The Haunting of Bacon’s Castle – A Fortress of Spirits and Rebellion

Surry County, Surry, Virginia

Photo: Wikipedia

Bacon’s Castle is one of America’s oldest standing brick homes — and one of its most enduringly haunted. Built in 1665 by prosperous planter Arthur Allen, the mansion is a rare example of Jacobean architecture in the New World. It wasn’t long before this stately home was entangled in bloodshed, rebellion, and centuries of lingering unrest.

The house gained its ominous nickname during Bacon’s Rebellion in 1676, when followers of rebel Nathaniel Bacon seized the property from Allen’s son. Though Bacon himself never set foot inside, the mansion became a symbol of defiance — and that rebellious energy seems to have soaked into its very walls.

The structure itself looms with history: grand Flemish gables, ornate chimneys, and fortress-like proportions. But it’s what can’t be seen that draws ghost hunters and curious visitors. Paranormal reports at Bacon’s Castle are frequent — cold spots, phantom footsteps, unexplained voices, and apparitions that vanish into thin air.

Some believe the spirits are those of the Allen family, disturbed by the violent seizure of their home. Others point to enslaved individuals who lived and died on the plantation, their stories mostly untold. A few say the rebellion itself left behind an energetic imprint — an unresolved echo of resistance that refuses to die.

One of the most commonly reported hauntings is the "Crying Lady", a female spirit seen looking out from the upper floor windows. Some believe she mourns a lost child; others think she’s a remnant of the rebellion or an enslaved woman grieving a life stolen.

Today, Bacon’s Castle is maintained by Preservation Virginia and offers guided tours — but even in daylight, the shadows stretch long across its grounds. Whether drawn by the history, the ghosts, or both, visitors leave with a sense that the past is never truly gone here. It waits in the walls, in the silence between footsteps, and in the chill that brushes your shoulder when no one is there.

Visitor Information

Location:
Bacon’s Castle
465 Bacon’s Castle Trail
Surry, VA 23883

Website:
Preservation Virginia – Bacon’s Castle

Tour Information:
– Open seasonally (typically March through December)
– Guided and self-guided tours available
– Check website for current hours, events, and closures
– Group tours can be arranged in advance
– Occasional special events: ghost tours, candlelight evenings, historic reenactments

Contact:
📞 (757) 357-5976
📧 info@preservationvirginia.org

Note:
The grounds also feature preserved outbuildings and a reconstructed 17th-century garden. Photography is allowed in most areas, and paranormal investigators sometimes host events onsite during Halloween season.

The Haunting of Colonial Williamsburg

Colonial Williamsburg – Williamsburg, Virginia

Photograph ©CountryInns.Com

Middle Plantation, located between the James and New York rivers, was founded as the new capital of the Virginia Colony in 1699, after the Capital Building in Jamestown burned in 1698. Middle Plantation was then renamed “Williamsburg” in honor of King William III.

The College of William and Mary, located in Williamsburg, is the second oldest establishment in America for higher learning. This institution was utilized by such great men as: John Marshall, Thomas Jefferson, John Tyler, and James Monroe. Also, our first president, George Washington, received his surveyor’s license from this very same school! This College was a temporary host to the Virginia colony’s government while a new capital was being constructed nearby. In 1780, the city of Richmond became the “new” capital of Virginia, as it is today.

Williamsburg is also famous for:

·Establishing the very first mental hospital in this country.
·George Washington’s assembly of the Continental Army in 1781 before his raid on Yorktown (a military move that won America’s independence).
·It was the site of the first attempted canal in America.
·And, it was used as a barracks and hospital by the Confederate Army, and then later by the Union Army, during the American Civil War.

Today, Williamsburg is nationally known as one of America’s favorite historical hotspots. What many don’t know is that, Colonial Williamsburg is haunted.


College of William and Mary

Photograph ©RevolutionaryDay.Com

At the College of William and Mary, sightings of a female apparition have been reported numerous times over the years. This departed spirit is called, Lucinda, who died in an automobile accident while on her way to star in a play called, “Our Town,” which was to premier on campus.

The apparition of a Revolutionary War soldier also makes an occasional appearance in and around the building. This former patriot died of gunshot wounds on the third floor.

Also haunting this building is the apparition of a French soldier. This same spirit was seen and first reported by the college’s first president, James Blair in 1969 after Mr. Blair awoke in the middle of the night to find the specter standing at the foot of his bed!


Ludwell-Paradise House

Photograph © Jim Donten

The apparition of the eccentric and mentally disturbed, Lucy Ludwell, still visits her former family home. This lady was dubbed “Crazy Lucy” due to her peculiar behavior and her obsession with bathing many times a day. Lucy took over the house in 1805, after the death of her grandfather. Today she must still believe that she posses the home and the sounds of her bathing have been heard by many in the empty second floor bathroom.


Peyton Randolph House

Photograph ©Russ Picket

The Peyton Randolph house is believed to be the most haunted in Williamsburg. Visitors to the historic town make daily reports of specters peering out of windows at them, strange knocking sounds, footsteps, moaning, sounds of glass breaking and disembodied children laughing.


Wythe House

Photograph ©TwoRiversCapitalManagement.Com

Disembodied footsteps have been reported here, as well as, furniture being moved, cold spots, people being shoved by unseen hands, tapping sounds and strange clicking noises.

The apparition of a woman in a satin gown has been seen coming out of one of the bedroom closets, as well as, sitting at a dressing table combing her hair.



Some of the other locations in Colonial Williamsburg that are reported to be haunted are:

·Gaol (The old jail)
·Hangman’s Road
·The Nicholson House
·Well’s Corner

Whether you visit for the history or for the ghosts, Colonial Williamsburg is a beautiful town and a landmark in our country’s history! No wonder the spirits still linger there!


Address:
Visitors Center
101A Visitor Center Drive
Williamsburg, VA 23185
(800) 447-8679
Website

RELATED LINKS:
Colonial Williamsburg Ghost Pictures

Haunted Place: Berkeley Plantation

Berkeley Plantation – Charles City County, Charles City, Virginia

Photograph ©U.S. Department of Interior, National Park Service

Built in 1726 by Benjamin Harrison III, this is the oldest 3-story brick mansion in the state of Virginia. The land surrounding this home has seen its share of bloodshed! Having been tread upon by colonists in the early sixteenth century who were attacked by Marauding Indians, as well as, bearing witness to the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, the land may even be more haunted than the home itself!

The attic of the Berkeley Plantation is said to be home to one of its restless spirits. Many have reported hearing strange noises, shuffling footsteps, and insistent pacing on the floorboards.

In one of the bedrooms, many have claimed to see the apparition of a young girl. This young lady seems to be a friendly spirit, however, her sudden appearance out of nowhere is enough to unnerve most who come into contact with her.

In the parlor, many believe that the spirit of William Harrison, ancestor to Benjamin, is responsible for chandeliers shaking and clicking. He also believed to be the prankster who enjoys swinging the linen closet doors open just as tour guides are passing by.

In the dining room, many have claimed to “feel” a presence, or have reported seeing fruit come right out of the bowl and fly across the room before their very eyes. Oddly enough, these same people also reported that the flying fruit would eventually make its way back into the bowl!

Outside of the house, there have been many sightings of a male apparition dressed in Civil War uniform. This apparition is usually seen walking along the banks of the James River and he is sometimes accompanied by another male apparition, thought to be the spirit of a young drummer boy who lost his life in the Civil War as well.

Address:
12602 Harrison Landing Road
Charles City, Virginia 23030
(804) 829-6018
Website