Richmond's Urban Legends

Richmond is chock full of spooky spirits, ghost stories and urban legends. Have you heard about the Richmond Vampire? Or the Werewolf of Henrico? Which ones might be real, based on fact, or just plain cuckoo-for-Cocoa-Puffs?

Gather round the campfire, kids, because it's Halloween, and we've got some funny, scary and, yep, kinda-crazy stories to tell.

Enjoy!

The Richmond Vampire

The Story:

In 1925, Church Hill suffered a massive cave-in of a train tunnel. A train was in the tunnel, and people died. All this is fact. But our story begins when a strange creature clawed his way out of the caved-in tunnel. Reports say his mouth was covered with blood, his teeth were jagged, plus strips of decomposing skin were hanging off his arms and legs. Eew, huh? Instead of seeking medical attention, Richmond's very own creature of the night hot-footed it to Hollywood Cemetery, where he hid himself in a crypt marked WW Poole . Strange fact? There's no birth date on Poole's grave?just the year of his death -- 1922 -- three years before the cave-in. Conclusion? Vampire! Another Take on the Story :

"There's no doubt that it's an urban legend," says Greg Maitland , founder of Night Shift , a local paranormal research group and urban legend expert. Maitland researched death records and old newspaper clippings to discover a very different version of the Richmond Vampire story. Instead of the "undead" version, Maitland offers the true-life tale of Benjamin F. Mosby , a fireman who was shoveling coal into the steam tank of the train when the cave-in occurred. Mosby was scalded almost beyond recognition from the disaster. He stumbled out of the tunnel severely burned with skin falling off his body in flaps. The man was rushed to Grace Hospital, where he died 24 hours later. "And did you know that at the time, the saying 'going to Hollywood' meant that you were dying?" Maitland explains. "Most urban legends have some basis in truth. And the same is true in this case."

Okay, I'm sold. Case closed.

But have you heard about:

The Werewolf of Henrico

The Story:

Just saying the "Werewolf of Henrico" makes me laugh. This one looks like it primarily gets spread through word-of-mouth on the Internet .

Here's the scoop:

The mysterious creature has been "spotted" in the Highland Springs area around the Confederate Hills Recreation Center. Just what should werewolf-watchers be looking for? How about a creature six feet tall and covered in gray-white hair? Described as having "the body of a human and the face of an animal," the Werewolf of Henrico can stand on its hind legs or run on all fours. People have caught only a glimpse of the big pooch under a full moon. So far, the Werewolf hasn't hurt anyone, it just chases them around.

Kinda flimsy, huh? Only three people think they've seen it, and they can't spell for sh**t.

Another Take on the Story :

Bobbie Atristain is the director of the Virginia Ghosts and Hauntings Research Society , a group of locals who investigate paranormal activity through science. VGHRS also hosts an extensive website where the "sightings" of the Werewolf of Henrico were first posted.

She offers a novel approach to the story: "We don't think it's a werewolf," Atristain explains. "We believe it's a Bigfoot sighting."

Wait. What?

"There's lots of Bigfoot activity around the Lake Chesdin area. Some people think [Bigfoot] is an alien. Others believe it's an undiscovered type of primate."

Okay . And how about ...

One More Version:

"That's total bunk," Maitland laughs. "We're talking about someone transforming . And that's just a physical impossibility."

And on to the next "urban legend" or, more appropriately, ghost story:

The "Pocahaunted" Parkway

The Story:

Just last year, stories of three Indian ghosts haunting the Pocahontas Parkway were all the rage. The sightings started when the Pocahontas Parkway opened, linking Chesterfield to eastern Henrico. (Maybe the Werewolf of Henrico uses the Pocahontas Parkway too? Cut his commuting traffic in half?) In early August 2002, a trucker reported to a toll-booth attendant that he saw three Indians in the middle of the road, each of them holding lighted torches. At first, he thought they were real and that the Indians were protesting the new parkway, which allegedly cuts through ancient Indian territory. Dozens more called in to report sightings. Reports of the Indian ghost sightings in the Richmond Times-Dispatch newspaper further amplified the story and young Richmonders starting partying around the Mill Road overpass, trying to catch a glimpse of the tribal spirits.

