Just outside the Richmond city limits, on Monument Avenue in Henrico Country, stands the Waverly House, a stately red brick mansion with white windowsills and a Grecian front porch, complete with pillars. With its handsome Federal mantels and a central staircase, it stands as a testament to the craftsmanship of its time. Built between 1770 and 1800, this house has seen centuries of history, but it is the whispers of the past that truly define its eerie charm. You see, beneath its beautiful exterior lies a history of scandal, death, and restless spirits. The house’s various owners have taken pride in maintaining its condition, but the past continues to haunt its halls.
The house, once known as Oak Grove, has a dark and mysterious past. In 1841, Benjamin Green, an elderly bank clerk, lived here. The story goes that someone at his bank succumbed to temptation and pilfered $500,000 from the bank’s coffers. Despite no evidence, Benjamin was accused of the theft. His beloved Oak Grove was searched, but no money was found. His reputation shattered, Benjamin moved out of town quickly. Town legend has it that Benjamin buried the money somewhere on the grounds or within the house itself.
While Benjamin left in body, he may have returned in spirit… One of the most chilling tales from this residence involves Donald B. Wiltshire, Sr., a former owner of the house. He reported encountering an entity on the stairs, a little old man with a chin beard who bore an uncanny resemblance to Benjamin Green. It is believed that Benjamin’s spirit is either searching for his lost loot or grieving his tarnished reputation.
The house’s dark history doesn’t end there, as it is marred by an urban legend of unmarked graves and subsequent hauntings. During the Civil War, it is thought that Waverly House was used as a makeshift hospital. It is said that nineteen soldiers who died of their wounds were hastily buried in unmarked graves, either in the yard or the basement floor, which was just dirt at the time. Some believe the spirits of these soldiers still haunt the house, their restless souls unable to find peace.
As night falls, the Waverly House transforms. The shadows lengthen, and the air grows thick with the presence of those who once walked its halls. The spirits of the past, from Benjamin Green to the Civil War soldiers, linger, their stories etched into the very fabric of the house. The Waverly House stands as a reminder that some histories are too dark to be forgotten, and some spirits too restless to find peace.
Today, Waverly House remains a private residence and is not open for investigations. The owners seem content to co-exist with whatever spirits may remain there. For now, the rest of us must get by with what has been shared down through the generations, and the legends that persist in the modern day.
