It’s that time of year, and the ghosts have come out of hiding and won’t leave (including myself—yes, I’m still here). It’s not very often we hear of new ghost stories in the OWE, but we have one or two new ones and a few old ones to recall and to add onto! Firstly, you will perhaps recall the name of Harry Ficklen, at one time a well-known figure in Danville. The Haunting of Harry Ficklen   Harry Campbell Ficklen was born in 1862 and arrived in Danville with his family in 1860. You can read more about the Ficklens here. The Ficklens owned a large tract of land on…

In the spirit of Halloween, we thought it might be fun to visit the folklore surrounding some of the old West End’s “haunted” places.  A few houses in particular are known to have regular visitors from beyond the grave. The Lanier House at 770 Main is said to be the oldest residence in the city.  It’s little wonder then that it is also known to be haunted.  The house was built in 1830 for the city’s first mayor, Captain James Lanier. Though the house is now home to the law offices of Garrett & Garrett, it was also home, in the 1940s through the 1970s, to the city’s first pediatrician,…

Many years ago, the area off West Main Street between the present Westmoreland Court and Randolph Street was called Ficklen’s Field.  A large house named Oak Lawn once stood there. Purchased in 1860 by John Fielding Ficklen, the house sat some distance from the road “among a thicket of briars and trees.” By 1940, amidst rumors that it was haunted, the house had collapsed in ruins. Witness of the home’s paranormal behavior recounted “weird noises”, such as voices and the whirring and clicking of machinery. Household items, among which was a sewing machine, were said to move on their own. Rumors circulated that it was impossible to spend a night…