October’s Haunted Establishments with “Spirits” Series

The Winery at La Grange – Haymarket, Virginia

It’s October and all this month we’ll be exploring haunted drinking establishments - restaurants, taverns, wineries, any place that serves spirits … and has “spirits.” 

Let’s hit the road and discover who or what it is that makes these places so dark and brooding…

Housed in an 18^th Century restored manor house, The Winery at La Grange offers elegant Virginia wines crafted in the European style. The winery opened in 2006 and has garnered several awards for its Virginia wines.

The Winery at La Grange offers 12 to 15 wines crafted from grapes grown in the estate’s eight-acre vineyard. Red wines include Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Tempranillo and Benoni’s Red. The list of whites contain a Chardonnay, Cuvee Blanc, Vidal and Viognier.

 One wine, General’s Battlefield Red, is aged in oak barrels that have been made from trees cut from the Manassas Battlefield.

But besides wine, history (and hauntings) are also prevalent in this three-story hilltop mansion. The manor was built in 1790 and maintains more than a few ghosts. Staff and customers have witnessed all of the bottles on the mantle pop their corks at the same time.

Customers discuss their strange encounters with others while sipping wine at the bar – especially during the month of October. One of the regular sightings is that of former owner, Benoni E. Harrison. Harrison purchased the manor and estate in 1827 and resided here until his death in 1869. He can still be seen today, wandering the property, checking to make sure all is in order.

In honor of Mr. Harrison, the stone walled cellar, where guests can enjoy a glass of wine in an intimate setting, has been named Benoni’s Lounge.

Another inhabitant of the house is a young girl who is seen only in an upstairs bedroom.

During renovations in 2006, visitors heard piano music drifting on the evening breeze. When they went to investigate, they discovered that there was no one in the house, and no piano any where to be found. Although Benoni Harrison’s will shows that he left his "piano in the parlor" to his nephew in 1869.

Plan a trip to the Winery at La Grange and sample some wine on the patio, or in Benoni’s Lounge. Maybe you’ll be soothed by distant piano music as you catch a glimpse of Benoni making his rounds on his beloved estate.

~ Joy

Details:

The Winery at La Grange

4970 Antioch Road

Haymarket, VA

(703) 753-9360

Hours

Monday – Thursday Noon -6 p.m.

Friday – Saturday Noon – 8 p.m.

Sunday Noon – 7 p.m.

A Haunted Winery in the Show Me State

Belvoir Winery – Liberty, Missouri

It’s October and all during this month we’ll explore haunted drinking establishments - restaurants, taverns, wineries, any place that serves spirits, and has “spirits.” 

So let’s hit the road and discover who or what it is that makes these places so dark and brooding…

Liberty, Missouri is a quiet suburb just north of Kansas City.  The town was founded in 1832.During the Civil War, Liberty sided staunchly with the South. When Lincoln ran for President in 1860, not one person in Clay County cast a vote for him.

Downtown Liberty

Liberty was the site of the first day-time bank robbery. It happened here on February 13, 1866 when former Confederate soldiers banded together and robbed the Clay County Savings Association.

It was also home to the Missouri State I.O.O.F. The Odd Fellows purchased Reed Springs Hotel in 1895 to be used as a home for the widows and orphans of members. The I.O.O.F. is one of the largest fraternal and benevolent organizations in the U.S.  The 80-room structure burned down in 1900 but was rebuilt and reopened one year later.

I.O.O.F. Home

The entire complex consisted of several buildings, including the main home, hospital, school, church, and cemetery - all on 250 acres of land. In the waning years of the Twentieth century it was used as a nursing home.

And that brings us to the most well known haunted winery in the Midwest, located here in the "Show Me" state.  And, it appears that they have a lot of spirits to show….

