Shields Tavern

A reconstructed Colonial tavern that was one of the most popular in 18th-century Williamsburg. James Shields operated it from 1745 until his death.

Shields Tavern stands as one of Colonial Williamsburg's most haunted establishments, a place where centuries of history have left an indelible supernatural mark. The site's ghostly legacy begins not with the Shields family but with Jean Marot, a French Huguenot refugee who opened Marot's Ordinary here in 1708. Marot operated the tavern successfully until his violent death in November 1717, when he was murdered by Francis Sharpe, a rival tavern keeper who ran the Red Lion. Though Sharpe was arrested and jailed on suspicion of murder, he was acquitted speedily enough to obtain his own ordinary license the following year. The ghost of Jean Marot, the wrongfully avenged victim, is said to still wander the tavern checking if all is in order, never quite able to rest knowing his killer went free.

After Marot's death, his widow Anne continued operations, eventually remarrying Timothy Sullivant. The tavern passed through various hands until Anne's daughter (also named Anne) and her husband James Shields took ownership in the 1740s. By 1750, Shields Tavern was one of seven licensed taverns in Williamsburg, serving the lower gentry and upper middle class with food, drink, lodging, and entertainment including gambling and billiards. A devastating fire destroyed the tavern in 1754, and another blaze in 1858 left the site in ruins until Colonial Williamsburg reconstructed the building in 1989.

James Shields himself remains the most frequently encountered spirit. Staff have reported him flicking lights on and off, rummaging through rooms, and making his presence known throughout the building. Shields was a plantation owner who enslaved several people, which may explain another persistent haunting: the ghost of a little boy seen hiding under dining tables. When approached, the phantom child simply vanishes, his identity lost to history but his presence unmistakable.

Perhaps the most compelling haunting involves Frances Shields, James's daughter who was notably excluded from her father's will. Dr. Kelly Brennan Arehart, a Colonial Williamsburg historian with twelve years of experience investigating the area's paranormal activity, has documented disturbing encounters with Frances's spirit. One night, staff members gathered on the tavern's second floor and constructed a makeshift Ouija board to contact Frances. The planchette allegedly responded affirmatively when asked about being excluded from the inheritance. Later that evening, while Dr. Arehart was closing the tavern alone, she heard her own voice emanating from a corner of the basement. When she asked who was there, the voice replied: "I thought you would have known by now." In subsequent weeks, staff members frequently reported hearing Dr. Arehart's distinctive footsteps and voice in locations where she was not physically present, suggesting Frances had fixated on her as a conduit for continued communication.

The street in front of Shields Tavern carries its own tragic legend. A young girl was struck and killed by a passing carriage, and visitors who photograph the tavern's exterior often capture images marred by mysterious black mist obscuring portions of the frame. Whether this dark anomaly represents the girl's lingering trauma or some other supernatural presence remains unknown.

Adding a modern layer to the hauntings is the spirit of John Lowe, a Colonial Williamsburg reenactor who portrayed James Shields for many years during in-tavern performances. After Lowe's death, colleagues and visitors began reporting his presence, particularly in the tavern's restroom. One woman who had known Lowe visited the tavern after his passing and claims to have distinctly felt his spirit accompanying her through the building.

Revolutionary War soldiers also allegedly roam Shields Tavern's halls, their presence announced by mysterious noises and flickering lights. The spirits seem particularly fascinated by modern conveniences like running water and electricity, amenities unknown in their era. Staff have repeatedly found faucets and showers running with no explanation, as if curious ghosts were experimenting with the miraculous flow of clean water.

Today, Shields Tavern serves as the starting point for Colonial Williamsburg's popular Tavern Ghost Walk, a tour based not on legends from books but on actual documented experiences of guests, staff, and residents of the historic area. For those seeking an authentic encounter with Virginia's colonial past, few places offer as many opportunities to brush against the supernatural as this centuries-old gathering place where the spirits of murderers, merchants, disinherited daughters, and enslaved children continue their eternal residence.