A Sunday Stroll

Happy Sunday Everyone.
I hope you all have had a nice weekend. Mine was busy. I worked yesterday and today Dean and I went with Rebecca and Cody to VA. Beach to meet up with my son. He had a rare chance to take Cody aboard a Navy Ship (photos to follow in my next post) While they were doing that Rebecca and I ran into the toy store for some ideas for Santa, then we all had lunch with my mom. Later in the day we stopped at this wonderful old cemetery in Norfolk. I had know this cemetery was there but had never been. As you can see from the photos it is very old and some of the grave go back to the mid 1860's at lest. One of the more famous graves is that of Civil War Confederate Army Officer Charles Pickett, The brother of Major General George E. Pickett,. Both Charles and George fought at Gettysburg,

Also the largest grave *as you will see in the slid show* is of  John Core. He Served with John Singleton Mosby as one of his Rangers and with the Commissary General's Office during the Civil War. After the war, he returned to Norfolk where he became a very successful farmer and businessman. He founded John H. Core & Company which were importers, manufacturers, and packing agents.
He died in 1910 leaving an estate valued at over $500,000. He would have been a multi-millionaire by today's standards. He stated in his will that he wanted a mausoleum built in Elmwood Cemetery for his remains and those of his wife, Martha Anne. The couple had no children. He set aside $100,000 for the construction of the mausoleum.
My grandson Cody (who is a big fan of Gettysburg) quickly recognized the Confederate flags that were displayed on many of the graves in the cemetery. You can even see him salute at some of the graves. I thought that was really cute.
All in all it was a good day. I hope you enjoy my slide show

Update

I have a new post over at my paranormal blog. To visit it click Here

Whaley House Tour

A friend of mine recently visited the Whaley House, Located in San Diego California




The Whaley House has been called the most haunted d house in the United states by the travel channel. The Whaley house was haunted even before the house was built and the family moved in. The first ghost to be reported was the ghost of James “Yankee Jim” Robinson who was hanged in 1852. He was hanged on the property that was used as a gallows before Thomas Whaley purchased the property and built the house. According to the San Diego Union, after the Whaley family moved in, they heard the sound of heavy footsteps moving around the house and concluded that these footsteps were made by “Yankee Jim”. Years later, many visitors to the house said that they saw the ghost of Thomas Whaley
Four family members of the Whaleys died in the house including Anna Whaley. The ghost of Anna Whaley has been seen by visitors in the garden or in the rooms located downstairs. Furthermore, some visitors claimed that they have seen an apparition of a woman in the courtroom.
A spirit of a dog was captured; it is said that the dog was a spotted fox terrier; the apparition of the dog was caught running into the dining room in the house. The Whaley family used to own a terrier named Dolly Varden when they were still alive. The dog died of natural causes and is said to lick the bare legs of women and is mostly seen by children....



While my friend was in the home, she said that the batteries in her camera died, only to have full charge again once she left the house. Also she said that she turned her cell phone to silence while in the home, yet when she entered the chidlrens bedroom, it rang..TWICE and no one was there.
Here is her tour exactly as she gave it to me....


First lets see the courtroom. Originally built as a granary this room was expected to be rat proof because of its brick construction but it wasn't. This room was also used as a school house, a billard hall, a ballroom and a church. From 1869-1871 Mrs Whaley rented this space to the county of San Diego for use as the courthouse.



Next is the general store, Whaley was foremost a business man, and the original design of the house had this in mind. In the earliest found documents he sold buckwheat, macaroni, leaf lard, clear pork, codfish, preserved fruits, oysters, lobsters, pickles, and tomato catchup. His merchandise also included household wares such as wooden wares, tin wares, hardware, and stationary. As well as all manners of clothing such as boots and shoes. Later in the years he also dabbled in liqueur sales such as champagne, ale, porter, hock wine, and schnapps.



As we round the corner we enter the dining room. The chairs are circa 1860 walnut and covered with actual horse hair. The original kitchen was outside and the floor cloth was made of oilcloth and painted with many layers of varnish





Rounding the corner we have two ways to go. Across from us in the rear downstairs bedroom or the guest chamber. General Sedgewick stayed here durning his campaign to attract a transcontinental railroad to locate its pacific coast terminus at San Diego.
Stories passed down from the family say that Lillian Whaley used this room as she got older and her health declined.



