Occoquan, VA
“Established in 1758, at the head of the Occoquan River is historic Occoquan, Va. Occoquan is a Dogue Indian word meaning “at the end of the water.” You can get there from I-95 exit 160, and it is considered by many to be Virginia’s ghost central,” writes Anthony Selletti for the Examiner.
According to Occoquan.com, “Occoquan is derived from a Dogue Indian word meaning “at the end of the water.” It is believed that the Dogues stayed close to the Occoquan River because of the abundance of fish and ease of traveling by canoe. It was the river and its location, at the head of the tidewater, that made Occoquan a natural site for water-borne commerce, from the earliest days of the settlement of Virginia.”
Their goes on further to say, “A fire devastated much of the town in 1919. Route 1 opened soon after, in 1928, and carried traffic away from Occoquan. The Occoquan River silted up, and the new railroad bypassed the town, causing local industries to decline. Finally, in 1972, Hurricane Agnes struck – destroying buildings, sidewalks, streets and the remaining Occoquan Iron-Truss Bridge.”
Selletti writes about his favorite haunts, one of them, “At 312 Commerce St. a ‘mischievous’ specter resides. It is said to mess with the thermostat and unscrew the light bulbs. The owners can are said to put up with the ghost because it has been known to sweep the floors.”
Read the full article here
Thanks for the great story about a haunted place so close to DC