Even police officers reported hearing chants and eerie cries late at night. Corrinne Gellar , a spokesperson for the State Police, accompanied a Times-Dispatch reporter to the Pocahontas Parkway between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m. one night.

Although she never saw anything herself, she admits, "I heard some strange noises. They were a combination of dog wailing, howling and what sounded like human yelps. Like at a pow-wow...We heard it three times, and we recorded them. They sound even spookier on tape. They make all the hair on the back of your neck stand up." The Official Report:

"The story completely died down after last summer," Jeanette Coleman , a spokesman for the Colonial Heights public affairs department says. "So far, we haven't heard a thing. No reports. It's been very quiet out here." But the Plot Thickens:

Rumors are swirling that VDOT has videotaped proof of the hauntings.

"VDOT had a tape of an Indian on a horse walking through the toll plaza," Atristain says. "We were supposed to get a copy, but we were told first that they gave the tape out to another investigator. Then they told the reporter [from the Times-Dispatch] that they misplaced the tape. Now, they won't let anybody see it." As far as videotaped footage, it is true that VDOT has the area around the tollway videotaped for security. But as far as catching the ghosts on tape? Nobody knows what happened to those tapes or if they even existed in the first place.

Ooh ... got chills yet?

The Byrd Theatre

The Story:

The beautiful Byrd Theatre makes a perfect setting for a ghost story, doesn't it? Of course, it has a ghost story of its own to tell. The Byrd's first manager, Robert Coulter, worked at the historic theater from its opening in 1928 all the way up until 1971. The old-time manager may have passed on, but stories of Robert Coulter's ghost still haunt the theater. During his life, the dedicated manager liked to sit in one specific seat in the upper balcony. And perhaps he sits there still?

The current manager, Todd Schall-Vess , says, "I've worked at the Byrd for five years and have had two people say they've seen him -- a tall man in a suit sitting in the balcony when no one was allowed in there. One of our projectionists felt him walk past once." Schall-Vass doesn't sound surprised that the ghost of Robert Coulter is still sticking around. "They never could get Coulter out of the theater when he was alive. He wouldn't retire. In order to get him to cut back a little, they fired him, but he still kept coming." Who's Up for a Little Ghost-Busting?:

Q94, along with the Virginia Ghost and Hauntings Research Society, will be broadcasting live from the Byrd Theatre today, Friday, Oct. 31, in the hope of smoking out the old ghost. Tune in to hear their findings.

The Cast Iron Dog at Hollywood Cemetery

The Story:

A black cast iron dog used to stand in front of a general store on Broad Street. Every day, a little girl would walk by the store and hug the dog or talk to it sweetly. The little girl died of scarlet fever and was buried at Hollywood Cemetery. Shortly after her death, the cast iron dog was moved to her grave because there was an iron shortage during the Civil War and the owners didn't want the dog to be melted down for weapons. Ever since then, stories have circulated that the dog protects the little girl's grave and that it moves around on her gravesite, that its eyes follow visitors around the park, and that its wild barks can be heard late at night. The Straight Story:

The Valentine Richmond History Center runs guided tours of Hollywood Cemetery every week. In their files, they have a "Letter to the Editor" to the Richmond Times-Dispatch which explains the origins of the cast iron dog and corresponds to many of the details in the popular legend.

The letter, written by Ada R. Bailey , states that the cast iron dog belonged to her grandfather, Charles R. Reese . Reese's children used to walk by the cast iron dog on Broad Street every day. The children loved the dog; they would hug it or climb on its back every time they passed it. Finally, Ada's grandfather bought it for his children and it was a "treasured family possession until it was put in the cemetery" to prevent being confiscated and reduced to bullets. The cast iron dog does mark the graves of the Reese children.

So...if that's true ... does that mean the dog can move around the cemetery at night? Or bark wildly?

Depends on whether you believe in the Richmond legends...or not!

Sleep tight, Richmond, and happy Halloween! With additional reporting by Kate Bredimus Got a ghost story of your own to share? Don't keep it to yourself ... it's Halloween. Time to Talk Back and tell all your spooky stories!