#VirginiaHistory

[husheduphistory]

A Tale of Two Tombs: The Church Hill Tunnel and the Convoluted "Creature"

Strolling through the city of Richmond, Virginia means taking a walk through one of the oldest cities in America and being able to visit sights and structures that saw countless chapters of the earliest parts of American history. Visiting Jefferson Park, located on Union Hill, offers visitors walking paths, a playground, and a picturesque view of the modern city skyline. It’s a pleasant scene, and one that does not at all hint at what lay hidden underneath the earth of Jefferson Park.

Skyline of Richmond, Virginia. Image via Bruce Emmerling, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Church Hill Tunnel of Richmond, Virginia was built with a purpose of advancement, looking to leave behind the aftermath of the Civil War and bring in new progress. Completed in 1872 by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O), the railway was built as an extension in order to reach a new coal pier located in the city of Newport News, bringing a new logistical connection to the exportation of coal from the area. The plan sounded good, and upon completion the tunnel was one of the longest in the country at nearly 4,000 feet in length, but the initial victory of completing the tunnel came after multiple problems that should have been seen as a warning.

The first issue with the Church Hill Tunnel was the very earth it was being constructed from. Unlike other tunnels carved through bedrock, Church Hill was created through layers of limestone and soft clay, deeply unstable soil that would shift and swell up when exposed to any moisture and shrink back again when dried. With the volatile soil structure there was no way to ensure the safety of the tunnel and during construction there were multiple instances of portions of it collapsing, taking the lives of the men working inside. Land around the work area began to react to the construction and in one instance the ground gave way, toppling the house of a minister and breaking a gas line. The marvel was also a menace and upon the completion of a new viaduct in 1901 the Church Hill Tunnel was closed and fell into disuse. It should have stayed that way.

While the city of Richmond grew and flourished in the early part of the twentieth century the Church Hill Tunnel lay dormant, looming like a great void out of the earth. That is, until 1925 when after over twenty years of non-use the city decided it was a monster worth bringing back to life.

Given that the tunnel had been left dormant for decades there were extensive repairs that needed to be completed before it could be used once again. These repairs were underway on October 2nd 1925, a cold and rainy day in Richmond that seemed ordinary before the Church Hill Tunnel experienced something that was both unthinkable, but also tragically familiar. The tunnel was bustling with activity and engineer Tom Mason was guiding a train with ten additional flat cars into the west entrance of the tunnel on his first day as an engineer. Then, the bricks began to fall. The collapse of the tunnel was as fast as it was terrible with bricks, debris, and clay falling all around the workers and the train, burying it under the weight of the earth. Electric wires were cut plunging everyone into darkness and some of the trapped men took out their knives and started slashing wildly into the dark, trying to cut through anyone who stood in their way of getting out. Workers scrambled to escape, most miraculously making it to the eastern entrance a mile away and walking from the site with their lives. But others were not as lucky, 190 feet of the tunnel had fallen in on itself and the entire train was buried along with the bodies of Tom Mason and at least two other workers. Fireman Benjamin F. Mosby was hard at work shoveling coal when the locomotive was crushed. He was able to escape but when he staggered out of the east entrance he was horrifically scalded from the steam from the engine and his teeth were broken. He died later that night at Grace Hospital.

The Richmond Times Dispatch reporting on the tunnel collapse.

In the aftermath of the tunnel collapse there were questions, but unfortunately the reason why it happened was known, the tunnel’s history was marred by multiple collapses, and this was not even the first time it claimed human lives. The bigger question now was how to proceed. The body of engineer Mason was able to be recovered but finding the other workers, later identified as Richard Lewis and H. Smith, was impossible. After nine days of efforts to recover their bodies (and after more sections collapsed) it was determined that any further activity in the Church Hill Tunnel was simply too dangerous. The next year the entrances of the tunnel were sealed off, with a giant “1926” inscribed on the mossy, wet stone covering the western entrance. The train and bodies remained entombed inside.

