Sunday, October 16, 2016

Haunted House

With apologies to Jumpin Gene Simmons , whose song "Haunted House" was popular in the 1960's. there really is a "haunted house" in Wythe County in southwesterrn Virginia.  We were driving south on I-81, saw some signs for Graham's Forge, VA and decided to investigate...

The day was cloudy and foggy, to be sure.  But when the road surface became unpaved, it really set the mood.  After bumping along on washboard surfaces for what seemed like hours, but in reality was only a few minutes, we came across this massive estate, which was once the home of Squire David Graham who operated 12 furnaces, a forge, and a grain mill, was part owner of nearby lead mines, owned 26,000 acres in the Grahams Forge community, and was known as the “first ironsmith of southwest Virginia”.  

He began to build the original rear frame section of the Mansion in the 1830s.

In 1838, Major David Pierce Graham was born.  It is said that Major Graham lived at “Cedar Run” as it was originally called, all of his life.  Additions to the home were made periodically until the 1890's, with brick being made locally.

In the1930s: Jim Graham, a Wytheville (VA) banker and resident of “Cedar Run”, moved his family from the Mansion “to town” and used the property intermittently for holiday and picnic outings.

Back in 1943: The home and approximately 1200 acres were purchased by law professor Reid Fulton.  His grandfather, Creed Fulton, was a founder of Emory and Henry College.   An eccentric book collector, Fulton lived in the Mansion until the 1980s.  

Fulton sold the property to Dr. James Chitwood of Pulaski in the 1970s and his vast antique book collections were donated and sold to libraries all over the world.  Dr. Chitwood listed the mansion property on the National Historic Register in 1984.  The property was owned briefly by a corporation from West Virginia.   J.C. (Josiah Cephus) 

Weaver purchased the property in early 1990 and incorporated it into his current 4000 acre W.W.  Ranch, where he raises Angus and Hereford beef cattle.
 



The estate has become a paranormal activity hotspot, prompting many expeditions to explore those reports. 


Weaver has maintained the property with direct intention of preservation of the mansion and it's history and heritage. He also hosts many events at the Cedar Run mansion throughout the year, with the most popular events held during the Fall months. Those events include haunted (paranormal) research, music festivals, and ghost tours.


 A fascinating place...when you drive off paved road to get there, it sets the mood for things to come.   Too bad we won't be in town for one of their tours!

The rest of our trip south was completely unremarkable...

More later...

Mandy


2 comments:

  1. Ghost tours are fun. A few years ago we were driving back from Florida and stopped to visit some friends who had retired near Hilton Head. While there we did a ghost walk in Beaufort, SC. It was full of history and old houses with lots of legends. I particularly admired our tour guide, a lovely young southern woman dressed in a black lace outfit from the antebellum south.

    We have also done the paranormal tour that they do regularly in Asbury Park NJ. Lots of fun. I wish I could do one while fully attired.

    Pat

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    1. If it were at Halloween, you could call it "your costume." I tried to float that trial balloon several years ago, and it didn't fly. We won't be around to try it this year (nor will I be at Mom's for their party) so maybe I'll try again next year.

      Mandy

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