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Portsmouth - Gaffos
House
HauntedHouses.com
Haunted Place: Portsmouth-Gaffos House
LOCATION:
Portsmouth-gaffos
House is located in the historic
downtown section of Portsmouth, near the Elizabeth River and within walking distance
of stores and shops. It is one block south of the Glen Coe Bed and Breakfast,
just west Crawford Street, which runs north/south, a cross street for both Glasgow
Street and North Street.
Address:
218 Glasgow Street, Portsmouth, Virginia.
This
is a private residence. Please respect the privacy of the current homeowners.
DESCRIPTION:
portsmouth-gaffos
House is an 18th century, 3 and 1/2 storied home which is a private residence
in excellent shape. The attic area is located in the 1/2 story section and is
big enough to be a bedroom. This attic room has windows which probably have a
pretty good view of the Elizabeth River.
HISTORY:
portsmouth-gaffos
House was
probably a doctor's home in the mid-19th century, because during a Yellow Fever
epidemic in 1855, this home was a hospital for the ill. Various people and families
have owned this home throughout the years, raising their families, enjoying life
in Portsmouth.
HISTORY OF MANIFESTATIONS:
During
the outbreak of Yellow Fever in 1855, a young daughter of a widower sea captain
became sick with Yellow Fever and was taken to this makeshift hospital and put
in the attic bedroom. Her father would faithfully tromp up the three flights of
stairs to her room and pray with all his heart and soul for her recovery. Her
recovery wasn't to be and she died of her illness, which was a devastating loss
to this man of the sea, as she was his only daughter.
After her death, he
went to sea as often as he could to help himself stop thinking about her. But,
whenever his ship came into Portsmouth, he couldn't help himself. He would stand
on the sidewalk outside this home, mourning silently and look longingly up at
the attic windows, where he last saw his beloved daughter alive.
MANIFESTATIONS:
Mr.
and Mrs. portsmouth-gaffos
and their young daughter fell in love with this old 18th century
home and moved in, not aware of the entity which would periodically pay them a
visit. The young daughter may have been the same age as the girl who died in the
attic, which may have triggered this entity to become active.
The entity
of the grief-stricken, worried sea captain
Late one night,
when everyone else was in bed, the young daughter was the first to hear the opening
of the front door, the sound of heavy boots clumping up the staircase, all the
way up this three floor stairway to the attic room, where the door would open
and slam. When it happened several nights in a row, everyone in the house was
aware of their mysterious visitor, but weren't frightened because they knew the
sad story about the girl dying in the home so long ago.
This paranormal
occurrence happens infrequently, on the schedule of an 18th century ship which
would be gone for months at a time. It is as if the worried sea captain was still
going out on a ship to earn his livelihood.
STILL HAUNTED?
Yes, apparently so, as no one has
been able to get through to this spirit that his daughter is waiting for him on
the other side. This entity continues to infrequently come by, to try one more
time to save his daughter through earnest prayer, hoping this time she will recover.
SOURCES:
cornerhouseofgifts.com
HAUNTED
PLACES: The National Directory
by Dennis William Hauk
The
Penguin Group, 2002
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