One story from our Abingdon GhostWalk tells the story behind one of it's most historic structures - The Preston Home, and it goes as follows:

The building now which now houses The Washington County News was built in 1902 by David Preston. Just one year after the house was completed Louise past away and David soon re-married raising a son in the large house. After David's death, his son turned the house over to the Bristol Herald Courier who opened it as the new office for one of its subsidiaries known as The Washington County News.

As it turns out, the reporters inherited more than just a new field office. On several occasions while going about their duties they quickly discovered that they were not alone in the building. The back office is said to be a very active room in which reporters working late have told local town's folk that they have felt a presence. According to all accounts, someone is said to lean over and whisper the experience's name into their ear as if that someone is standing behind them while they sit writing at their desks.

Another story involves an incident that happened very early one Thursday morning. Wednesday nights are when the cleaning crew comes in to service the offices. As usual, they swept and mopped the floor before leaving. When the employee staff came in the next morning they found muddy boot prints leading from the old cellar door. The prints turned from the cellar door toward the kitchen where they disappeared. The prints never appeared anywhere else in the house except on the dirt floor of the cellar where a set of larger prints could plainly be seen at the bottom of the stairs. These larger prints were surrounded by those made by a much smaller foot like that of a toddler. The tracks the shoes made on the dirt floor showed the bottoms of the shoes to be smooth almost like that of children's booties. The thing that made this story really stick out as being honest and not a hoax is the fact that there are no windows down there for anyone to enter, or leave and that the stairs leading down to the cellar from inside the house are the only way in, or out of the basement.

Other employees have reported noticing the odor of violet on the main staircase as if perhaps the odor a woman's perfume. One reporter was working late one evening alone in the building - or so she thought - when she heard the footsteps of someone coming down the stairs. She rushed out and looked up onto the stairwell, but what she saw was not exactly what she expected. There, standing at the top of the stairs was a young, blond woman wearing a blue and peach colored dress. She said that the odd thing about the experience was that although the dress was not long enough to cover them she doesn't remember seeing any legs.

One individual hired on as a new reporter often laughed at the stories he was told, but revealed a striking incident that he experienced in the building one evening which caused him to have a change of heart. He said that while working late one night on the second floor he heard a woman's voice whisper his name into his ear. He reasoned that this was just his imagination since he had drank so much coffee and then went on about his business. Within a few minutes of this, he then heard a loud crash which sounded like a glass shattering as it hit the floor, or perhaps a window breaking. He then got up from his desk and ran over to the top of the stairs to find out what had happened. It was then that he saw a shadowy figure dart between the two front offices at the bottom of the stairs. Then suddenly, as he stood there in shock, there was another thunderous, crashing-noise from downstairs, which again sounded like glass shattering, but much louder than before. He hurried down the stairs to find out what was going on only to find that everything was still intact and there was no evidence that any disturbance had ever taken place. Needless to say, after his experience, he was an admitted believer in ghosts and was never again inclined to find the stories told to him by fellow co-workers as amusing as he once did.

As an added side note to this story and more recently, people working in the building late at night continue to hear loud, crashing-noises. Many calls to the police for them to come out and investigate for possible break-in have been made on several occasions. In-fact, there have been so many incidents of this, that at this point, the police will seldom ever make any effort to respond to calls they receive from the building since they have gone out on a number of occasions only to find little evidence of any intruders with nothing broken, or out of place.

The Washington County News It was June of 1948 when Sherwood Anderson's, second son John Sherwood Anderson, started the Damascus Blade.. He left Marion TN to restart the Damascus Blade in Abingdon. From that came the Washington County News. John Sherwood Anderson was tragically killed when the truck he was driving stalled out on the railroad tracks on Pecan Street. He lived on Oak Hill, the house 4th on right. He had four children. One daughter killed herself---buried in Damascus. A son died in a motorcycle accident (thought to be intentional)... Much has changed in the 55 years -- owners, content and coverage area, not to mention the name. About a year after the Damascus Blade hit the streets for a second time, it became the Washington County News. With that name change came a change in coverage. While the paper still covered news in the Holston District of Washington County and the adjacent areas, it did not do so exclusively. Under the name of Washington County News, the paper has seen ownership changes and changes in the county. All the while, the Washington County News has been a steady editorial voice in the community. The latest change in ownership came in 1991, when the Richmond, Va.-based Media General, Inc., headed by J. Stewart Bryant III, purchased the publication. Media General, which has media holdings throughout the Southeast, also owns News Channel 11 in Johnson City, the Bristol Herald Courier and the Smyth County News & Messenger. The first issue of the Washington County News (then the Damascus Blade) brought the issues of the day to Holston District residents -- W.C. Mock leaving Damascus Schools, S.C. Venable elected as Damascus mayor and the town council hurrying plans for a municipal building. Today the Washington County News still brings the issues of the day to residents. The only real difference is it can now bring those issues into your home without paper.     Excerpted from: WashCoNews.com - The Heart of Historic Abingdon, VA WKRG TV online news and weather. ... The Heart of Historic Abingdon, VA ... Daily News, Weather and more from the Washington County News. ...http://www.washconews.com/