Over the decades since the collapse the tunnel has continued to cause problems, in 1962 another collapse swallowed a house and another worker lost their life to the tunnel. There have been multiple plans to recover the train and the bodies, but the continuing collapses and state of utter disrepair halted further efforts. In 2006 the Virginia Historical Society proposed trying to get into the tunnel once again, but upon drilling a hole in the seal and peering at the inside with a camera it became clear that it would not be possible. The tunnel is filled with water and sand and manipulating it in any way could result in further collapses and severe damage to homes currently standing on Church Hill. Any recovery plans are indefinitely on hold.

Plans for recovery of the train and the bodies of those still entombed inside the Church Hill Tunnel is not the only thing that brings the collapse into present-day conversation. Then there is the vampire.

When twenty-eight-year old Benjamin F. Mosby staggered out of the east end of the tunnel he was the picture of pain and suffering. His teeth were broken, he was bloody, and according to people at the scene his flesh was hanging in ribbons, torn from his body after being blasted by the scalding steam from the locomotive. As the stories of the collapse spread one stated that a “creature” covered in blood and with a mouth of sharp teeth ran from the tunnel, eventually making it to the nearby Hollywood Cemetery where it disappeared into the mausoleum of W.W. Pool, a striking structure with a metal gate and an inscription only reading “W.W. Pool 1913.”

Article in the Richmond Times Dispatch about a tribute to Mosby after his death.

This “creature” which has become known as the Richmond Vampire, is a popular story, but the background is a messy jigsaw of events, rumors, and innocent people denied their eternal resting place. It is almost certain that the figure described as bloody and ghastly with a mouth of sharp teeth emerging from the tunnel was Mosby, moving away from the horror in a state of shock before other people at the scene lay him down on an embankment and began to pour water on him to try and soothe some of his pain. He was reportedly calm, asking that someone let his wife know he was alive and ok. As for the connection to the final resting place of W.W. Pool, there is a rumor that Pool found himself in the United States after being run out of England for practicing vampirism. This rumor is purely that. Pool was born in Mississippi in the 1840s, moved to the Richmond region in the 1860s, died in 1922 (on the same day as one of his closest friends) and had an elaborate funeral including Masonic rites given his membership to the Freemasons. So is the origin of the Richmond Vampire a case of tragic proximity? There are the accounts of seeing a creature emerging from the tunnel and the rumor of Pool and vampirism but the two became intertwined over time, carried into the future by word of mouth and sensationalist storytelling. It is a story of wildly convoluted origins, but it is a persistent one. Visitors to the Hollywood Cemetery regularly ask if there is a vampire buried there and more disturbingly, the remains of W.W. Pool and his wife were removed from the mausoleum due to vandals breaking in, drawing symbols on the walls, and allegedly trying to steal parts of their bodies.

Hundreds of people visit the Hollywood Cemetery of Richmond looking for the tomb of a monster, the physical remains of a real-life horror story. The true tale of terror though, can be found three miles away where a large stone wall inscribed with only “1926” stands between the visitor and a tragic scene where a train and at least two bodies lay frozen in the moment when the earth caved in and took their last breath from them.

The sealed western entrance of the Church Hill Tunnel. Image via Eli Christman from Richmond, VA, USA, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

**************************************************

Sources:

Branch, Ashley. “Starting with the Church Hill Tunnel Collapse, a Filmmaker Is Uncovering Virginia’s Buried History.” VPM, Virginia’s home for Public Media, 30 Sept. 2021, www.vpm.org/2021-09-30/starting-with-the-church-hill-tunnel-collapse-a-filmmaker-is-uncovering-virginias.

Castleton, David. “The Richmond Vampire - Virginia’s Tunnel-Haunting Nosferatu - David Castleton Blog - the Serpent’s Pen.” David Castleton Blog - the Serpent’s Pen, 21 Apr. 2021, www.davidcastleton.net/richmond-vampire-hollywood-cemetery-w-w-pool-church-hill-tunnel-virginia/.

Feather, Lauren. “This Richmond Park Is Home to a Sealed Tunnel (with an Unusual History).” TheTravel, 10 Dec. 2022, www.thetravel.com/church-hill-tunnel-in-richmond-virginia-history/.

