A local guide to Northern Virginia’s haunted spots
Author and historian Andrew Mills is a local boy, born and raised in Prince William County. He has taken his knowledge of the region and put together a great, short read that gives would-be ghost hunters tons of options. Mills’ writing style is very welcoming. He mixes the history of the locations with the stories that he has gather while doing his research.
We’ve gone on many of these local walking tours and have always enjoyed them. Heck, anyone who grows up in Prince William County has gone on school field trips to the Manassas Battlefield. The battlefield was host to not one but two huge battles during the Civil War and is almost certainly one of the most haunted places in Virginia.
Mills separates his chapters by location. This is a convenient way to break up the stories and history as opposed to doing things by time. Readers can visit multiple potential haunts just by going to one of the many small towns in the book. It’s easy to venture into multiple haunted spots in a single trip (where the public is allowed.)
At 95 pages, this installment of the Haunted America series is a short read, and Mills’ format makes everything bite size. Even with this short format, his passion for the material and the county is evident. Many of the locations host walking tours like the town of Occoquan and Manassas Battlefield. The Weems-Botts Museum (which is detailed early in the book) has a particularly satisfying sequence involving the attic.
After the various locations, Mills includes an interesting study on the attitudes and fascination that society has with death. This is a bit philosophical as opposed to recounting history, but it is a thought-provoking chapter. He also freely admits that not everyone who reads the book or visits the locations is going to believe in ghosts or any supernatural occurrences. He welcomes the skeptics who may be grabbing the book just for the history of the region.
If you’re planning to visit any spooky places in our little county this Spooktober, pick up “Haunted Prince William County” as your unofficial tour guide. It’s a great, easy read and may turn you on to some of the local history. You might even make some 19th century friends along the way.
You can learn more about Andrew Mills and this book at the Arcadia Publishing site.