Historic Jordan Springs
There are many estates in Virginia rumored to be haunted, but only one can claim to be an “authenticated paranormal site” quite like Historic Jordan Springs. This distinction is well earned.
Various paranormal teams, such as Shenandoah Shadows and Twisted Paranormal Society, have gathered plenty of evidence that proves the complex is indeed haunted. Historic Jordan Springs has also been featured in several television shows, including The Discovery Channel’s When Ghosts Attack and SyFy’s Haunted Collector Series and Ghost Hunters.
Image Source: Historic Jordan Springs
Who Haunts The Historic Jordan Springs Estate?
So what makes the estate so appealing to paranormal researchers? What’s allowed it to be “the most EVP-active location” John Rossi of Shenandoah Shadows has had the pleasure of visiting?
There is plenty to explore besides what lies within the three-story, 48,000 square foot building. The complex is surrounded by over 237 acres of secluded woods, through which several idyllic streams carve. For tourists and the just-engaged, this picturesque setting is the perfect place to enjoy a vacation or throw a wedding; for ghost hunters, it’s where forgotten burial grounds have yet to be discovered.
John Rossi says: “Over the years, we have had contact with dozens of spirits ranging from Native Americans, Civil War soldiers, Civil War nurses, various adult male, female and children spirits, of different time periods.” In this article you will read about the pieces of Jordan Springs’ history that may explain the continued presence of the first few categories – what about the other “adult male, female” ghosts?
Perhaps they are the monks and nuns of the Catholic Monastery and Seminary which operated at Historic Jordan Springs from 1953 to 1972. The “children spirits” are most likely the teens that were treated at the drug and alcohol rehabilitation center that opened there afterwards.
Historic Jordan Springs has a long history. Let’s dive into it, but before we do, why not book a tour with Colonial Ghosts?! You’ll get an unforgettable experience through some of the scariest spots haunted Virginia and Williamsburg have to offer!
Image Source: Mosthauntedvirginia.blogspot.com
History of Historic Jordan Springs
Historic Jordan Springs has a history that dates back to 1549. The older a site, the higher the odds it’s experienced some pain and misery.
The first to come across the area on which the estate falls were the Catawba Indians. They are known for being fierce warriors. Though the tribe initially inhabited just the Carolinas, they were drawn to the rumored healing powers of two of Stephenson’s springs, the White Sulphur Spring and the Calibeate Spring.
At the base of a hill known as the Devil’s Backbone, the springs formed a natural mineral bath. The tribe found the grotto perfect for holding important meetings and performing rituals.
Image Source: WFAE.org
For almost two hundred years, the Catawba tribe would enjoy this peaceful sanctuary undisturbed. But by the 1700s, word of the springs’ magical abilities had reached the colonists. Rather than make pilgrimages to the quiet retreat, the Europeans decided to just set up permanent tenancies. One of the earliest cottages they built still exists today and is used as a spa.
As the years went on, more private colonial residences and farms were constructed at Jordan Springs. Thus, in 1832, Branch M. Jordan saw a huge business opportunity. Three of Jordan Springs’ earliest hotels were part of the resort chain operated by him. The first and third to be constructed are still in use today; the second one fell victim to an unexplainable fire around 1920. The story behind each contributes to the estate’s haunted legacy.
The Previous Hotels
The first hotel, known as the White Sulphur Springs Resort Hotel, was constructed in 1832. Within this complex of hand-cut limestone, colonial vacationers could book a cottage and enjoy a relaxing soak at its bathhouse.
In 1855, a second hotel was added by Branch Jordan’s nephew, Edwin Clarendon Jordan, opting for wood over limestone.
He also made this hotel lie closer to the capitol. It thus became a favorite destination for government officials until the Civil War. When conflict reached Stephenson, the hotel was forced to transform into a temporary hospital.
Here, both Union and Confederate soldiers sought treatment and refuge, many would not leave alive. Soldiers who died while at Jordan Springs were buried on the grounds until 1866, their remains eventually re-interred at the Stonewall Cemetery in Winchester.
Image Source: Historic Jordan Springs
Before the third hotel was constructed in 1893, its sisters enjoyed a period of heightened popularity after the Civil War finally ended. Notable guests include Robert E. Lee, General Stonewall Jackson, and President Theodore Roosevelt. But by the 1900s, The Jordan Family Resort Hotels began to decline, functions ceasing in 1916.
It wasn’t until 1942 that the property functioned profitably again as a hotel. W.H.M. Stover managed to draw in tourists by offering more recreational activities, such as camping, baseball, and swimming.
Historic Jordan Springs Today
Today, the Jordan Springs Estate is overseen by D.W. Aitken and Tonie M. Wallace Aitken, who purchased the property in 2001. They have been keen to preserve pieces from each period of the estate’s long history.