Holmberg, Mark. “Mark Holmberg Shares the Story of How the Richmond Vampire Came to Haunt Virginia.” CBS 6 News Richmond WTVR, 31 Oct. 2023, www.wtvr.com/news/local-news/mark-holmberg-vampire-richmond-cemetery-oct-31-2023.

[47thpennvols]

Battle of Cedar Creek, Virginia, 19 October 1864 (Alfred Waud)

Alfred Waud's sketch of the Battle of Cedar Creek, Virginia, 19 October 1864 (U.S. Library of Congress, public domain).

[weemsbotts]

How to Catch a Burr

By: Lisa Timmerman, Executive Director

Caesar Augustus Rodney undoubtedly cursed the roads around Dumfries in March 1807. Tasked with advising President Thomas Jefferson on the situation with Aaron Burr, Rodney struggled to find fast transport out of Dumfries to verify Burr’s capture and whereabouts. In a series of letters that lamented the lengths he took to obtain accurate news, we can both emphasize his complaints against the roads and find some familiarity with his need for social networking.

On 03/22/1807, President Thomas Jefferson asked Rodney to meet with him to discuss ways of taking Burr to Richmond as fast as possible. Unfortunately for Burr, this was not for a social engagement or political campaign. Instead, it stemmed from his suspected treason and looming treason trial court case. On 03/26/1807, Rodney wrote to Jefferson bemoaning the roads noting it would take him three days to travel from Dumfries to Richmond. While Rodney waited for more horses, he reported,

“This gentleman says that Burr arrived at Fredericksburg yesterday about three O Clock. Reports stated that some country men who knew him apprehended him not far from thence in the woods where he was travelling alone. They called out some of the militia to their aid under whose charge he was brought to Fredericksbg & who sat off with him this morning for Richmond before the gentleman who is my informant left Fredericksburg which was at half past nine O. Clock. I think the information so far as it relates to Burr’s having been actually taken to Fredericksburg yesterday, & from thence this morning to Richmond. I presume the messenger sent by Genl. Dearborn reached Fredericksburg last night in the stage & not before, & that he has ordered Burr to Richmond.”

Rodney dramatically finished his letter as he hastened to Fredericksburg to verify these statements and Burr’s whereabouts, noting he deemed it “a duty I owe to you & my country.”

(The Arrest of Aaron Burr, The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Print Collection, The New York Public Library. "The arrest of Aaron Burr" New York Public Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 10, 2023)

Rodney reported from Bowling Green the following day with more information regarding the particulars of Burr’s capture, including Burr’s disguise.

“On the subject of Burrs arrest &c. I received the following information from Mr. Farish the keeper of the Inn at Fredericksburg, to which they brought Burr. He had it from Perkins in whose charge he was. I send it to you lest no other more correct may have reached you yet, as we were without any intelligence on the subject when I left Washington.

Burr was discovered in disguise by the Sherif of —— within 15. or 20 miles of the Spanish lines. He was dressed in a pair of striped Virginia cloth trousers, a white country yarn jacket, an old drab surtout & an old white hat. The Sheriff rode on with him until he met a country man going to fort Stoddart by whom he sent for some soldiers. Burr knew not, that he was so near the fort. As soon as he saw the soldiers he was alarmed & asked where they were going. The Sheriff told him they were merely ordered to another station. The soldiers came up, presented arms at him, & told him to surrender. This he did without resistance. On his way, at some little village in South Carolina he got off from his horse & called on the people who had collected to protect him, told them he had been twice acquitted & was a persecuted man &c. They told the guard to take him on & he was compelled to mount once more.”

Rodney did not neglect to include a diatribe against the roads he deemed “so intolerably bad” as he lamented his harrowing journey to Fredericksburg followed by his carriage ride to Bowling Green. Rodney relied upon this news from Mr. Farish, proprietor of the Inn at Fredericksburg, who received the info from Mr. Perkins, the man in charge of the party leading Burr to Richmond. Supposedly, Burr was still in his disguise and wished to see or speak to no one on his forced travel.

