This unassuming 18th century lodge has a long history of ghostly activity

Rippon Lodge in Woodbridge, Virginia has a long history of ghostly activity dating back to the death of duelist Bernard J. Hooe, who took his final breaths in its parlor in 1810. It is named after its original owner, Robert Rippon, who was a successful farmer and merchant in the area. It is the oldest house in Prince William County, but its survival was often in doubt due to long periods of abandonment. It doesn't look like it today, but Rippon Lodge once had a very sinister reputation. According to legend, Col. Thomas Blackburn's wife callously pushed aside the child of a house slave, causing him to hit his head on the fireplace and bleed to death. The lack of evidence of this crime hasn't stopped storytellers from spinning the yarn, nor has it dissuaded believers that an unnerving gloom hangs over the house. #virginia #spooky #creepy