The Historic Sandusky Museum, an 1808 home owned by the University of Lynchburg. Staff and visitors frequently report paranormal activity on and around the house. | Austin Walker
By: Gabriella McClellan | Guest Contributor
LYNCHBURG, Va. — It began with the lingering smell of tobacco pipe smoke. Then the sound of heavy footsteps echoed from the roof, followed by the chilling sensation of an invisible hand grabbing her leg from underneath the table. When a dark, spectral figure emerged from the shadows, reached for the breaker box, and plunged the room into darkness, University of Lynchburg student Maya Taylor realized her new campus job at Historic Sandusky meant working alongside the ghosts of the past.
For most, a paranormal experience is a life-altering event, but to Taylor, it is just another shift at Historic Sandusky. Many students are unaware that the university actually owns the historic house and operates a student-led archaeology lab on the premises.
According to the official Historic Sandusky website, the property was built in 1808 and has since accumulated centuries of history within its walls — specifically during the Civil War — before becoming part of the University of Lynchburg in 2016.
For Greg Starbuck, who has managed the property for 24 years, the paranormal events have become routine. Starbuck keeps a written record of the ghostly encounters his employees endure, which has grown hefty over the years. He believes the house’s supernatural energy is directly tied to the property’s tragic history.
“In the house over its 200-year history, a lot of people have died in the house of natural causes and not natural causes,” Starbuck said. “The Sandusky barn was used as a hospital during the battle, and soldiers died in the barn … There was a lot of anguish on the property from people having their limbs amputated. And so all that turmoil probably leads to paranormal activity.”
According to Starbuck, the most common paranormal instances are the sound of boots on the roof, the smell of tobacco pipe smoke, and the empty chair of Colonel Hutter rocking on its own. Taylor, who has deciphered many of the 19th-century letters from the house’s former residents, theorizes the identities responsible for each haunting.
“The walking on the roof, that’s obviously the soldiers,” Taylor said. “The pipe smoke and the chair rocking, that’s where Colonel Hutter actually died, and that was his favorite spot in the house.”
Taylor’s terrifying encounters with the other side have not left her fearful. She believes the spirits are not vengeful, but care deeply about the history the Historic Sandusky team is working to preserve.
Despite the hauntings, Starbuck hopes more University of Lynchburg students will take advantage of the historic property. Historic Sandusky offers free tours to students, as well as opportunities for internships and student employment. For those brave enough to come face-to-face with the ghost of Colonel Hutter himself, the museum frequently hosts paranormal investigations.
“We’re ready to work with and help any student that might be interested,” Starbuck said, “from a simple tour to see what’s here to a more prolonged activity.”
Students can schedule a tour and learn additional information about Historic Sandusky by emailing info@historicsandusky.org.