Not having news media to rely upon, Rodney ceaselessly used his connections in Dumfries and Fredericksburg to receive updates and utilize his own scouts. He indicated waiting to see “Mr. Henderson of the Marine” to meet with his brother, but finding the brother had already departed Dumfries, Rodney turned to people arriving from Fredericksburg, reporting that “country men” apprehended Burr as he traveled the countryside alone near Fredericksburg. Once Rodney reached Fredericksburg, he confirmed that Burr had received habeas corpus, which he was unable to prevent. However,

“I wrote to Mr. Hay to employ two of the ablest counsel, lest Burr should then anticipate us. I shall in consultation add a third when I get there. I presume Wirt & Wickham will be employed by Mr. Hay, unless Burr has retained Wickham immediately on his arrival.”

The trial began on 05/22/1807 in Richmond. Rodney, George Hay, William Wirt, and Alexander McCrae served as the prosecution while Edmund Randolph, John Wickham, Benjamin Botts (woo!), Charles Lee, and Luther Martin served as the defense, along with Burr. While not discussing the actual trial (it deserves multiple blogs!), Burr’s alleged attempt to take over portions of the Louisiana Territory and declare himself Emperor always raises a few eyebrows. As our young country was still flexing its international muscles and trying to retain a place of dignity and strength as a global force while maintaining neutrality, the threat of war with Spain was a very real possibility, and Burr’s decision to step down as Jefferson’s Vice President was quickly followed by his communication with his friend General James Wilkinson, the new governor of the Louisiana Territory. A series of letters between the two highlight Burr’s planned military expedition as well as his attempts to garner support on his behalf, correspondents later claiming Burr attempted to incite the people in the territory against the U.S.

Much of the trial focused on Blennerhassett’s Island, where resources, supplies, and people had started amassing for the military campaign. Burr and his brilliant defense argued that he was one hundred miles away from the island at the time of the trial, and if the people on the island did not face treason, neither should Burr. Presiding Chief Justice John Marshall agreed in his incredible three-hour opinion read to the court. Marshall then excluded any evidence related to the island, pretty much ensuring the jury could not find Burr guilty on the Neutrality Act charge.

President Jefferson was unhappy. He considered a range of actions against Marshall, including possible impeachment, but most of his anger and rage vented through letters. On 09/20/1807, he wrote to General Wilkinson,

“…the scenes which have been acted at Richmond are such as have never before been exhibited in any country where all regard to public character has not yet been thrown off. they are equivalent to a proclamation of impunity to every traiterous combination which may be formed to destroy the Union: and they preserve a head for all such combinations as may be formed within, and a center for all the intrigues & machinations which foreign governments may nourish to disturb us.”

As Jefferson continued to fume at Marshall, really demonstrating the unique and tense relationship between the two, Burr made sure to absent himself from further trials. Notably, after hearing news regarding the state of unrest in Texas in the 1830s, he remarked, “There! You see? I was right! I was only thirty years too soon. What was treason in me thirty years ago, is patriotism now.” Even today, scholars still debate the treason charge. As for Botts? He did not receive a great review from Jefferson either,

“Burr preserves a firm Mind & his Talents & resources are on the stretch, He can instruct his Counsel, yet he is ably supported by Wickham & Martin, and Botts appears to be an indefatigable, act[ive,] scrutinizing drudge.”

Read all the court case documents here along with excellent historic contextual info!

Note: Did you read the latest May 2023 edition of The Town Crier? Instead of frowning and shaking your head no, click here to read about upcoming free programs with HDVI!

