Post by Graveyardbride on Feb 18, 2015 1:23:03 GMT -5
Nightmarish Norfolk
The city of Norfolk, Virginia, traces some of its ghost stories back to the early 17th century, soon after the first English settlers arrived in the new world. Since that time, the city has seen its share of history: battles, fires, hurricanes and strife. It continues to strive for that balance between Southern charm and metropolitan pace, but no matter the direction in which it evolves, there are many haunting tales to keep the past alive. Following are a few ....
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. Built in 1739, St. Paul’s (above) is the only colonial-era building in Norfolk to survive its many wars. There is still a centuries-old cannon ball imbedded in its bricks, a memento of Lord Dunmore. And, if the stories are to be believed, there are other reminders of a more spiritual nature in and around the old church. The most prevalent ghost is a phantom figure, believed to be the spirit of Dr. Nicholas Albertson Okeson, that appears in the graveyard. Okeson, who died of malaria in 1882, served the community for 26 years.
Norfolk City Jail. The old jail is said to be the most haunted location in the city since a prisoner hanged himself in his 9-foot by 9-foot cell. One prisoner incarcerated in the same cell claimed that when he looked into a mirror, he did not see his own reflection, but the bloated, distorted face of a stranger – a face that looked like the face of a man who died from hanging. Guards on duty at night have reported seeing what appears to be the silhouette of a man, but when they investigate, they find nothing.
The Wells Theatre. Opened in 1913 as the crown jewel of the Wells Brothers’ Beaux Arts theaters, the historic Wells has gone from stage to cinema and back to stage, with some supernatural members of the cast tagging along. When there isn’t a lot of noise and lights in the theater, people have seen a little girl fall from the balcony, repeating an incident that occurred during the building’s movie days. Employees have also reported hearing phantom laughter and theatergoers have seen people in old-fashioned attire. Another ghost is that of a sailor, who fell while working on the fly system, became entangled in the rigging and strangled to death. His unhappy spirit is usually seen roaming around backstage and he is often blamed for missing props and locked doors. At some point during the years following his death, this wraith acquired the name “Ned” and it’s not unusual to hear cast and crew members shout, “Stop it, Ned!” during rehearsals.
Battleship Wisconsin. The Wisconsin (above) – one of the largest and last battleships built by the U.S. Navy – is now a museum in downtown Norfolk, serving as a symbol of the city’s proud naval history. One former crew member, however, refuses to leave the ship. The poor soul was working on the air-conditioning system in an overhaul during the Korean War when someone turned on the system, killing him. Among the reports of his presence on the ship is testimony from a 2nd class quartermaster serving during Operation Desert Storm. In his report, the petty officer said: “I’m walking past the harpoon launchers [port side] and you get that feeling that you’re being watched? That there’s somebody behind you? So, I turn around thinking it’s the aft lookout, coming to me for something. So I stop and turn around and look and there’s this bright white wispy shadow there behind me. Now, it’s the midwatch and there was no moon that night. It was pitch black. You couldn’t see your hand in front of your face, it was so black. And there is now this billowy white shadowy sort of thing floating behind me. It sort of freaked me out. The story about the electrician – at the time I didn’t know, but I went ‘Okay, that’s enough of that’ – I turn around and start making my way forward and boom – there it is again right in front of me. And this billowy white shadowy thing is right in front of me, so I turn around and walked aft again towards the aft lookout and there it is again, behind me. So this time, I turn around and facing forward, I just took off running as fast as I can, back forward.”
Ghost of Willoughby Spit. There are countless stories of ghosts along the beach of the Spit which are usually intertwined with lost loves and those awaiting their return. One local legend has it that to see one of these spirits is an ill omen forecasting a hurricane. Stories of a mysterious dark figure on the beach were reported just before Hurricane Isabel in 2003.
Moses Myers House. Prominent businessman Moses Myers built his house in the late 18th century and until it was donated to the city in the 1930s, five generations of the family inhabited the home. An apparition seen in the garden is said to be the spirit of Thomas Bowden. According to legend, Bowden and Myers were in the middle of a heated discussion when Myers’s son, Samuel Myers, shot Bowden. Those who have seen the ghost say he wears a top hat and cloak and paces back and forth through the garden as though greatly agitated.
Freemason Abbey. Today it has been converted into a restaurant, but what is now Freemason Abbey (above) was constructed and originally dedicated as the Second Presbyterian Church in 1873. In 1902, the congregation sold the property to the First Church of Christ Scientist, which occupied the building until 1948, after which it served as a meeting hall for the Independent Order of Odd Fellows until 1988. There have been numerous paranormal accounts in the old edifice, particularly in the kitchen and bar areas where things are moved around, cupboards open on their own, items fall from shelves and doors refuse to remain open, or closed. There also are those who claim to have seen a dark figure wandering about and the hearing what sounds like a woman weeping. And to this day, employees still end the evenings by saying “Goodnight Mr. B,” a nod to a former owner of the restaurant who apparently still takes smoking breaks in the store room long after his death.
Norfolk Pagoda. The Blessing Gate arch is a landmark that promises good fortune to all who pass beneath it. However, when the downtown section was part of the bustling port, the arch’s concrete slab foundation held the weight of a 5,000-gallon molasses storage drum, a sticky grave for many industrial accident victims from years ago. Visitors still comment on the smell of molasses near the gate. Could it be a message from beyond?
USS George Washington. This Navy ship, like the Battleship Wisconsin, is said to be haunted and this one has at least three ghosts. One apparition is that of a little girl who strolls about in the lower levels, perhaps the daughter of a sailor who never returned home. A second wraith is that of a dog, possibly a former mascot, that vanishes as soon as it is spotted. The third is the spirit of a man who is seen walking the passageways. People have also reported feelings of being watched when no one else is around.
Sources: Norfolk Convention & Visitors Bureau; Haunted Norfolk, and The Ghosts of Virginia by L. B. Taylor Jr.
