History

A fairly common manifestation of psychic phenomena, as related to the sighting of the ghosts, seems to be the appearance of a wispy wraith-like figure. Most of the time- maybe in as many as 80 to 90 percent of the cases- it is the figure of a woman. There is no explanation as to why this is. Also, the predominant majority of these feminine “figures” seem to be clad wearing white or grey if they are clad at all.

It is rare, therefore, for a ghost to be associated with bright colors. Thus, the saga of the specter at Wrexham Hall in Chesterfield County is all the more unusual, for it centers on a “Lady in Red”.

Located just south of Chesterfield Courthouse on Route 10, Wrexham Hall was built by Archibald Walthall, although there seems to be confusion as to just when he built it. Depending upon the source, it has been written that the house was erected in 1770…in1800…and in 1830-take your pick.

When Archibald Walthall died, he left the house and property to his daughters, Polly and Susannah.  Susannah later sold much of the property, but stipulated that a certain plot of land containing the family burial ground be left undisturbed. A later owner of Wrexham, however, knocked down the gravestones, and, in time, the location of the burial plot was lost. It is unknown where the site is today, and that, speculate some, is the reason for the haunting manifestations of the Lady in Red.

She has only been sighted once. That was a number of years ago when Stanley Hague owned the house. He was working in the field across from Wrexham Hall one day when he and his fellow workers noticed a woman dressed in red sitting on the front porch. They all clearly saw her and commented on the color of her dress.

When Hague returned home after the day’s work, he asked his wife why her mother, who lived with the couple, had been sitting on the porch all dressed up in red. She looked surprised, and answered that her mother had been in Richmond all day. No explanation was even found for the vision.

But while the lady has not been seen again, she has made her presence known at Wrexham Hall on a regular basis down through the years. Judge Ernest P. Gates and his wife, Gee Gee, lived in the house for the past several years, and Gee Gee has reported numerous examples of common psychic phenomena. These usually have taken the form of footsteps on the stairs and rocking chairs which rock in the night.

Who is this mysterious lady?  The Gates have not been able to determine the answers to any of these questions. The judge, though, has offered a speculative view that is not inconsistent with other households which have experienced similar phenomena. He says that it could be the specter of Susannah Walthall, who has remained at Wrexham all of these years still searching for her long-lost family graveyard.

This home now serves as a hall for private functions in which allows people to enjoy its 200 year old architectural history. Its owner is Donna Brennan; the innkeeper, who maintains its historic charm.