Now we move upstairs


From here there are three ways to go. Striaght ahead lies the theater, to the left the master bedroom and on the right the childrens rooms. Lets start at the theater.


Feel free to have a seat, the theater, was leased to Mr Thomas Tanner from Oct 1868 thru Januay 1869. His group was called the Tanner Troupe, and they boasted a diverse repertoire from dramas to comedy. Mr Tanner died shortly after the theater was opened and the troupe was disbanned, so in 1869 this room was rented to the county for meetings of the board of supervisors and the storage of county records




Now lets move onto the Whaley's master bedroom. The orignal bedroom suite is walnut and the hand woven coverlet is circa 1850.



Now lets go to the most haunted room in the whaley house. The children's room is considered cottage style. It is said the dolls will be moved in the dark hours of the night and that the puzzle will be scattered across the floor when employees return for work the next morning.



As we leave the upstairs the last room we visit is the rear bedroom. The furniture in this room is not original to the Whaley family but is from that time period. It is also unkown who would have used this room, employees spectulate that it would have been used for up to four children or visiting family members





As we head back downstairs be aware that there have been stories of Mrs Whaley standing at the head of these stairs in a frock coat and pantaloons.





From here we will visit the Study, and the palor which are attached to each other.
Thomas Whaley was also a city clerk, notary of the public, realtor and real estate investor as well as the railroad secretary. His did much of his paperwork and correpsondce in the study.


This chair rocks by itself

Now to the parlor, it is furnished with items that originally belonged to the Whaley's. The pump organ was Anna's and still works today. She was a musical woman who passed this love onto her children. In fact her son George played professionally at Horton Hall in San Diego's new town.

Rain Rain Go Away

*Click on Photos to enlarge*

I had planned on going to the Civil War re-enactment this weekend at the Endview Plantation, but as luck would have it, it has rained all weekend.  I called to see if it was going to be re-scheduled and was told no that they only do it once a year. I was really disappointed.  Instead of going there my daughter and I headed out to Virginia Beach. I had not seen my mom in awhile and also wanted to get together with my son. He is heading back to San Diego on a job. Lucky for us as we were heading to my mom’s the rain gave way to a few minutes of clear sky so we stopped by the Ferry Plantation house to take some outside photos.

 

You might remember that I was there two weeks ago for the “Spirit tour”. We didn’t think the house was open, but walked around the front to get a few photos and as we did my daughter peeked in the window. We were talking about how we didn’t think the wind was what was making the nose we heard the night we were there. (You might remember we head taps on the glass upstairs) Rebecca shook the shudder a bit and Just as she looked in the window my grandson walked up behind her and his reflection in the glass startled her. She then picked him up to take a peek inside and as she did a face stared back at her. It was the director of the house, who was probably just as frightened. She (the director) came to the door, and we reminded her that we had been on the tour a few weeks ago. We stepped into the hall for a few minutes to chat. I wanted to know more about a couple of things that had been mentioned on the original tour. The first being the hanging tree out back. 

In documents from the House they know that three slaves were hanged from it. The tree was struck by lightning at one point and I couldn’t help but wonder if the top branches that were struck are the ones that the hanging took place on or if it could be some of these that are remaining.

 

I don’t recall being told what year the hangings took place but know it was at lest as far back as the mid 1800’s. I was told however that a psychic has visited the tree and felt as if the bodies were thrown to this side of the tree. Which is the back of the tree if your walking from the house towards it.

 

I have to admit I felt a bit creepy walking around the tree. It wasn’t just from the thoughts of men hanging from the tree it was from knowing that I was walking on a scared Indian burial ground.

Yes a burial ground. That is the other thing I was dying to know more about. I had heard there was one somewhere on the property. As it turns out it was a large area of the back grounds.  I am not sure how it was discovered but was told that almost immediately after it was that the owners put in this to keep the curious away.

Those are tennis courts and all of this grass area still has remains in it and also all around and under the courts. A one point some Native Americans visited. They left in a hurry saying they would never come back and said something about how the bodies could not rest because sacred things had been stolen and needed to be returned. Of course no one has any way of finding out what these “things” are.

I also saw the tree that was planted by Sally Rebecca Walke. Records indicate that  this Southern Magnolia was planted in April 1863 in memory of her fiancé who died during the Civil War  Measured at 131 inches circumference, and 75 ft. tall, in 2001.

