Historic hauntings in Fredericksburg are a dime a dozen. The city’s history stretches back to 1727, and the scars of the Revolutionary War are still fresh here. Nowhere is this more true than at Billiken’s Smokehouse At The Chimneys. The 1771 Georgian manor has seen many uses and tragedies throughout the centuries. What remains from those turbulent years are hauntings that are equally eerie as they are enchanting.
While a local Freemason built the house with the two iconic chimneys, it was passed down through the generations. Some who lived there have refused to move on, however. Many wealthy wealthy merchants called The Chimney’s home. Their success came along with the high price of slavery.
Today, while others enjoy the smokey delights offered by Billiken’s, the numerous spirits of The Chimneys look on with an insatiable hunger. They make the pang of death they feel known in many ways. Lights flicker, chairs move, and footsteps are heard with no source.
Join Colonial Ghosts as we look into the haunted past of Fredericksburg’s most haunted restaurant. The Chimneys is only one of many haunted historic sites in Virginia waiting to be uncovered. Take a ghost tour in Williamsburg to discover them for yourself!
Who Haunts The Chimneys?
The 1771 mansion known as The Chimneys by locals in Fredericksburg is now a restaurant haunted by the restless souls of Virgina’s past. Several apparitions accompany odd sounds, chilling cold, and phantom movements throughout the building. One of the most telling stories is of a former slave who died on the property. Along with him, the spirit of a young boy and several women from the 1800s haunt the restaurant.
What Are The Chimneys?
The Chimneys, a singular building with two adjacent stone chimneys, is a historic mansion in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Despite being two hundred and fifty years old, the Georgian estate is in pristine condition. This includes the residents of the manor who have stuck around in the afterlife.
Constructed between 1771 and 1773, the mansion has been passed through the generations to many wealthy Virginians. The first of whom, its builder, was Charles Yates. Yates was an Englishman and a member of the Free Masons.
Fredericksburg was a significant port city for burgeoning colonial America in the 18th century. As such, many men made great fortunes. Yates, a grain merchant, dedicated mason, and shred businessman, built this mansion with the finest details in mind and dollar signs in his eyes.
He sold it to another merchant, John Glassel, shortly after its completion. This Scottish merchant and British loyalist did not last long in the colonies. As the intensity of the Revolutionary War increased, he fled to Scotland and passed the home down to his relative, William Glassell.
Glassel occupied the home until he died in 1801. Throughout the following centuries, the house passed through many different owners. One of the most famous was Ellen Lewis Herndon “Nell” Arthur, later the wife of the 21st President of the United States, Chester A. Arthur.
The Historic Fredericksburg Foundation bought the building in 1966 to rent due to its immaculate condition. The foundation moved into the building in 1975, where it operated a museum and office. The Chimneys became a series of restaurants after renovations in 1982 installed modern plumbing and updated electricity.
Billiken’s Smokehouse At The Chimneys
Billiken’s Smokehouse At The Chimneys opened in 2017 and has been serving smoked meats ever since. The historic home is used as a restaurant, wedding and event venue, and world-class catering venue for the people of Fredericksburg.
Their quirky name holds an interesting story of its own. American illustrator and art teacher Florence Pretz invented the Billiken in 1908. According to Pretz, the image of the Billiken came to her in a dream. It is a monkey-like creature with pointy ears. Since its inception into the world, it has spread as far as Japan and was once a cultural icon of sorts in the early 20th century.
While the Billiken is supposed to represent easy living, it doesn’t seem to have impacted much at The Chimneys. Terrifying faces and apparitions lurk in the shadows of the night at the 1771 building.
Fredericksburg Hauntings
Many different families and faces called The Chimneys home throughout the years. Most were merchants and plantation owners during the horrid times of slavery. As such, some residents of The Chimneys were held there against their will.
Remnants from this awful period of American history have manifested as spiritual energy. One such spirit is the ghost of a man named Nicodemus. Nicodemus was first detected by Author Mark Nesbitt, who investigated the home with the aid of a medium, Julie Pellegrino, in the early 2000s. The paranormal investigators detected a distinct smell of smoke.
Fredericksburg was a significant stop on the Underground Railroad for escaped slaves, and Nicodemus hoped to escape to freedom. He was on his way, but his fellow travelers left him behind with a promise that they would be back. However, they never returned.
Fredericksburg was struck by two major fires in 1799 and 1823. Julie believes this poor soul died of smoke inhalation or was burned to death in one of these terrible infernos, still waiting for his freedom. Mark and Julia helped free him from his entrapment, and according to them, they felt a cold chill pass through them as they did.
The Many Spirits of The Chimneys
Many other restless souls haunt the Chimneys. Employees have seen many strange occurrences while on shift. Door knobs turn on their own, and doors fly open in the dead of night—lights in perfect working order malfunction on a whim. Rocking chairs placed to add ambiance to the 18th-century atmosphere have been seen rocking away with no one in them.
Several young women have been seen floating around the building throughout the centuries. The earliest report of a ghost at The Chimneys took place in the early 1800s when a family saw one of these young women playing the family harp.
She appeared again years later when a little girl in the house was playing piano alone. She felt the music-loving ghost walk through the front door and sit down next to her. An icy hand rested upon her shoulder as she played. It is said that if you play music at The Chimneys today, this ghost will appear!
Then there is the young boy who has been seen by many in The Chimneys. A woman saw him one evening long before the building was used as a restaurant. As she was putting her son to bed one evening, she noticed he had a usual and unfamiliar bed with him. Thinking that her husband allowed a sleepover with a friend she had not met yet, she put them both to sleep.
In the morning, she asked her husband and son who the young boy was. Neither had an answer for her.
Also, there are stories of a young, blonde woman tending to her business in the garden. Perhaps she is the spirit who has been heard breaking China in the kitchen so often.
Haunted Williamsburg
The Chimneys is one of the most haunted places in Virginia. A slew of ghastly inhabitants have called it home for hundreds of years. Virginia is full of these spooky anomalies that make us question the thin line between life and death.
Take a ghost tour with Colonial Ghosts to learn more about haunted Colonial Virginia. Williamsburg, VA, is a town full of history and haunts that perplexe and entertain the soul. Book a Williamsburg ghost tour today!
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Sources:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/5004845/charles-yates
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billiken#
https://billikensbbq.com/about-us/
https://hauntedhouses.com/virginia/the-chimneys/