Belvoir Winery

Belvoir Winery is located on the grounds of the former I.O.O.F. District Home.  Belvoir is French for “beautiful view,” and that’s what the owners, Dr John and Marsha Bean, thought when they saw the I.O.O.F. property in the 1990’s.  They knew this was the place for their winery and vineyard.  But once they began work on the buildings, they realized they had more than rooms with a view…

Belvoir

Today, only three of the original buildings remain, the Administration building, the Old Folks building, (nursing home,) and the Old Hospital.  The winery occupies the Odd Fellows Administration Building, the oldest structure on the property.  The basement was renovated to be used as the wine cellar and processing area.  The first floor holds the winery, ice cream shop, and event rooms.

Several paranormal investigative groups have been to Belvoir and all have reported some type of activity.  Reports range from footsteps, screams, and unidentified laughter, to male spirits, shadows that move on their own, and clothing being tugged on.  Much of the activity is reported to be in the cellar area of the winery.

Paranormal Investigation

There has been enough activity on the grounds and in the buildings that Belvoir Winery offers public and private paranormal investigations of the facilities. A group called Paranormal Research Investigators heads up the monthly public sessions.  According to PRI members, Belvoir is one of the most haunted locations they have investigated.

Cemetery on Grounds

There is also an I.O.O.F. cemetery on the property.  A plot, headstone and funeral were made available to all Odd Fellow members when the district home was in operation.  Over 600 members are interred here.

Belvoir Bar

While home to numerous ghosts, Belvoir Winery is also home to six wines.  The winery is open seven days a week and free tastings are available.  To learn more, or schedule a ghostly tour, visit http://www.belvoirwinery.com/

John Dillinger

We have one more stop to make for October - Next week, we'll visit a bar where John Dillinger may still be hiding out...

~ Joy

A Haunted Winery and Restaurant in St Charles Missouri

Little Hills Winery & The Mother-In-Law House – 

St. Charles, Missouri

It’s October and all during this month we’ll explore haunted drinking establishments - restaurants, taverns, wineries, any place that serves spirits, and has “spirits.” 

So let’s hit the road and discover who or what it is that makes these places so dark and brooding…

St Charles is a quaint town located on the banks of the Missouri River. Settlers began arriving here in the 1700s and called the region “Les Petites Cote” – The Little Hills.

Borromeo Church

The region grew and prospered to the point where having a cemetery in the middle of town became a problem. The local officials decided to move the bodies to the outer edge of town in order to utilize the nine-square-blocks that the cemetery was taking up.

But some bodies were never moved. Headstones were taken away and the remains forgotten as progress built up over them. It is little wonder that the historic downtown district of St Charles has so many ghost stories tied to it. Apparently a number of restless sprits still remain, seeking a proper burial…

Little Hills Winery

One place with a sordid past is Little Hills Winery http://www.littlehillswinery.com located in the heart of the historical district.

It is said that two ghosts frequent this location, a man and a woman, both speaking French. Research shows that a couple fitting that description lived in a residence here  around the turn of the century.

Bar Area

It has been reported that someone enjoys moving dishes and silverware around the restaurant when no one is looking.  And the entity also finds is amusing to play havoc in the bar area.

Dining Room

Restaurant servers at Little Hills have said that the dungeon-type storage area gets turnedupside down at night and the next morning things looks as if a fight had just taken place there. Servers can put everything back and the next day find the room in the same state of disarray.

Employees have reported hearing a couple arguing in French in the back storage area. Michael Henry of St Charles Ghost Tours http://www.stcharlesghosts.com had a French student transcribe the voices caught on tape.

The words spoken were “Don’t hit me.” “Don’t hurt me.”

Courtyard During the Day

Outside Courtyard

The man who lived here at the turn of the century was known to severely beat his wife from time to time. One morning in 1906, neighbors noticed that the front window of the residence was broken out. When they went to investigate, both the man and woman were gone. It was speculated that he had beaten her to death near the stable and buried her body in the yard; what is now the outside patio area, and then disappeared into a new

life.

Although no apparition has been seen, cold spots seem to manifest in certain areas…

Another haunted restaurant on Main Street is the Mother-In-Law House http://www.motherinlawhouse.com. Built in 1866, the two sides of this home are mirror opposites. Francis Kremer built the house in this arrangement so that his mother-in-law could live on one side while he and his family lived on the other. It provided Kremer’s mother-in-law with a separate place to live, yet the opportunity to be next to her daughter.