The house also has a working well with an old pump that still works

Also if you look closely out back you can see the original road that ran out behind the house. (The front of the home was near the river)

 

I was really glad to get a chance to learn more of the history of the home and not just the “haunted” side. As much as I love the paranormal I have to admit I am glad I don’t live near the home. I was told yesterday that some of the guest of the people who own the homes that were built on the plantation land had been by the house talking about dreams of men hanging in the trees and Indians cutting down the bodies and taking them away. Vivid dreams, but then again look how close the houses are.

 

*Note
Just to clarify things you should know that The Ferry Plantation house sits in the middle of a neighborhood in a cul de sac (court). Several Houses are on all four sides of Ferry Plantation home. These houses sit on what was once the land of the Plantation house.

Haunted Carters Grove

The windy road known today as Route 60 leads from Williamsburg to Newport News. VA. and if your not paying attention you won’t notice the  dirt driveway that once led to Carter’s Grove Plantation.  Built in the early 1700’s it was once one of Virginia’s finest plantations. It was closed to the public around 2003,  but tales of hauntings still linger among the locals.

From what I’ve been told a black man in raggedy clothes can be seen walking towards the Plantation from Williamsburg. Could this be the ghost of Jim, a slave who once worked at the Governors Place and walked the eight miles every Saturday night back to the Grove to see his family. From what they say he died of a broken heart when he came home one weekend to find that his wife and children had been sold and no one knew how to tell him where to find them.

During the time the plantation was open for tours flower petals could be found on the floor after being placed in what is known as the refusal room. Both Thomas Jefferson and George Washington offered marriage proposals to two different young ladies in the room and were turned down. Rumor has it that one of these young ladies still angry at herself for not accepting the life she could have had tears up the flowers any time they are left in the room. She especially hates white carnations. Could this have been what was offered to her along with the proposal? I suppose we will never know.  

Steps are sometimes heard in the halls. A phantom harp is said to play,  and another legend of Carter’s Grove is that Colonel Banastre Tarleton hacked the staircase as he rode his horse up the stairs to wake his troops during the Revolutionary War.


Click to open in new window where photo will be enlarged

I drove past the plantation today, and on a whim stopped at the beginning of the drive. The gates are locked now with big NO Trespassing signs in plain site, but for just a moment I jumped out of the car and took a few photos. When I loaded the photos and took a look I found something unusual in the upstairs window in the center of the house.

Take a look and tell me if it is my imagination or do you see a man wearing white pants and a red shirt.  Could this be Colonel Banastre in his Revolutionary War Uniform?

I may never know now that the plantation is  privately owned but from what I have read sometime in the future the new owners according to the terms of the sale have to open the house one day a year for tours. You better believe when they do, I will be there.

In search of spirits

The night was cold with rain and wind. Just perfect for a visit to a haunted house, and that was exactly where I was headed. My daughter  and I pulled up the Ferry Plantation house in Virginia Beach about a half hour before schedule. We arrived early due to the weather and the fact that even though I grew up in Virginia Beach and have lived in the Hampton Roads area most of my adult life I had never been to this house. Thankfully another person was arriving the same we were and showed us the way up to the house which was a short distance from the parking area. 

I loved the house from the minute I walked in and at no time felt uncomfortable.

As you can see it is full of warm cozy furnishings. 

We were given a short tour, told some stories then allowed to move about on our own. One of the local paranormal groups was there for this tour and had brought some equipment in which we were allowed to use. We grabbed a infra-red thermometer and a set of dowsing roads and set off to see if we would have any type of experience

We had heard the story of Sally Rebecca Walke who lived and died in this house, She seemed to respond when asked questions using the dowsing rods my daughter has in her hands. (young lady in the photo in the middle is Sally)

Some people believe that when a spirit is present that there energy will cause the rods to cross. We used them for simple yes and no questions. We would ask them to cross for yes and then ask the sprits to uncross them for us. It worked over and over.

 

We also heard the story of Henry a slave who died here. His room was at the top of these stairs. Its been turned into a storage room now.

We were told he had been chained to the wall at some point (not sure if this is a true story, We heard it from a teenage boy that was there with the paranormal group).

Rebecca seemed to be taken with this area and we spent some time there using the “ghost hunting equipment”

We never could get the meter to flash, but the dowsing rods did cross several times.

