Haunted Stratford Hall

We at Richmond.com love a good ghost story.

We've covered the Richmond Vampire, the Werewolf of Henrico, the Pocahaunted Parkway, and the haunted balcony at the Byrd.

Now it's time to go further afield.

We heard that ghost stories at Stratford Hall, the birthplace of Robert E. Lee, have been surfacing lately too.

Psychic medium Laine Crosby recently visited Stratford Hall where she encountered over a dozen "spirits" or voices. She was invited to return to Stratford Hall where she gave a lecture about her experiences to a standing room only crowd.

"The event went way beyond our expectations," says Jon Bachman, programs director for Stratford Hall. "We were turning people away at the door. Because people were just fascinated."

"I haven't experienced anything personally here," Bachman says. "But I think Stratford Hall would be the perfect place [for ghosts]."

Laine Crosby discovered her psychic abilities in 2004 when she moved to the grounds of an old plantation in Maryland where she says she woke up, literally, talking to ghosts.

Ever since then, Crosby has become a professional psychic where she investigates a variety of "haunted" locations, as well as assisting on murder investigations. She's been featured on The Travel Channel, The Washington Post and more.

Here are just a few of the ghost stories she says she encountered at Stratford Hall:

Elizabeth McCarty Storke, 1800-1879

When Crosby first visited Stratford Hall, the guide told her a story about Henry Lee, Robert E. Lee's step-brother, who was rumored to have had an affair with his sister-in-law, which was a big scandal at the time. The girl's diary was found and she had written, "I am going to cut off my hair because he is seduced by my long hair."

But Crosby says she heard a voice behind her which said "I didn't do it!"

Crosby asked, "Who are you?"

And the voice answered, "Elizabeth."

Crosby believes she encountered Elizabeth's spirit at Stratford Hall. She says that Elizabeth vehemently denied having an affair with Henry. She said she only wrote the above passage in her diary to make her sister jealous. She repeated several times, "I was young. I did it because I was young."

Elizabeth was reported 14 at the time the scandal erupted.

Madeleine

Crosby said that she encountered several children in Stratford Hall, as well as a spirit named Madeline in the nursery.

Crosby said that Madeline remember caring for many children in the nursery. Crosby asked if she cared for Robert E. Lee, who lived at Stratford Hall until he was three years old, before moving to Alexandria with his family.

Madeline said she remembered the boy Robert E. Lee, but it wasn't clear if she knew him while she was alive or dead.

The Wine Cellar

Crosby said the wine cellar under the stairs was a hot spot of activity. She felt the presence of several former slaves under the stairs and that they were afraid because a murder had happened there, years ago.

Crosby said that the slaves told her one man killed another over a woman and that he buried the man's body under the stairs.

These are just a few of the encounters that Crosby experienced at Stratford Hall.

If you'd like to hear more for yourself, head out to the Hall's annual event, Historical Haunts for pumpkin painting, a ghost tour of the Great House, fortune tellers and more on Saturday, Oct. 30, from 6-8 p.m. in Visitor Center. $5 adults, $3 children. Stratford Hall is located about 45 minutes outside of Fredericksburg.

Or you can wait a year and hear the stories from Crosby herself. She will return to Stratford Hall in 2011 on November 4-6 for "Ghosts of Stratford Hall: An Investigative Weekend." Laine Crosby and her colleagues will demonstrate techniques and methods and share their mission. For reservations or additional information, please email Jon Bachman or call 804-493-8038, ext. 1039.

For more spooky stories, check out our Halloween Guide.