The arrival of a strange painting, a young woman that died long ago, has unleashed the ghosts that haunt The Haw Branch Plantation.
Haw Branch Plantation, Amelia, Virginia
Haw Branch Plantation, Amelia, Virginia
Moving to the plantation in 1964, Cary and Gibson McConnaughey received a house warming gift from a relative. The gift was a painting, dating back to the 17th century, of a distant relative named Florence Wright. Even though the painting suffered from age, the colors were faded and there were a few small tears in the canvas, the McConnaughey's hung the painting prominently in the library.
Over time the McConnaughey's would hear strange noises from the library. Distinct female voices could be heard holding conversations. However, when the McConnaughey's would enter the room the voices would suddenly go quiet.
Most strange was that over time the painting's colors slowly restored and the tears in the canvas mended themselves.
Doing a little investigating, the McConnaughey's discovered that Florence Wright died shortly before the painting was finished. It is believed that Florence now follows her painting and its colors brighten the more content she becomes.
The arrival of Florence's painting seemed to open a door to the spirit world. Shortly after the painting had fully restored itself the McConnaughey's were plagued by blood curdling screams during the night. They would also see an apparition of a young woman dressed in period clothing with a panicked look on her face.
Doing a little investigating, the McConnaughey's discovered that the daughter of the original owner died at the plantation. It is believed that the apparition is her ghost.
In addition to the girl's ghost, the ghost of a caretaker haunts the land around the manor house. It is common to see the ghost of the caretaker walking the land holding a lantern.