Author to talk about ghosts of Hampton Roads

By Eric Feber
The Virginian-Pilot
© May 23, 2011

NORTH SUFFOLK

On Tuesday, Williamsburg based author L.B. Taylor Jr. will haunt the North Suffolk Library.

It's not that he's entered the spirit world. He's simply an expert on ghosts, poltergeists, phantoms, Civil War spirits, haunted houses and other things that go bump in Suffolk and the Old Dominion.

Taylor will present the free program "Haunted Hampton Roads," based on stories, legends and histories he's researched for more than a dozen books he has published, all dealing with Virginia paranormal activity.

His titles include several volumes of "Ghosts of Virginia" along with "Civil War Ghosts of Virginia," "Ghosts of Tidewater," and ones dealing with spirit activity in Richmond and Charlottesville.

His latest offering is "The Big Book of Virginia Ghost Stories."

Taylor's interest began when, as a freelance writer, he was assigned to do a story about local haunted houses. He's been spooked ever since, publishing his first book, "Ghosts of Williamsburg," in 1983. That title, now in its 25th printing, has sold 150,000 copies.

"He approached us," said Kirk Morrison, North Suffolk Library public service manager. "Usually we identify folks we want to bring in, but he came to us, and it worked out. We thought this would be a good combination of his interest in coming to us and the public's interest in his books and subject matter. We asked him to tailor his program to ghosts in Suffolk and South Hampton Roads."

Morrison said his library carries a haunted house full of his titles.

"We don't have all his books, but we have many, and they are very popular. They have been for years," he said.

Morrison added that Taylor is considered an expert on Virginia hauntings and has appeared as a "talking head" on national and cable television programs discussing ghostly doings, which he plans to do Tuesday at the library.

"He said he'll focus on local paranormal occurrences associated with Nat Turner and the legend of Suffolk's ghost lights," he explained. "He also said he'd like to discuss something about some well-known haunted dolls in Chesapeake."

Whatever Taylor plans to discuss, you can bet there's a ghost of a chance it will inform and entertain.

"I've spoken with people with the Suffolk Nansemond Historical Society, and they're interested in his local history," Morrison said. "Then folks interested in the paranormal should also enjoy it."

Eric Feber, (757) 222-5203, eric.feber @pilotonline.com

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Ghost Hunting at Strawberry Banks?

Submitted by jimq28908 on Mon, 05/23/2011 at 8:25 am.

I hope he covers ( or has already covered... ) the ghost in the attic of the old manor house at Strawberry Banks... My encounter with it goes back to the summer of 1966. I saw the light on in the attic, but only have second-hand knowledge of anything else. Unfortunately, all from actors at the Barksdale Summer Theatre, and we all know how reliable an actor's story can be...