The Aitkens of course cherish Historic Jordan Springs’ mystical past. At the center’s museum, located on the lower level, various artifacts remind visitors of the springs’ magical healing powers. The first and third hotel structures of the 48,000 square ft. facility is used today as a technology conference and training center ,as well as an all-inclusive event and cultural center. Indeed, just as the Catawba Indians found Jordan Springs to be an ideal meeting place, so do modern tourists.
Image Source: Historic Jordan Springs
Embracing Ghosts
The Jordan Springs estate has been a pet project of John Rossi’s since 2008; he has made it his mission to convince others that the place is haunted. Besides conducting numerous investigations himself, Rossi has also invited other paranormal teams over. The TAPS team from Ghost Hunters visited the property for the show’s Season 9, Episode 21: Dead Presidents.
D.C. Metro Area Ghostwatchers (DCMAG), which used to be associated with TAPS, has also stopped by Historic Jordan Springs several times. Rossi was a former leader. The organization looks into haunts reported in Washington DC, Northern Virginia, and Southern Maryland, but Jordan Springs has always stood out.
John Warfield, a military man who joined the team in 2006, considered Historic Jordan Springs and the Christmas Attic shop to be particularly haunted. During a visit with Rossi, Warfield heard a conversation on the second floor, though no one else was in the building.
In 2008, DCMAG kicked off their nine month analysis of Historic Jordan Springs with a two day investigation. Like other ghost hunters, they were eager to explain the estate’s unexplainable occurrences: objects moving on their own, apparitions frightening guests, strange noises disturbing sleepers, and so on.
Among their findings were EVP recordings and being touched by spirits themselves. And so in 2009, when the team was asked by a film studio to help train cast and crew for the psychological thriller Ghosts Don’t Exist, they knew just where to have a full day (and night) of Ghosthunting 101.
Even those less trained in the art of ghost hunting have added to the growing wealth of evidence that the ghosts of Historic Jordan Springs are real. In 2013, Angel Haines, was able to capture some impressive shots of a Civil War soldier.
Image Source: Haunted Jordan Springs
The Haunts Continue at Historical Jordan Springs
Ghostly voices have been heard as well. On one Friday night, Shenandoah Shadows found the card room in particular to be paranormally busy. “We had an ovilus device set up to spit out words created by electro-magnetic frequencies. Among the words were ‘officer,’ ‘outside,’ ‘holiday,’ ‘Emma’ and what we thought sounded like ‘John Brown.’
But it was the attic that was the most active when Twisted Paranormal Society took a second trip to Historic Jordan Springs on November 10, 2012. They were chased away from the room by the ghost of an old man, as well as the disturbing sounds of angry “growls, heavy breathing”. The attic area is also known to be haunted by a little girl – her playful spirit has always been more than eager for a game of hide-and-go-seek. In this EVP recording, you can hear her reply to a ghost hunter’s invite.
Another comprehensive investigation of Historic Jordan Springs was done by Adventure Myths, a filmmaking studio with a particular interest in shooting at haunted locations. They share their two year, ghost hunting efforts at the estate in an impressive thirty minute documentary, appropriately titled The Haunts of Historic Jordan Springs.
Finally, in August 2013, the Discovery Channel’s When Ghosts Attack was invited to Historic Jordan Springs by the Aitkens, who were finally fed up with the estate’s spirits disrupting all of its tranquility. After interviewing the owners, the crew got busy with their ghost busting – they experienced, just as the Aitkens had, plenty of unexplainable occurrences.
Image Source: Haunted Jordan Springs
Haunted Williamsburg
Intrigued by the haunted Historic Jordan Springs estate? There are plenty more spooky stories waiting for you! These historical spots are rich in eerie legends, ghost sightings, mysterious occurrences, and restless spirits.
Want to dive deeper into haunted Virginia? Check out our blog for more ghostly tales and book your Colonial ghost tour today! Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok for more spine-chilling content!
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.
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Sources:
- http://hauntedjordansprings.com/about-us/authenticated-paranormal-site/
- http://historicjordansprings.com/2008-authenticated-paranormal-site/
- http://historicjordansprings.com/category/history/
- http://historicjordansprings.com/during-civil-war/
- http://historicjordansprings.com/post-civil-war/
- http://historicjordansprings.com/about/
- http://www.nbcwashington.com/the-scene/events/Ghostbusters-DC.html
- http://ghostsdontexist.blogspot.com/2009/04/ghost-hunt-at-historic-jordan-springs.html
- http://hauntedjordansprings.com/picture-of-a-civil-war-soldier-apparition/
- http://hauntedjordansprings.com/friday-night-at-jordan-springs/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mzio2e_CI2w
- http://hauntedjordansprings.com/ghosts-attack/