St. George's Episcopal Church

One of the oldest Episcopal congregations in America, established in 1732. The current building dates from 1849 and contains a Tiffany window and a cannonball lodged in a pillar from the Civil War.

St. George's Episcopal Church stands as one of Fredericksburg's most haunted landmarks, with ghostly activity stretching back over 165 years. The present church, built in 1849 by renowned Baltimore architect Robert Cary Long Jr., is the third structure on a site designated for worship since 1720 when the House of Burgesses established St. George's Parish.

The first documented encounter occurred in 1858 when seventeen-year-old Ella McCarty arrived early for choir practice. While her companion Marshall Hall and the church organist searched for additional lamps, Ella ascended to the choir loft where a single lamp burned. Glancing down into the vestibule, she was astonished to see a lady in white, her face covered by a veil, kneeling at the altar rail. After several minutes, the mysterious woman rose and looked directly at Ella with what she described as a "sad expression." As Ella started to call out, the figure simply evaporated into thin air. This spirit, documented by L.B. Taylor in "The Ghosts of Fredericksburg," became known as the "Gentle Ghost" because she preferred not to interact with the living.

The church's haunted reputation intensified during the Civil War when it served as a hospital twice - after the December 13, 1862 Battle of Fredericksburg and again in May 1864 following the Battle of the Wilderness. Major General St. Clair Augustin Mulholland of the 116th Pennsylvania Regiment described the scene in today's Sydnor Hall: "Eight operating tables were in full blast, the floor was densely packed with men whose limbs were crushed, fractured and torn." The church functioned as the brigade hospital for the famed Irish Brigade, with dead bodies piled on either side of the entrance "as high as the top step." During the 1864 crisis, 10,000-15,000 soldiers were evacuated into Fredericksburg, transforming it into a "City of Hospitals." The building was hit at least 25 times by cannon fire during the battle.

Modern paranormal activity is well-documented by local police. According to Mark Nesbitt in "Civil War Ghost Trails," K-9 units are especially nervous inside and outside the church, particularly at the door to the balcony. One officer stated, "There aren't too many police officers who haven't had an experience in St. George's." Officers routinely find doors inexplicably unlocked an hour after securing them. Footsteps echo through the empty sanctuary, and pews creak as if occupied by unseen congregants.

Ghost hunters report a mysterious red room that seems to appear but does not exist, pews being turned over, and doors slamming shut on their own. Elizabeth Roberson, church secretary for 35 years, attributed much activity to Hattie Tackett, a devoted member who died in 1933. Roberson also recalled being alone with a casket before a funeral when a deceased person she knew spoke to her. Hymn board numbers have been known to pop off without explanation.

The Reverend Charles Sydnor (rector 1972-2003) witnessed pew doors opening spontaneously. A caretaker working in the adjacent cemetery - the oldest in Fredericksburg, dating to 1728 - felt someone touch his shoulder, only to turn and find no one there. A city clock-setter reported seeing "a strange visage on the altar."

Some speculate the Lady in White may be Betty Lewis, sister of George Washington, drawn back to visit her husband Colonel Fielding Lewis's burial plot. Others believe the graves disturbed in 1849 to make way for the present church may be responsible for the hauntings. The cemetery holds notable figures including Colonel John Dandridge (Martha Washington's father) and William Paul (brother of John Paul Jones).

Today, St. George's remains an active Episcopal parish at 922 Princess Anne Street. Its clock tower, installed in 1851, still keeps time - a survivor of the same war that left so many spirits behind. Visitors on Fredericksburg ghost tours often report unseen mists, orbs in photographs, and the lingering presence of those who passed through this sacred space during Virginia's darkest hours.