A Union soldier. A headless pirate. A murdering minister. A capricious young girl darting through the streets. These are just a few of the ghosts you may encounter on a visit to Washington, North Carolina.
"Most apparitions are friendly in nature, and a lot of the stories we tell are about spirits who are just hanging around, not necessarily good or bad," says Terry Rollins, children’s librarian and master storyteller of the Washington Haunts ghost tour. "Our benevolent ghosts are people who loved Washington so much that they didn’t want to leave. Some of the ones who cause an eerie feeling are the ones with unfinished business."
Hauntings and history go hand-in-hand in Washington, North Carolina. This small town on the banks of the Pamlico River – the oldest town in America to be named for George Washington – has been around since early 1776 and boasts paranormal activity to prove it. Walking through its lovely downtown filled with markets, boutiques, and restaurants, the historic buildings and even the river itself simmer with stories of those who came before. As the locals will tell you, some of the long-gone still hang around and will make themselves known to those who pay attention.
Murdering Minister
"Everybody wants to tell you a good ghost story and I get to hear a lot because of what I do," he says. "The most famous Washington ghost story is of Reverend George Washington Carawan who haunts the old Beaufort County Courthouse where he went on trial for murdering a school teacher."
The murdering minister made a famous last stand after being declared guilty in 1853. He caused mayhem in the courtroom when he pulled two concealed pistols from his person and began shooting around the room. Though others were injured, the only life he took was his own, determined not to hang for his crimes. Some 170 years later, those who work in the old Beaufort County Courthouse can sometimes hear the melee of broken glass, shrieking, and gunshots as the ghost of Reverend Carawan relives his final moments. When they go to investigate the sounds coming from the courtroom, there’s not a chair out of place.
This is one of a dozen haunted tales illuminated on the Washington Haunts ghost tour. Under Rollins’ care, visitors walk nearly one mile around graveyards, historic buildings, houses, and even the river itself hearing tales of local spirits. Sometimes, they encounter spirits themselves.
"I’ve certainly felt the presence of things that I can’t understand on the ghost walk," Rollins says. "People are welcome to take photographs, and they’ll show me images of orbs of light, energy balls, and energy fields coming up from various places. We had someone who captured images in the old courthouse windows while we were outside telling the story of Reverend Carawan. Some experiences just can’t be explained: we’ll see things out of the corner of our eyes, and feel like we’re in the presence of something."
Main Street Spirits
By day, Main Street in downtown Washington offers wide brick sidewalks decorated with cheerful, seasonal flowers in its planters and plenty of boutique, antique, and unique shopping finds. One of the street’s hallmarks is the grand marquee outside the historic Turnage Theatre.
Built in 1913, the former Vaudeville theater hosted many productions and actors, including Roy Rogers. In 1930, the Turnage became a movie theater with a projectionist threading the film and setting the needle on the victrola so that the sound matched up with the picture. After falling into disrepair sometime in the 1970s, the theater was rebuilt and revitalized in the early 2000s. Now, art deco chandeliers illuminate the 432-seat theater and a grand stage awaits the next magical performance. The main level boasts an art gallery featuring work of local craftsmen. The building itself is home to lots of history – and its own ghosts.
"The Turnage Theater certainly has a lot of ghostly activity," Rollins says. "One of them likes to put on a show banging around and clunking through the upstairs. As the story goes, a projectionist who worked at the Turnage in the 1930s ran into some hard times and hung himself in the projectionist booth. The belief is, he now haunts the Turnage and bangs around as he looks for the film and Victrola to start the show."
Another Main Street spirit is more of a sprite than a fright. Known as the girl in the pale yellow dress, young Carrie used to flit in and out of her grandparent’s general store on the edge of town in the 1880s. A precocious child, she was known for running out on the road to greet visitors to the store and others in town, often being rewarded with candy. The three-year-old died in a tragic accident and is buried at the St. Peter’s Church Graveyard on N. Bonner Street.
Since her death, Washington locals reported seeing a girl in a pale yellow dress darting into the roads. She came to be known as the ghost of Carrie. To this day, locals report that she haunts the streets and shops in downtown Washington, running here and there at night looking for someone to play with and give her sweets.
A Watery Grave
The Pamlico River by day offers daysailers, kayakers, and motorboats gorgeous wide waters to explore. It’s what brought many to Washington before it was a town and remains a huge draw to visitors of the Inner Banks. In the early 1700s, it was also the stomping grounds of the infamous, murdering pirate Blackbeard.
Some still, moonless nights, locals have claimed to see the ghost of his ship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge, sailing through the mist off the banks of the Washington waterfront. Following a bloody battle in the waters off nearby Ocracoke, Blackbeard was beheaded by British sailors, who took his head as a prize. His body dropped overboard.
"The legend goes that Blackbeard slowly and steadily sails his ghost ship along the Pamlico searching for his long lost head," Rollins says.
He has some good company, as the river is also home to many ghosts of the Civil War who sailed through these waters.
"Washington was one of the busiest seaports in North Carolina at the time of the Civil War," Rollins explains. "Shipbuilding was a big industry here and the city was burned in 1864 by Union forces as they left. One of the Union soldiers’ ghost’s still hangs around the US 17 bridge, his penance for murdering a Confederate general from Washington."
Beyond the Ghosts
Though there are more ghastly ghost tales on the Washington Haunts tour, you’ll also learn of the gentle spirits who keep to the old historic houses, admiring the handiwork of their new owners.
"We say that some people enjoyed living here so much they refused to leave," Rollins chuckles.
With a visit to friendly Washington, it’s easy to understand why spirits want to hang around. Beyond the supernatural, Washington has much to explore. Come for the paranormal, stay for the river sports, craft beer and spirits, unique shopping, and accommodations that come with a wrap-around porch and a rocking chair. This hidden gem on the Inner Banks-with all its history, charm, and a few lost souls-is ready to host your next adventure.