Abingdon, VA Local Attractions:

The Barter Theatre, The State Theater of Virginia

William King Regional Arts Center, an affiliate of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

Virginia Creeper Trail, a 34 mile National Recreation Trail for hiking, biking and horseback riding.

Virginia Highlands Festival, Annually the first two weeks of August. Antiques, juried arts & crafts, standing exhibits in art, photography and textiles, and much more continue daily throughout the festival.

Arts Depot, featuring a gallery and working studio.

White's Mill, the oldest water-powered commercial grist and flour mill in Southwest Virginia.
Specialty shops, fine art galleries and major outlets.

Nearby lakes, rivers and streams afford abundant opportunities for boating, swimming, hiking, and some of the state's finest trout fishing.

Adventure Damascus, featuring bike rentals and shuttle service on the Creeper Trail.

Blue Blaze Bike Service, featuring bike rentals and shuttle service on the Creeper Trail.

The Carter Family Fold, The original Carter family music center.

Dixie Pottery

The Tavern The oldest building in town and one of the oldest west of the Blue Ridge. Built in the 1779, it was used from its beginning as a tavern and overnight inn for stagecoach travelers. The Tavern has had such guests as Henry Clay; Louie Phillipe, King of France; President Andrew Jackson; and Pierre Charles L'Enfant, designer of Washington, D.C The first post office on the western slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains was located in the east wing of The Tavern. The original mail slot is still in place and can be seen today from the street. Extensive Beer & Wine List Reservations Recommended Monday - Saturday Dinner 5-10 PM 222 E. Main Street Abingdon, VA 24210 Phone: 276-628-1118 Fax: 276-628-5795 E-mail: tavern@abingdontavern.com Sorry, No e-mail reservations. -Corporate Dining Available- Sundays Available for Special Engagements

During the past two centuries, The Tavern has served as a tavern, bank, bakery, general store, cabinet shop, barber shop, private residence, post office, antique shop and restaurant. It even served as a hospital for wounded Confederate and Union soldiers during the Civil War. In 1965, The Tavern was acquired from the Thaddeus Harris Family by Mary Dudley Porterfield, wife of the founder of the Barter Theatre. The Harris Family had owned The Tavern for more than 100 years. In 1984, The Tavern was restored to its former glory by a local attorney Emmit F. Yeary. In 1994, it was opened under the management of Max Hermann who moved to Abingdon in 1993 after having served twenty years with the United States Air Force. Max is a native German and lives in Abingdon with his wife Kelly. http://www.abingdontavern.com/history.htm

 

ABINGDON,VA Historic Places

Abingdon Bank
Abingdon Historic District
Abingdon Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Brook Hall
Dr. William H. Pitts House
Mont Calm
White's Mill
Blackwell
Crabtree-Blackwell Farm

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ABINGDON VIRGINIA Just west of the Blue Ridge Mountains lies a land that was once revered by Indians and jealously sought after by the white men. Nestled in the foothills of the Appalachians and secured in the valley formed by the Holston River is Abingdon, a town rich in history and tradition. Abingdon, Virginia established in 1778, originally named Wolf Hill by Daniel Boone in the year of 1760. Abingdon is located in Washington County, Virginia, 189 miles west by south of Lynchburg. It is the county seat of Washington County Today, Abingdon is proud of its history and rich heritage. As you stroll down the shaded brick sidewalks, it's as if you have stepped back in time. It's easy to imagine the frightful night spent by Daniel Boone, the girlish laughter echoing from the Martha Washington Inn, and the applause of an audience of poor farmers at the Barter Theatre. Abingdon is indeed a history-filled town and an entertaining trip through time.