We moved on to other areas of the house. I was anxious to see if Eric the child that had died in the house would communicate with us. We made our way to the gift shop where I took out my voice recorder. We ask Eric if he was there, waited for a response. (It is believed that voices of the dead can be heard with a tape recorder. What we can not hear with our ears can be picked up electronically) We then asked him to make a noise for us. For several minutes we could hear what sounded like a tapping noise at the window. Both my daughter and I could hear it and of course realize that it can easily be de-bunked due to the rain outside, but it only seemed to tap when we asked it to. Was it our over active imagination? I am not sure, but it was enough to make us both nervous so we didn’t stay in there long. When I played back the recording. I can hear the knocks along with what sounds like a voice saying pretty girl, and also in response to me asking if Eric wants to come play…a YES, Before we took out the voice recorder we had used a pendulum in this room and ask simple yes and no question.  When ask if Eric was in the room it swung in the direction of yes, when asked if he wanted to play, it swung no, and when asked if he was frightened, yes, when asked if he would play later, it stood still and shook as if there was an undecided answer.

Our hostess had also used a pendulum in  another room and it seemed to be responding to “something”.

I really enjoyed roaming around this house and tried to spend time in the areas that were suppose to have the most activity.

On the third floor is  where the Nanny's room had been. She had died when she was descending these stairs

The way the story goes is she caught her heel on the third step from the top, and over the years others have either fallen up or down these stairs at the exact same spot.

Other than the tapping we did not have any personal experiences, but really enjoyed our evening and I plan on going back again.

Here is a slide show of random photos of the house.

In search of the spirit world

This  coming Saturday is the day that I am going on the “spirit tour” at the Ferry Plantation house in Virginia Beach. I am looking forward to the tour and like any good ghost hunter hope to have the ultimate experience and see something. However like any good ghost hunter I also believe in being prepared as far as knowing the history of the house/property. Not every spirit is nice and I don’t want to get caught off guard and suddenly wonder why I feel sick, or find things being thrown off shelves. At the same time I want to make sure I pay attention to which room or rooms that have shown activity in the past. This lead me to a google search on the house. I found several articles, but nothing that really talked much about the hauntings. Then I found information on a book called “Haunted Virginia Beach” and was able to read excerpts from the book. I was really excited to read about Eric, a child who died in the house. It seems that he likes to play tricks on people. He has also been seen on the steps. Another child, a young girl has been seen in the dinning room along with a woman. There is a spirit of a man who is called Henry. He was a servant and his job was to lead people from the boat landing up to the house. Over the years some of the land has been sold and modern day houses built. It has been reported that one of the neighbors had his patio furniture moved more than once during the night. It is thought that Henry was just making way for his unseen guest to enter the Ferry House .  Upstairs a woman is seen. She was the nanny and footsteps are heard pacing back and forth between her room and the nursery.  A woman is also seen by the downstairs fireplace. Cold spots have been felt in this house and shadows have been seen.

I can’t wait!

In The Woods

One of the most haunted places in my area is a place called Old House Woods. I have heard stories about this area for several years so we decided that it was time to check it out...

In the day light that is. With all the stories I had heard I was not about to go here at night.
Here are a few of the most famous stories.

Some of the recurring tales are about British Redcoats, pirates, skeletons in knights armor, mysterious groups of shoveler digging, ghost horses and cows which appear and disappear before one's eyes, a full rigged Spanish galleon which vanishes in thin air, mysterious floating lights in the woods similar to lantern light, and a "Storm Woman" who floats above the pines warning fishermen of impending gales.

Whew, that is enough to scare anyone. As you can see from the photos. These woods look creepy in the daylight.


Looking up and down the road in both directions.


The thick woods.







We didn't stay long and headed instead to the beach area where
Blackbeard, the famous pirate captain supposedly brought some of his treasure here to hide it. He forced several of his men to dig the hole at gunpoint. And then, he shot them, and threw their bodies in the pit with his takings. This is an old pirate superstition that is supposed to protect his treasure from thieves and other adventurers. And some have claimed to have seen men, madly digging in the night,
while another person supervises with his pistol in hand









I've heard the stories of how people digging for the treasure disappear never to be seen again. I wasn't about to take any chances, but.....Ok I confess. I did take one of these pretty shells for a souvenir. Shhhh don't tell anyone. I am not sure how good of a pirate I would make if one of these ghost takes me out to sea on the mysterious ship that has been seen in the area.