The Nicolson House, built between 1751 and 1753, lies on the east side of York Street. It was built on a sizable piece of land owned by the famous planter and lawyer Mann Page. Though Page was born in Gloucester County, he spent most of his life in Spotsylvania on his massive plantation, Mannsfield.
Robert Nicolson later moved in, making the house a boarding home for many famous colonial Virginians. But one of them refused to leave, still pursuing his life’s passion even when all the odds were against him. Through his spirit, Cuthbert Ogle’s short but impactful time in Williamsburg can still be felt in the Nicolson House. Don’t be spooked; step into his world and discover the beauty of the Colonial age.
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Is The Nicolson House in Williamsburg Haunted?
The Nicolson House is a colonial Williamsburg House with an unusual tale. It was once a boarding house rented out by colonial tailor Robert Nicolson. Cuthbert Ogle is among his many famous tenants, which include Peyton Randolph, the first President of the Continental Congress. The musician mysteriously passed away after spending only two months at the boarding house. Now, many have seen his ghost floating around the colonial home!
Beginnings of The Nicolson House
When Page died in 1730, his son sold some of the family’s York County property, including the one-acre tract on which the Nicolson House was constructed. Cabinetmaker James Spiers was the first to take over the lot but did not build anything on it. Thus, within one year, he sold it to a tailor named Robert Nicolson (some sources spell his name “Nicholson.”)
Nicolson was twenty-six years old at the time and only just beginning to establish himself as a tailor. In 1773, he acquired a humble, two-story building on Duke of Gloucester Street and launched his career there. “
The front salesroom took up most of the first floor with a counting room at the back, while the second floor was used for living purposes and storage.” Nicolson’s little tailoring shop operated as a post office and general store as well.
With the money he made from the store, young Nicolson built a “small, unpretentious two-story building” on the land he had purchased from Spiers. The Nicolson House was where he and his wife, Mary Waters, raised their seven children.
A few of their kids became very famous in Virginia: the oldest, Robert Jr., was an acclaimed Revolutionary War surgeon, for instance, while another (named George) served as the mayor of Richmond twice.
Robert Nicolson used the Orrell House as a template for his home. The two-story Orrell House, which is also located in Williamsburg, is on East Francis Street.
Both the Nicolson House and the Orrell House have a fireplace and bedrooms on the first floor. Around 1766, Nicolson augmented the western end of the Nicolson House with a two-bay extension. Otherwise, “the house has essentially remained the same for the last 200 years.”
Cuthbert Ogle | The Nicolson House’s Forever Tenant
For a brief period, Nicolson decided to rent out some of his home’s bedrooms to weary travelers to get some added income. His Virginia Gazette and General Advertizer advertisements targeted “gentlemen who attend the General Courts and Assembly.”
He promised to provide boarders with breakfast, even stabling for their horses. Among Nicolson’s customers was Cuthbert Ogle, “a semi-prominent conductor and concert organizer” who sailed to Virginia from London on The Dolphin in February 1755.
Unfortunately, Ogle’s time in the States was brief – he died within two months of arriving on April 23, 1755. He left behind an impressive collection of music (ranging from overtures to concertos to sonatas) and instruments.
While alive, Ogle strived to contribute to Williamsburg’s music community. From his room in the Nicolson House, he offered to teach Virginians how to play various instruments, including the violin, organ, and harpsichord.
Today, Cuthbert Ogle is believed to haunt the Nicolson House. Some visitors claim to have been gently touched by him on the shoulder. Others who have stayed overnight at the house believe that he is the source of all the sounds of nocturnal scratching.
Other Tenants at The Nicolson House
Another famous tenant of Nicolson’s was James Mercer, a lawyer who was scheduled to duel with Arthur Lee at five o’clock. The two had supposedly agreed to meet on a plain horse pasture on York Road in the morning. However, Mercer was late for the appointment, which, during colonial times, was very frowned upon.
