The Haunted Waverly House

Posted: 10.24.2024 | Updated: 10.24.2024

A beautiful but unassuming old house sits only 15 minutes northwest of downtown Richmond, Virginia. Known today as Waverly House, this private residence has had several names over the years and many more inhabitants. Additionally, multiple people, including a former owner, are certain that not all past residents have moved on even after death. Said to look much as it did when it was first built, the perfectly preserved Waverly House is a site where its history continues to haunt it.

Who haunts the Waverly House?

A number of spirits are said to inhabit the walls of Waverly House. It’s believed that one of the former owners, Benjamin Green, haunts the house he was forced out of centuries ago. The ghosts of Civil War soldiers who reportedly died on the property also wander the house grounds.

Richmond is full of haunted locales, and you can learn about them and the historic city of Richmond by booking a ghost tour with Richmond Ghosts today!

The History of Waverly House

Built sometime between 1770 and 1800, Waverly House has been known by several names, including Twin Oaks, Monumental Farm, and Wiltshire. The name was later changed to Oak Grove, which is the official name under which the house is listed by The Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission. It wasn’t until the early 1900, when the Waverly family moved into the home that it became known as Waverly House, which is still the most common name used today. 

The home is a story-and-a-half design with a low basement. It features impressive twin Flemish Bond chimneys that bookend the house and are inscribed with the date 1813 on some of the bricks. Inside the house is a central hallway with a double-run staircase at the end. Black and white checkered marble flooring was added to the home in 1915 but much of the original architectural detail has been kept intact. Waverly House is also hard to miss since it’s surrounded by homes built well over a century after it was built.

The Hauntings at Waverly House

Two different eras of the Waverly House are believed to have resulted in hauntings. The first occurred in 1840 when the home’s then-owner was run out of town for a crime he may not have committed. The other haunting stems from the 1860s when wounded soldiers were brought to the house–many of them losing their lives.

The Ghost of Benjamin Green 

In 1841, Waverly House was owned by a bank teller named Benjamin Green. One day, someone stole $500,000.00 from the bank, and Green was immediately blamed since he had access to the cash. He maintained his innocence, and an extensive search of Waverly House ensued. The authorities ultimately could find no trace of the money or Green’s guilt, so no charges were ever brought against him. That said, the Richmond community was certain of Green’s guilt and let him know it. With a ruined reputation, Green left his beloved home and never returned…at least not in life.

Former owner Donald B. Wiltshire Sr., who purchased Waverly House in 1948 and lived there for 20 years, reported seeing an old man with a beard standing on the staircase leading to the home’s second floor. He believed it to be the ghost of Benjamin Green, and his spirit has been spotted by other witnesses who saw him on the stairs. It’s been rumored that Green really did steal the money and either buried it on the property or hid it in the walls of Waverly House. If that’s the case, no one has found it or admitted to finding it. Could this be why Green’s ghost returned to the home?

Echoes of the Civil War

During the Civil War, Richmond was the capital of the Confederacy and saw its fair share of battle. As a result, hospitals were overwhelmed by the number of wounded soldiers and Waverly House was turned into a temporary hospital. Due to the state of medicine and sanitization at the time, it’s believed that a number of soldiers died on the property. Some claim that 19 bodies of wounded soldiers were buried in the backyard of Waverly House, while others allege that the bodies were buried in the basement, which would have had a dirt floor in the 1800s. Although no remains of soldiers have ever been found, the spirits of Confederate soldiers have been spotted in and on the grounds of Waverly House.

Haunted Richmond

Waverly House has captured the hearts and minds of locals for decades as a haunted private residence. While it’s unknown what ghostly encounters the current owners have had, past owners and visitors alike have no doubt that Benjamin Green’s disgruntled spirit and the soldiers who died on the land continue to haunt it over 150 years after their deaths.

As one of the oldest cities in the US, Richmond is bursting with history and haunted attractions, including hotels, restaurants, historic homes, and more. You can book a tour with Richmond Ghosts today and learn all about the historic sites and hauntings Richmond has to offer. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, and keep reading our blog for more real Virginia hauntings.

Sources:

https://henricohistoricalsociety.org/news2008.firstquarter.html

https://henricohistoricalsociety.org/threechopt.oakgrove.html