Haunted Roanoke, Virginia, nestled between the Blue Ridge and Appalachian Mountains, offers breathtaking views of both ranges from nearly every street. Locals and visitors can enjoy everything from outdoor adventures to brewery tours.
But beneath this city’s scenic beauty and cultural charm lies a rich history of hauntings. Roanoke is home to eerie haunted houses, mysterious locations, and spine-chilling urban legends. With the Roanoke Virginia mountains as a dramatic backdrop, the city’s haunted history is filled with ghostly encounters and legends that are sure to send shivers down your spine!
Embark on a guided ghost tour through Williamsburg’s eerie streets to discover its most ghostly secrets.
What Is Roanoke’s Haunted History?
Roanoke’s haunted history is filled with chilling tales and eerie locations. The Patrick Henry Hotel, once a luxurious hub, is known for ghostly apparitions and strange noises that linger in its halls.
The Grandin Theater, a historic cinema, is rumored to be haunted by spirits of past moviegoers, with unexplained occurrences during late-night showings. The Lady in Black is a mysterious figure often seen near the mountains or wandering Roanoke’s streets, tied to tragic events of the past. Along with haunted houses scattered throughout the area, Roanoke’s ghostly tales are as rich and eerie as its scenic Virginia mountains!
Early Exploration of Roanoke Valley
English settlers began exploring the Roanoke Valley as early as the seventeenth century. They were drawn to the region by its very rich and fertile lands. The twenty mile long valley falls within a great basin and is surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Appalachia.
Prior to the pioneers, the area was home to various Native American tribes. These Indians lived an agricultural-based lifestyle, cultivating the earth and fishing from the Roanoke River. The word “Roanoke” is believed to be derived from their currency of smoothed shells, called “rawrenoc.”
By 1740, the Europeans had established their own farms in the Roanoke Valley. Tradesmen began flooding in, and the region’s population grew substantially. About three decades later, the vast county of Botetourt was created.
It was named after Norbone Berkeley, Baron de Botetourt. Berkeley served as the royal governor of Virginia from 1768 to 1770. He died on October 15, 1770 in Williamsburg, and there is a statue which commemorates him in the Capitol building.
The arrival of the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad in 1852 transformed the valley from a rural and agrarian society to a suburban and commercial one. The city of Roanoke, Virginia was established that same year. It was originally called “Big Lick,” after a large outcropping of salt near the Roanoke River.
During the colonial era, Roanoke was a primary stop along the Great Wagon Road. The Great Wagon Road would eventually stretch from Pennsylvania to Georgia. It “provided a route for inland trade and settlers heading west.”
During the Revolutionary War, the road played a pivotal role in supplying American forces in the western areas of the English colonies. Circa 1754, the road’s route spanned approximately three hundred and ninety-five miles, starting at Philadelphia and ending at the intersection of Williamson Road and Franklin Road in Roanoke. Some one hundred and forty-five miles were then added, bringing its final stop to Shallow Ford in North Carolina.
Roanoke’s rich and long history has helped it become one of the most haunted cities in southwestern Virginia. Below we recount the chilling story of “The Woman in Black,” and explore two spooky sites: The Patrick Henry Hotel and the majestic Grandin Theater.
The Woman in Black
According to a March 1902 article in The Roanoke Times, the men of Roanoke were being terrorized by a mysterious “Woman in Black.” Her name was on everyone’s lips, and strong men trembled at the sound of it.
Children clung to their mothers, and terror spread through the city. Though she never physically harmed anyone, her eerie, sudden appearances and ghostly disappearances were enough to instill fear in even the bravest souls.
Described as strikingly beautiful, with “dancing eyes” and a black turban that concealed most of her face, the Woman in Black sent cold chills down men’s spines whenever she spoke. One prominent Roanoke merchant, leaving his store after midnight, encountered her as she materialized out of nowhere and attempted to flirt with him.
“You are not the first married man that I have seen to his home this night,” she whispered, following him to his door. Terrified, the merchant rushed inside, speechless.
This eerie tale is just one chapter in Roanoke’s haunted history, where haunted houses and ghostly encounters are as common as the breathtaking views of the nearby Roanoke Virginia mountains. With legends like these embedded in the city’s past, haunted houses in Roanoke and spooky tales continue to haunt the streets, leaving a chilling mark on its rich history.
Within a few days, though, reports of the woman’s appearances ceased. Some believed that she’d moved on to haunt the town of Bluefield, as the locals there began to encounter a woman who exactly matched her description.
Yet that same month, a story titled “Two Prominent Men see Ghost!” ran in an Alma, Nebraska newspaper. This “ghost” was said to be that of a young woman, dressed also “in deep black” and prone to materializing out of the shadows. If not a spirit, how could the same woman be in multiple places at once?
The “Woman in Black” has thus become an acclaimed urban legend in Virginia. Some theorize that she is the ghost of a scorned woman, returning from the hereafter in an effort to sway husbands from their wives.
The Patrick Henry Hotel
The Patrick Henry Hotel is located in the city’s downtown historic district. It was built in 1925 and is both a national historic place and a Virginia landmark.
During its days as a hotel, The Patrick Henry catered to traveling salesmen. It had an ornate lobby, a spacious ballroom and three hundred guest rooms.