Mother-In-Law House

Today the structure is a restaurant with the name paying tribute to its history. Employees report there are always problems on the north side of the building. Dishes, glasses and silverware routinely disappear from here, food changes temperature without reason and coffee cups have been known to turn over into customers laps. Items also tend to move around more on the north side of the house.

Dining Room

A psychic informed the current owners that the mother-in-law was lonely and just wanted to be acknowledged. Once her side of the house was redecorated, she seemed to quiet done – at least for now…

Downtown St Charles

St Charles is definitely worth the trip, just for the ambience alone. But if you go, make sure sign up for the St Charles Ghost Tour and get the low down on all things spooky in this charming river town.

~ Joy

Haunted Wineries of the Northwestern U.S.

It’s Halloween – the perfect time to explore a haunted winery or two.  This is our last look at haunted U.S. wineries, so pour a glass of something dark and brooding as we explore some ‘spirited’ wineries, and those who make them so…

Chateau Ste Michelle is the oldest winery in Washington State and one of the most acclaimed.  Located near Woodinville on 105 wooded acres, Chateau Ste Michelle is also said to be haunted. 

The Manor House was built in 1912 by Seattle lumber baron Frederick Stimson.  The winery actually began in 1934 with the formation of the Pommerelle Wine Company, which made fruit wines, and the National Wine Company.  In 1954, the two companies merged to form American Wine Growers.  Ste Michelle began in 1967 as a new line of wines for the AWG Company.

Nine years later, in 1976, a French style Chateau was built in Woodinville and the name was changed to Chateau Ste Michelle.  In 1984, the winery helped obtain federal BATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms and Tobacco) recognition of the Columbia Valley as an AVA (American Viticulture Area.)

The original Manor House is the location of most spirited reports.  It is used for meetings and special dinners held in connection to the winery. 





According to staff, a female ghost haunts the back servants stairs of the house, which connects to the kitchen and second floor. Windows on the upper level open on their own, lights go on and off, and doors open and close, seemingly at will.  Cold spots, shadows and footsteps also seem to move from the stairs to the second floor rooms.

Chateau Ste Michelle is open during the winter from 10 A.M. to 5P.M.  For more information, visit http://www.ste-michelle.com

~

Another spirited female keeps employees on their toes at Argyle Winery in Dundee, Oregon.  Located in the Willamette Valley, Argyle Winery was founded in 1987.  Argyle is celebrating its 25^th year in business this year, but its ghost has been around for over a century.

The female spirit that haunts the winery is believed to be that of Lena Elsie Imus.  Lena lived in the house that is now the winery and committed suicide there in 1908 by swallowing carbolic acid. She was 25 years old. According to news reports she was unconscious for ten hours after ingesting the acid.  She was then awake for 24 hours before she died.  During that time she said she had become depressed and thought she had nothing to live for.

But apparently Lena wasn’t ready to move on.  Employees report smelling flowery perfume in the house, laughter comes from empty rooms, lights turn on and off, footsteps can be heard upstairs when no one is there, and gusts of air blow through the house when it is still outside.  Staff also reports that glasses have been heard breaking and shattering in other 
rooms, but when investigated no glass can be found.

Argyle Winery is known for its Pinot Noir wines and they have named one in honor of Lena.  SpiritHouse Pinot Noir is a tribute to Argyle’s resident ghost.

Lena Imus is buried in the Pioneer Cemetery at Dundee, along side her father and two brothers.  On her tombstone are inscribed the words, “Not Dead, But Gone Before”……

Argyle Winery is open daily from 11 A.M. to 5 P.M.  If you stop in, be sure to try the SpiritHouse wine and raise a glass in honor of Lena.  For more information, visit http://argylewinery.com.

If you have enjoyed this series on haunted wineries, check out A Grave Interest @ http://agraveinterest.blogspot.com

for a look at haunted cemeteries.

Happy Halloween!!

~ Joy