The Lynnhaven House

Posted: 07.02.2025 | Updated: 07.02.2025

What makes a place haunted? Is it a trauma so significant that it’s left an unseen door open between this world and the next? Perhaps there’s something more, rooted in the very land it’s built on; a land that’s become a haven for spirits, creatures, and tales of the unknown. One such tale is that of the Lynnhaven House of Virginia Beach, Virginia. 

It stands as one of Virginia’s most preserved historical sites, holding three centuries’ worth of history. But what kind of history does it hold exactly? No one knows. It’s part of the mystery for those who wonder why this seemingly tranquil home-turned-museum is still occupied by the ghosts of some of its former residents.

Gather your courage and experience Virginia Beach like never before on a ghost tour with Neptune Ghosts! Venture past some of the city’s most historic and haunted sites filled with tales of witches, pirates, and murder. Be sure to book your spot today! Don’t forget to also read up on our blog filled with more chilling ghost stories from across America.  

Is Lynnhaven House Haunted?

The Lynnhaven House is a beautiful reminder of Virginia’s early colonial life. Come nightfall, it’s a house for the dead, where many of its former residents still refuse to leave. Read on and see what this historic landmark is, as educational as it is frightening for the locals of Virginia Beach. 

History of the Lynnhaven House 

The Lynnhaven House — often referred to as the Wishart or Bousch House — derives its present name from the nearby Lynnhaven River that flows through the property. It was built in 1725 under the commission of its owner, Francis Thelaball, a middling plantation owner and ship’s carpenter, as a home for his family, an apprentice, and several enslaved people. 

Not much else is known about Francis and his wife. It’s safe to say they had notable recognition in their local Virginia community, however, through Francis’ cousin, Joyce Langley Thelaball. Present Virginia historians say there is much more information about Joyce, the daughter of one of the first members of the House of Burgesses, Captain William Langley. 

The Thelaball family lived in the house until 1727. From there, the house passed through the ownership of two other families; first, the Bousch family, and then the Oliver family, where it continued to be passed down to William W. Oliver III and Alice Milner Oliver. 

The Olivers donated the Lynnhaven House to the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities (APVA) in 1971, as a way to honor their parents’ legacy; much of which can still be felt today through its well-kept preservation and added modern – albeit minimal — conveniences. 

The City of Virginia Beach took ownership of the Lynnhaven House in 2008. Today, it stands as one of the most well-preserved examples of early Virginia vernacular architecture. It also serves as an immersive educational resource on 18th-century Virginia plantation life. A small family cemetery in the back of the house points to something chillier that dwells within this house’s walls.

Hauntings at Lynnhaven House

The Lynnhaven House seems like a quaint, peaceful home during the day, but at night, not so much. As one story goes, a contractor working on the house in the 1980s was also using it as his temporary lodging. 

He heard doors open and close throughout the night, along with the floorboards creaking under the weight of disembodied footsteps. Objects would also move on their own. A few days passed until one night, the contractor was so terrified that he left and never came back — leaving his tools behind. 

Similar reports have followed in the years to come, including hearing a phantom giggling echo throughout the Lynnhaven House, as though it were coming from children; possibly the five children of Francis Thelaball? 

Perhaps something darker happened in this house. After all, child mortality was much more common in earlier centuries than today. Additionally, some witnesses have seen strange shadow figures moving about, especially in the cemetery. 

There have also been sightings of what can only be described as a lady in white roaming about in the garden, tending to her earthly duties.

Water: a conduit for the otherworldly

Various cultures and religions around the world have viewed water through a spiritual lens since ancient times. It’s a cross point between this world and the afterlife, filled with so much energy that spirits will use it to cross over onto our plane in one of two ways. 

For larger bodies of water, such as lakes or oceans, ghosts will draw on the energy and use it to manifest themselves. Then there are smaller bodies of water, such as streams or rivers like the Lynnhaven River, where spirits can draw on their own energy. This allows them to create an environment where they can interact with the material world in a more subtle way. 

Temperature and humidity also play a significant role. The higher they are, the more spiritual activity there is due to the water molecules suspended in the air that ghosts are able to draw from. But what kind of energy are we talking about exactly? 

The most common answer is static electricity. It’s generated by ions in the water that increase with naturally added minerals such as salt. This is only a theory, of course, as many are still mystified by water’s nature and its intertwining role between our world and the next. 

Haunted Virginia Beach 

A chill hangs in the night air across scenic Virginia, where ghosts, ghouls, and creatures call out. It’s the one state whose very beginning is marked with an eerie mystery, only to be compounded in the centuries to come. Virginia isn’t just a place for lovers, but a haven for the unknown and downright chilling. 

The Lynnhaven House — one of the state’s oldest and most well-preserved relics of the past — embodies such an aura. This simple family home-turned-museum holds a history that is just as obscure as its owners. The only thing for sure: generations of people lived and died within its walls, and now many of them continue to wander the rooms of Lynnhaven House to this day. 

What more could anyone ask for than the beach, relaxation, and a plethora of spine-tingling ghost stories? Visit our website today and join Neptune Ghosts on a one-of-a-kind ghost tour through some of Virginia Beach’s most haunted sites. Don’t forget to also read up on our blog for more chilling stories surrounding this sunny, coastal town, and stay connected with us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

Sources:

• https://vbmuseums.org/museums/lynnhaven-house
• https://www.visitvirginiabeach.com/listing/lynnhaven-house/257/
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3YrS0aobsU
• https://www.jackrabbitstorage.com/blogs/the-haunted-history-of-virginia-beach/
• https://homespunhaints.com/how-ghosts-use-water-as-a-conduit-for-manifestation