It was chartered by William Wise Boxley and designed by William Lee Stoddart. Boxely was a local business leader, and Stoddart an acclaimed architect from Tenafly, New Jersey. Besides The Patrick Henry Hotel, Stoddart was the mastermind behind hospitality structures including The Winecoff Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia and The Genetti Hotel in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
In 2009, The Patrick Henry Hotel was converted into an apartment complex, but many of its original features, such as antique chandeliers and an old faux skylight in the atrium, were preserved. However, what hasn’t changed is the hotel’s haunting reputation. Reports of lights turning on and off by themselves, unexplained cold spots, and the sound of bodiless footsteps echoing through the hallways continue to this day.
When a team of ghost hunters visited, they experienced their own share of paranormal activity. They recorded several electronic voice phenomena, thought to be the voices of long-departed guests. The group also claimed to have seen three ghosts dressed in tuxedos in the ballroom. Another frequent apparition is a man smoking a pipe on the second floor.
Room 606 is known as the most supernaturally active place in the hotel. According to local lore, this was where a young airline stewardess was brutally murdered, her body hidden in the bathtub by her never-caught killer.
Over the years, guests have reported strange phenomena in the room, including the ghost of the stewardess descending from the ceiling to touch a female guest’s hair. When parapsychology professor Deborah Carvelli brought her students to the room, they, too, experienced the eerie occurrence, with some even envisioning the bathtub “full of blood and water.”
In addition to the stewardess, the hotel is also haunted by a lady named Lucy, who is said to have died in her room but still roams the halls during the night. Guests and staff have also encountered the spirit of a man dressed in 1920s clothing.
The Patrick Henry Hotel is just one of many haunted houses in Roanoke, a city steeped in rich history and surrounded by the misty beauty of the Roanoke Virginia mountains. With its spooky tales and ghostly residents, Roanoke’s haunted history continues to captivate those who venture into its eerie past.
The Grandin Theater
The old Grandin Theater is an acclaimed city landmark – “one of the jewels in the arts and cultural crown of the Roanoke Valley.” The theater first opened in 1932, as one of the first theaters in the city with sound. It was constructed by architect John Zink, and the first movie screened there was Arrowsmith.
This melodramatic film starred Ronold Colman and Helen Hayes – Academy Award- and Tony Award-winning actors. For several decades, The Grandin Theater ran talking pictures, including classics like The Sound of Music and Annie Get Your Gun. Legendary blues musicians, such as John Lee Hooker and BB King, also held lively concerts there. When Julie Hunsaker became the Grandin Theater’s new manager in 1986, she added comedy shows to the theater’s growing list of attractions.
The Grandin Theater struggled financially during the late 1900s and was forced to close in November 2001. On October 20, 2002, though, it was able to raise enough funds to reopen. The French film, Mostly Martha, was screened to celebrate its grand return.
Today, The Grandin Theater offers movie fans a mix of Hollywood titles and indie films. However, be careful if you opt to watch a flick at the Grandin Theater.
According to the theater’s assistant manager, “a homeless family once lived in the projection booth for some time when the theater closed at one point in the ‘50s.” Employees claim to hear the ghostly cries of one of the clan’s deceased babies, when the building is empty of customers.
“There have been reports of a face looking down from the projection booth, a boy walking through the closed doors of the screening room, and the sounds of clinking glasses and laughter from the upstairs when employees are alone in the theater at night” as well.
If you are a Roanoke local with another urban myth to share, feel free to reach out to us! Contact us as well if you visited the city recently and have a frightening experience to tell.
The Grandin Theater is just one of many haunted spots in Roanoke, which is surrounded by the mysterious beauty of the Roanoke Virginia mountains. Roanoke’s haunted history is filled with eerie locations and spine-chilling tales, including haunted houses and ghostly encounters that continue to captivate both locals and visitors alike.
If you have your own eerie experience in Roanoke or an urban legend to share, don’t hesitate to reach out! Whether you live here or have recently visited, Roanoke’s haunted history always has room for one more spine-tingling story.
Hauntings in Williamsburg
If the Haunted Roanoke of Williamsburg has sparked your curiosity, get ready to uncover even more spine-chilling stories. These historic locations are filled with eerie tales of ghostly encounters, strange occurrences, and lingering spirits. Many of these haunted spots are just as entwined with drama and tragedy as those in the city, offering a deeper look into the chilling events of the past.
Eager to learn more? Dive into our blog for additional haunting tales and book your next Colonial ghost tour today! Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok for even more hair-raising updates!
Book a Williamsburg Tour and see for yourself
Our tour will take you on a leisurely stroll along the tree-lined cobbled streets of this beautiful and historic city. In around three-quarters of a mile on our standard tour, our entertaining and knowledgeable guide will regale you with stories of characterful spots in the Historic District of Williamsburg.
For those with an appetite for the terrifying, our extended tour will take in an additional haunted locations.
Get more information and reserve a tour today!
Sources:
- https://www.britannica.com/place/Blue-Ridge-mountains
- https://www.britannica.com/place/Appalachian-Mountains
- https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/berkeley-norborne-baron-de-botetourt-1717-1770/
- https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/historic-registers/128-0235/