“The question of time and place were critical ones for James Mercer – the difference between a rosy future at the bar of General Court and the ignominy due a coward.” Nicolson was asked to testify in order to help the court decide whether or not Mercer’s lateness was intentional or not.
Nicolson became very busy as his business grew. He used the Virginia Gazette to look for lodgers and employees and to sell unwanted property and slaves.
Robert Nicolson sold his store in 1776 and stopped taking in lodgers one year later. He continued to live in the Nicolson House, though. Perhaps he wanted to focus more on civic affairs, as he was already well-known in Virginia’s political sphere.
Before the Revolutionary War, he served on a committee that included the famous likes of William Pasteur, John Minson Galt, George Wythe, and Peyton Randolph.
Pasteur and Galt were Williamsburg physicians who partnered up in 1775 to open an apothecary shop. Colonists would go there to buy medical supplies and herbal remedies.
George Wythe was an acclaimed lawyer who hailed from Chesterville. He is famous for being our nation’s first law professor (Thomas Jefferson was one of his students!)
Peyton Randolph taught law throughout his career, most often at the College of William and Mary. He is best remembered for his leadership skills and for becoming the first president of the Continental Congress.
The Haunted Nicolson House
Ironically, like the Nicolson House, Wythe and Randolph’s homes are also said to be haunted. They were also included in our list of Virginia’s Top 25 Most Haunted Places.
The Nicolson House may only have one reported ghost on site, but the Wythe House is believed to have multiple. Unsettled spirits include George Wythe and Lady Ann Skipwirth, the wife of a wealthy planter.
Wythe was murdered by his evil great grand nephew, who poisoned him with arsenic. Lady Ann Skipwirth is rumored to have committed suicide in one of the house’s bedrooms after seeing her husband flirt with various women during a gala held at the mansion.
However, the Nicolson House is unique because it is one of the few properties in Colonial Williamsburg, which was always “privately owned and continuously inhabited.”
Robert Nicolson’s children took over the home after he died on July 14, 1797. Nicolson lies buried at Richmond’s St. John’s Episcopal Church. Eventually, others acquired the building, including the Power family and a man named John Slaughter.
The Nicolson House is among the numerous haunted places in Colonial Williamsburg. Perhaps Cuthbert Ogle is sticking around because he didn’t have enough time to teach music while living!
Haunted Williamsburg
The musical ghost haunting the Nicolson house is only one colonial Williamsburg house with a penchant for attracting guests forever. Explore haunted Williamsburg with Colonial Ghosts and see for yourself! Our Williamsburg ghost tour offers an eye-catching and hair-raising look into the world of the dead. Bridge the gap between history and hauntings with our experienced tour guides tonight!
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Works Cited
- Yetter, George Humphrey. Williamsburg Before and After: The Rebirth of Virginia’s Colonial Capital. Williamsburg: The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, 1988. Page 84.
- Samford, Patricia. The Nicolson House – Report on the 1982 Archaeological Investigations. Williamsburg: The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, 1986. Page 8-9.
- Haas, Shirley A. and Dale Paige Talley. A Refugee at Hanover Tavern: The Civil War Diary of Margaret Wight. Charleston: The History Press, 2013. Page 25.
- Haas, Shirley A. and Dale Paige Talley. A Refugee at Hanover Tavern: The Civil War Diary of Margaret Wight. Charleston: The History Press, 2013. Page 26.
- “Member: CuthbertOgle.” LibraryThing, n.d. Web. 6 March 2016. Para. 2.
- “Member: CuthbertOgle.” LibraryThing, n.d. Web. 6 March 2016.
- Hauck, Dennis William. Haunted Places: The National Directory, Ghostly Abodes, Sacred Sites, UFO Landings, and Other Supernatural Locations. New York: Penguin, 2002. Page 441.
- Morrow, George T. II. Williamsburg at Dawn. Williamsburg: Telford Publications, 2011. Page 40.
- Haas, Shirley A. and Dale Paige Talley. A Refugee at Hanover Tavern: The Civil War Diary of Margaret Wight. Charleston: The History Press, 2013. Page 24.