(Sources: “From Thomas Jefferson to Caesar Augustus Rodney, 22 March 1807,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/99-01-02-5331. [This is an Early Access document from The Papers of Thomas Jefferson. It is not an authoritative final version.]; “To Thomas Jefferson from Caesar Augustus Rodney, 26 March 1807,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/99-01-02-5360. [This is an Early Access document from The Papers of Thomas Jefferson. It is not an authoritative final version.]; “To Thomas Jefferson from Caesar Augustus Rodney, 27 March 1807,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/99-01-02-5369. [This is an Early Access document from The Papers of Thomas Jefferson. It is not an authoritative final version.]; “From Thomas Jefferson to James Wilkinson, 21 June 1807,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/99-01-02-5788. [This is an Early Access document from The Papers of Thomas Jefferson. It is not an authoritative final version.]; Linder, Douglas O. Famous Trials: The Treason Trial of Aaron Burr. UMKC School of Law: https://famous-trials.com/burr/156-home)

[secretvirginia]

Most Haunted Plantations in Virginia

#virginia #plantation #hauntedplantation #virginiahistory

Hidden away down tree-shaded lanes, stately manors remind passersby of a bygone era when parasol ladies in bright dresses strolled past enslaved workers tilling the fields. Today they are historic sites, museums, or private homes, but something from the past remains. Perhaps you can catch a glimpse of a smokey figure at one of these most haunted plantations in Virginia. Elmwood Photo courtesy…

[theremightbecupcakespodcast]

In the late afternoon with a ginormous chai black tea latte, reading for the next two episodes already. Books are House of Leaves (to continue the series) and Something Needs to Be Done About Prince Edward County: A Family, A Virginia Town, A Civil Rights Battle by Kristin Green, for my infrequent Virginia true crime series, Against the Peace and Dignity of the Commonwealth. #blackhistorymonth #blackhistory #history #virginia #virginiahistory #schoolintegration #kristingreen #memoirs #houseofleaves #markzdanielewski #podcastseries #theremightbecupcakes ♥️♥️♥️🧁🧁🧁 #bookstagram #bookpodcast #bookpodcaster #bookpodcasts #trypod #podcast #beyourownheroine #podcasts #podernfamily #ladypodsquad #readersofinstagram (at Starbucks) https://www.instagram.com/p/CaVba8SFZZY/?utm_medium=tumblr

[tidewatergone]

Mount Wharton, near Accomack, Virginia. HABS photo, Library of Congress ( HABS VA,1-____,3--1)

Survey notes: “Main house approx. 25 x 50 feet and has cellar. South end gable…of brick. This end in ruins July 1940. Scalloped shingles on main hose and [south] wing.” 

Later additions on early houses are quite common, and Eastern Shore houses often have “telescoping” series of added rooms, making the houses much longer than they are deep. Mount Wharton shows a good example of that trend. The addition likely represents one or more  18th or 19th century add-ons to the core 18th century building.  Note the exposed frame and rafters in the ruined section of the building and also the small outbuilding behind.

No longer extant, near as I can tell.

[ashmarie1687]

When you work for an organization that is a steward of an historic home, and you have the chance to tour that home and bring tour groups to the home, you suddenly begin to see more of the angles and aesthetics. It’s a supplement to its 260+ year history.

[officeofspecialpoliticscounsel]

🇺🇸MAGA ROLLER COASTER🇺🇸 "This Day In History" #maga #history #general #generallee #confederate #confederateflag #virginia #virginiahistory #americanhistory #america #civilwar #civilwarhistory #confederatestatesofamerica #union #soldiers #veterans #thisdayinhistory #historyfacts #warhistory #trump #trumptrain #trumpmemes #donaldtrump #republican #soldier #usa #robertelee #happybirthday #army #makeamericagreatagain https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs0bVtWAu-A/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=wmwv1fmlgjyt

[amnglobalmedia]

[OUTREACH 🌍📍] United States (AMNG) Are you wondering how you could celebrate #Juneteenth? -🎁 Support a Black business -🏤Visit a Black History Museum -🏦 Donate to a Black organization -📙Read a book by a Black Author -❌ Help put an end to Racism -🇺🇸 Learn about the real history of America #htx #galveston #newyorkcityhistory #marylandhistory #restorativejustice #ushistory #collaboration #beautifultosee #building #goodfaith #workingtogether #reparationsmovement #movements #northamericahistory #emancipationproclamation #goodbuild #virginiahistory #beapartofthishistory #freedmanhistory #protectedclass #learning #causes #alabama #mississippi #atlanta #ga https://www.instagram.com/p/Ce69PdkvBrp/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[hamiltonglass]

