A number of people have asked me about the images that appear on the cover of Ghosthunting Virginia, so I figured it would be useful for me to post here about that for anyone who might be interested. Both of the images are ones I took while traveling around the Old Dominion doing research for the book.
The main image, of an almost classic Victorian haunted house, is the J. Sidna Allen home, just outside of Hillsville, Virginia. Allen was one of several men who initiated a gunbattle at the Carroll County Courthouse in 1912, resulting in the deaths of several people. Allen lost his home as a result of this event and his subsequent prison sentence and some people claim that it is haunted by his embittered spirit. I spent only a short time at the house and, while I have no evidence to support this, did feel more a sense of unease there than at most of the other places I cover in the book.
The other image is Virginia Mourning Her Dead, a statue on the grounds of Virginia Military Institute that presides over the markers of 10 cadets from the school who were killed during the Civil War (six of which are buried right there). It is reputed to sometimes shed tears over the fallen young men.
Questions or comments related to either of these images and the stories associated with them are welcome!
No comments:
Post a Comment