It’s no surprise that Richmond, Virginia is home to countless ghost and urban legends. Being the Capital of the Confederacy for almost all of the American Civil War, Richmond was the setting for numerous wars and even a death camp (see my last post about Belle Isle). The paranormal fascinates me, so I decided to dig deeper into Richmond’s spooky past and share some of my favorite haunts and urban legends.
The Byrd Theater:
If you have not been to the Byrd theater to see a movie, I highly recommend it. Built in 1928, employees of the Byrd theater say that the first manager, Robert Coulter, is still managing today. While closing the theater for the night, employees have seen the ghost of Coulter appear in the windows and mirrors, perhaps attempting to help them close the theater properly. In addition to Coulter, a young girl who supposedly haunts the theater has been seen countless times in the women’s restroom. Although historians are not sure who this little girl was, her presence has been reported enough times that a paranormal investigation group in Richmond decided to check it out. Apparently, this paranormal investigation group caught this little girl’s voice on EVP, electronic voice phenomenon, and could hear her speaking on tape.
If this gets your blood pumpin’, be sure to get to the Byrd and try to see these ghosts for yourself!
The Vampire of Richmond:
If you’re not well versed in Richmond history, you might not know of the tunnel collapse of 1925 in Church Hill. The tunnel served as a railroad for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company about 4,000 feet underneath what is now known as Church Hill in Richmond. The tunnel gave way as a locomotive carrying workers passed through, killing four people and trapping countless more. Apparently something crawled out of the tunnel, a human-like figure with its mouth covered in blood and rotting flesh hanging off its face and arms. While authorities were trying to catch this creature, it ran to Hollywood Cemetery and disappeared into a grave with the name W.W. Poole at the top. The interesting thing about this grave is that is has no birth date engraved on it, only a death date. Spooky huh? Could it be a vampire? Who knows.
The Cast Iron Dog:
This is by far my favorite urban legend in Richmond. The legend says that this iron Newfoundland stood outside a shop in Richmond and a little girl would come by every day and pet this statue. This little girl, buried in Hollywood Cemetery with the last name Rees, died of Scarlett Fever around the age of three. According to the story, the owner of the shop moved the iron dog to her grave so it would not be melted down and used for bullets during an iron shortage. People say that the dog protects this little girl, and the cemetery in general. Apparently on warm evenings, you can hear this dog barking in the cemetery at night. People leave little toys and trinkets daily in this little girl’s grave, thanking this iron dog for its service to the cemetery. It’s beautiful to see in person.
Richmond is full of spooky, fascinating history. Go check it out! Around Halloween, there are even ghost tours in Richmond.
