Secrets of the James

Ghosts of the James

by Gabe Silver, Environmental Educator

The James River has a face for every season; pleasant in the summer, raging with flood in early spring, serene in the winter. With Halloween coming, we might wonder if the James can be a little haunted too. After all, the James River has an entire fleet of Ghost Ships, whose abandoned hulls mark the waters near Fort Eustis. Indeed, the James is so rich with history that it seems possible that these ships might not be the only thing haunting the river.
In fact, Virginia’s plantation homes, including those along the James, are well known for their ghosts. This October, for example, you can embark on the James River Plantation Progressive Ghost and Spirit Tours where you will be introduced to some of the historical un-dead of our watershed. Edgewood Plantation also offers tours featuring their particular ghost of a woman who is apparently still awaiting the return of her husband from the Civil War. Berkeley Plantation, having seen its share of bloodshed in colonial times and during the Civil War, is another famously haunted residence. The authoritative source on haunted plantations is Haunted Plantations of Virginia, by Beth Brown.
If you survive the ghosts of the Lower James’ plantations and make it upriver to Richmond, an entirely different set of haunted experiences awaits you. Somewhere along the James, there is a place to get spooked this October.

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