, who committed suicide in the house after a lover’s quarrel over her husband’s adulterous ways.
The Bruton Parish Church
The Bruton Parish Church was established in 1674. Today, it has around two thousand worshippers. During the Battle of Williamsburg, it served as a makeshift hospital. Dozens of soldiers were buried on its grounds. In addition to being visited by wartime spectres, it’s also haunted by the wife of Reverend Jones, who led the parish.
The Bruton Parish Church – Copyright US Ghost Adventures
When she died of childbirth, he promised never to marry anyone else, a promise he promptly broke a mere few months after her death. Heartbroken, she continues to visit their old congregation, where ghost hunters report the most bizarre experiences.
The Public Hospital of 1773
The Public Hospital in Williamsburg was the first in the nation set up to treat the mentally ill. “Treat” is used liberally here, as treatments of the time consisted of practices such as lobotomies and bloodletting – using lancets to cause the patient to lose copious amounts of blood to cure them of lunacy. Patients were also shackled and confined and treated worse than criminals.
The Public Hospital of 1773 – Copyright US Ghost Adventures
Patients were often kept in coffin-like cages called “protection beds” when they acted out. They were also restrained to chairs, with their heads confined in a head cage or shackled to walls. Their tortured souls continue to haunt the place.
The Peyton Randolph House
The Peyton Randolph House is one of the eeriest places you can visit in Colonial Williamsburg on a Williamsburg ghost tour. It was the home of Sir Peyton Randolph, one of the Founding Fathers, who also served as the first president of the Continental Congress. It was only during restorations in the 1930s that it was discovered that the east wing was built on at least two Native American burial sites. The graves were further disturbed when a tunnel was built for the Colonial National Parkway in 1941. Perhaps that’s why it’s so cursed? Anyone who lived there seemed to have bad luck. Several deaths have occurred here, including:
Even the famous French General Marquis de Lafayette, who certainly saw some gruesome sights during his battles, believed that the house was haunted. According to his report, he was startled by a cold hand gripping his shoulder and felt an eerie presence in the building.
- A former Confederate soldier who was studying at the College of William and Mary fell ill and died.
- Two men got into a heated argument, killing each other.
- A boy fell from a tree on the property to his death.
- A girl died after falling from the upper floor.
Even the famous French General Marquis de Lafayette, who certainly saw some gruesome sights during his battles, believed that the house was haunted. According to his report, he was startled by a cold hand gripping his shoulder and felt an eerie presence in the building.
After exploring the haunted side of Williamsburg, why not move on to other cities? If you’re interested in historic hauntings, take a Gettysburg ghost tour, where you’ll learn all about the hauntedness of Gettysburg and the role of the Battle of Gettysburg in contributing to it! (First photo by Kedar Gadge on Unsplash)
ABOUTME
We overland. We eat plants and fungi. We live outside as much as possible. We are all connected. A female travel blogger overlanding and writing about ecotourism, ethical and sustainable travel, socially conscious travel and housesitting. An online travel magazine since 2015.
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