Today is the last live painting session for the 10 #freshpaint #exhibit artist at @virginiahistory, but be sure to get tickets for the Opening Cocktail Reception with Artist Conversations at the #virginiahistoricalsociety on Friday, Oct. 26! Meet the #artists and learn about their #creative process, sip cocktails and enjoy hors d’oeuvres while listening to a local DJ, see a ceremonial signing by the artists and check out the exhibition after hours, and get your own copy signed of the new book that inspired the exhibition. Learn more at virginia history.org . 📷 by @styleweekly . #whosham #rva #rvaarts #rvamurals #wallart #knowurhistory #virginiahistory #wallart #art #artlife #vhmc #dmv #loveva #artober https://www.instagram.com/p/Bo1KLiOFdwx/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1fl2wyydiecf9

[47thpennvols]

"On the Advance to Fisher's Hill: Forward the Skirmishers" (Alfred Waud, 22 September 1864, courtesy of the U.S. Library of Congress, public domain)

American Civil War artist Alfred Waud's depiction of Union Army troops advancing on Confederate forces during the Battle of Fisher's Hill, Virginia on 22 September 1864.

[weemsbotts]

The List

By: Lisa Timmerman, Executive Director

Works Project Administration (WPA) agent Susan Morton must have had a fascinating time exploring the Town of Dumfries and surrounding regional area for the WPA of Virginia Historical Inventory project. She traveled to each site, talked to people from the area, and consulted everything from court records to engravings on tombstones. Besides her poetic descriptions of the sites, her historical summaries, and her inclusion on everything from local folklore to knowledgeable town residents, she included documents and ledgers that caught her eye. She located and transcribed the “List of Slave Expenditures Kept by B. Grayson” from a book kept at “The Shelter,” home of Bailey Tyler, Haymarket, Virginia. It is possible the copies we have are missing an additional page as we were not able to locate a document containing the final sum & overall transaction.  

“List of Slave Expenditures Kept by B. Grayson” from a book kept at “The Shelter,” home of Bailey Tyler, Haymarket, Virginia.

This document most certainly was connected to the influential Grayson family. William Grayson (1742-1790) led many military & prominent political positions during his long service to the state of Virginia. While it might look like a simple list, there are many clues contained within it that could help someone locate one of the enslaved persons the Grayson family owned. For example, note the difference in fee between Davy and Peter, both working on holidays. This likely was from a perceived disorder or injury, although the recorder could have been vague and neglected time differentials. Everything from bees to clothes peppered the above expenditures detailing what the enslaved persons had access to and their possible priorities on the plantation.

Note: This blog will temporarily go on hiatus as HDVI interviews applicants for the position of Executive Director! I have thoroughly enjoyed writing these weekly articles and will miss the wonderful local history contained within our precious archives.

(Sources: WPA Historic Survey: Town of Dumfries, 1937)

[caycearchives-blog]

On today’s date in 1952 Gladys Davis married fellow A.R.E. member Al Turner. Gladys Davis Turner (1905-1986) served as Edgar Cayce’s stenographer and secretary beginning in 1923 and dedicated her life to protecting the archives of the Cayce work. She built her cottage, "Glad Niche," in the early 1950s. Mary Ellen Carter in “My Years with Edgar Cayce: The Personal Story of Gladys Davis Turner” writes that the cottage, “situated adjacent to the headquarters property, ...was already a lovely setting which Al enhanced by his labors as nurseryman and gardener. He taught the many children who came to visit how to respect and care for the natural environment - reminding Gladys of Edgar Cayce's own love of nature" (138-139).  These photographs reside in the archives of the Edgar Cayce Foundation and are open for research.

citation:

Mary Ellen Carter, “My Years with Edgar Cayce: The Personal Story of Gladys Davis Turner.” New York: Harper and Row, Publishers, 1972.

[fractialis]

Another photo of the former Hotel Danville in downtown Danville, Virginia. #danville #danvilleva #virginiahistory #virginia #architecture #architecturephotography #historicarchitecture (at Danville, Virginia) https://www.instagram.com/p/CXMEObClYbY/?utm_medium=tumblr