The land that the city of Abingdon is situated on was originally surveyed between the years 1748 and 1750 by Dr. Thomas Walker and was part of the Great Road that Colonel William Byrd III ordered cut through the wilderness on to Kingsport, Tennessee. In 1760, famed frontiersman, Daniel Boone, named the area Wolf Hills, after experiencing an attack by a pack of wolves during a hunting expedition. During Lord Dunmore's War, Black's Fort was established in 1774 by Joseph Black to protect local settlers in the region from Indian attacks.

 

Come and visit with us and learn more about the ghosts of the Southern Appalachian Mountains when you take a haunted vacation!

Discount accommodations for our tours are provided by several area hotels, inns, bed and breakfasts, RV Parks, and campgrounds. Special Discount Vacation Planning Packages called "Spook and Save" Packages are available which offer discounts on many other recreational venues including area caves, museums, whitewater rafting, and parks. Please visit the web site at www.AppalachianGhostWalks.com for more information. You can go directly to our "Spook and Save Discount Vacation Planning Package page by going to http://www.AppalachianGhostWalks.com/vacationpackages.html

In closing, allow me to add that if you and your family are looking for a really FUN weekend, we can put together "Ghost Hunter Weekend" Packages which include our "Ghostology" Basic and Advanced "Ghost Hunting" 101 class, as well as one more of our Haunted Historic GhostWalks and Tours across the Southern Appalachian Mountain region. These can include a stay at a haunted bed and breakfast, presentations in your home, or at your place of business, birthday parties, and endless other possibilities...

All of our haunted historic tours operate year-round subject to availability and advance reservations are highly recommended. The cost is just $13 per person for a group of four, or more people. Please see our web site for additional details, or call us at (423) 743-WALK (9255) on all of the great ways we can help you entertain and thrill your family, or travel companions...

 

SUGGESTED READING:

Local author Donna Akers Warmuth has just had a new book published, Abingdon, Virginia Images of America. Abingdon, Virginia celebrates the town's singular heritage by offering readers a rare find of almost 200 photographs, showcasing many well-known town entities, personalities, and businesses from the past century. These images portray such structures as the Stonewall Jackson Female Institute, the Abingdon Academy, the Belmont Hotel, and the Martha Washington Inn, as well as the Barter Theater, unique in its exchange of food and household goods for performances. Long-gone but rarely forgotten individuals also can be found in the book, allowing newcomers the chance to meet the people behind the names and longtime residents an opportunity to visit with old friends.

Her other book about Abingdon, Plumb Full of History A Story of Abingdon, Virginia, ($9.95) has recently been published by High Country Publishers. The book is a fictional story of a grandmother showing her visiting grandchildren around Abingdon on Plumb Alley Day in May, while also adding in history, ghost stories, and legends of the town. Although written for a 7th grade reader, the book has been recommended for both young and older readers by well-known authors Lee Smith and Sharyn McCrumb.

Legends, Stories and Ghostly Tales of Abingdon and Washington County Virginia

Learn of the folklore, history and ghosts of the region with these stories that make the past come alive. Hangings, hauntings, preachers, spies, soldiers, elopements, scalpings...it's all in these tales. Meet the ghosts of the Martha Washington Inn, the Barter Theatre, the Virginia Creeper Trail, Emory and Henry College, Glade Spring, and Saltville. Relive the pioneer days though tales of Indian attacks, the Overmountain Men and their amazing journey, and Daniel Boone's travels.

The readers who is willing to listen to these tales will be intrigued, surprised, and perhaps frightened, but will gain a deeper appreciation for the past.

Abingdon, Virginia: Images of America

This is a collection of historic photographs and postcards of Abingdon, Virginia. The history of this unique town is shown through fascinating, rare images of buildings, churches, schools, streets, people and businesses. The history of Abingdon comes alive for the reader.

Plumb Full of History: A Story of Abingdon, Virginia

Illustrated by DeAnna Akers Gobble High Country Publishers, Ltd. Available through bookstores, on-line retailers, Historical Society of Washington County, and all over Abingdon.
AVAILABLE NOW

Abingdon's Plumb Alley Day festival forms the setting for this story of two children discovering much more than just the history of their grandmother's hometown. The engaging plot and lively characters of this book for middle grade readers will make the historical knowledge of Abingdon stick with hardly an awareness that the reader is learning anything.