Mostly Ghostly - Laced With History

Time Shifts

Time Shift Number 1:

The woods along the ravine 2014

At the time that this happened I was living in the house that I live in now.  Though things were settling down from being remodeled and my desk was a door that was sitting on top of two small filing cabinets that faced the northwest window.  Out this window I also saw some other things through my mind's eye.  For now though this is yet another strange experience that I had.  While I was typing on the computer I started seeing these comet-like silver balls moving through the air in front of me.  I thought that I was at the computer too long and wiped my eyes, closed them for a few minutes and opened them back up again.  Those things were still there and still moving.  I was not on any drugs or had taken anything and I certainly do not drink any alcohol, but this was really weird. 

After watching them for a few minutes the room began to move and I had to hold onto the desk for a few minutes until the room stopped moving.  It was not spinning, it was more like moving on a bus or more like a train.  Then it just stopped as if nothing happened.  I don't know what was up with that either.

Time Shift Number 2:

Another time shift was when I was looking out of my front porch.  Then I began to feel slightly dizzy and I had to hold onto the banister of the deck.  Things were moving around.  I mean the trees of this forest were moving and then the next thing that I saw was a completely different forest.  The trees were very tall and there were not bottom branches and the forest floor was clean of any underbrush.  The ground was black and smooth.  The trees were spaced out about 10 feet from each other, but not in a straight line like rows of vegetables.  This lasted about 10 minutes and then I blinked and everything was the same as it was before.  Strange and spooky too.

The Indian Massacre I Witnessed

I "saw" part of an Indian Massacre

While sitting at my computer, looking out my window, I saw two small children playing outside in the woods. They looked to be about 3 and 5 years old. The oldest one was a boy and the youngest a girl. I thought they were real and went out to ask them who they were and to find out where they lived. When I got to that side of my house there was nothing there. So I went back inside to continue doing my work.

The next day I saw them again. They were running around and playing like children do. This happened for a few days and I started to just shrug it off. I wondered why they were still here and where there parents were.

I have seen apparitions and ghosts many times while living in this house.  There is so much Civil War history here and so much division and sadness that came along with the war.  This story was before the Civil War though. It was during the French and Indian War around the 1800's.  I began to wonder who these small children were and started to do some research about my area.

Some days I would sit at my computer and I would get light-headed and had to hold on to my desk top because it felt as if I was going to fall on the floor. They were like I told you in the Time Shifts experiences. After the light-headedness faded, I would see them playing again.  The woods didn't look like they did before the episode. There were less trees then the present. I was transported to their time but was only as an observer of the things that were happening.

While the children were running in the forest I saw Indians all around. Those Indians were killing all the adults and these two children didn't have a clue as to what was going on. That is why there were playing alone and running and chasing each other and having fun like children do.

As I watched even longer I saw the most horrific thing I have ever seen. As the children were playing and running an Indian on horseback rode up behind them and cut off their heads from behind. It was so quick and the Indian was so precise with his blow that those children didn't know and so they just kept running around playing their games they were playing.

Using telepathy I was finally able to speak to them. I told them that they had died and that their parent's were waiting for them.  I told them they would see a bright light and to go towards it. At first they didn't know what I was trying to tell them. It took about three times before they realized what had happened to them. They finally left and went towards the bright light and reunited with their parents.

When my husband's family came to visit us one weekend, they decided that they wanted to stay at the Bed and Breakfast that was in Gerrardstown. We live up over the mountain, but it is still considered Gerrardstown. It had a history of Indian Raids. They didn't like the White Man from taking over their hunting areas. In one of the earlier massacre which happened in the early 1800's the Indians did come to the area and killed all the women and children and they scalped the men.  So my "viewing" was founded on truth.  There were a total of 7 Indian Tribes that congregated in this area and Mills Gap was known as the gateway to the west. Some of the tribes that used the valley as hunting grounds and fought the white man from colonizing the area were the Shawnee, Iroquois, Occoneechee, Monocans and Piscataways.

A Town Divided By The Civil War Gerrardstown, West Virginia

History In The Making - Gerrardstown, WV

The Town Of Gerrardstown, WV




Gerrardstown Town Historical Marker
Source: Debra Allen



Historical PackHorse Road

Source: Debra Allen



Mills Gap at the top of North Mountain where Route 51 (Historical Pack Horse Road), Route 45 (Apple Harvest Drive) and Route 20 meet.
Source: Debra Allen


This is the quaint town that I live in. It is located at the foot of North Mountain and also just on the other side of the mountain in Berkeley County, West Virginia. I live on the other side of North Mountain.
Originally Gerrardstown was named Middletown by german immigrant by the name of John Mills, Jr. in 1787.
During the Civil War many things changed for this small town. In 1863 the states split up from Virginia into West Virginia.
There are two main mountains here, North Mountain and Apple Pie Ridge. Apple Pie Ridge runs parallel with North Mountain. Apple Pie Ridge is named such for the many orchards that adorn the mountain sides. The soil was rich and fertile and that brought many farmers here. We have many orchards that grow many varieties of apples and peaches. You will see many Cattle and Horse farms and also a few with Goats. One of the local farm market is now raising Buffalo, Steer, Goats, Pigs along with the huge variety of apples, berries, pumpkins and other fruits and vegetables.
One of the earliest roads that was made is Pack Horse Road, and the older part is still partially there, (picture on right). It is now Route 51 that starts from Charlestown. WV and continues through Gerrardstown, over the top of the mountain named Mills Gap and down into Back Creek Valley.


North Mountain at Gerrardstown and Mills Gap.




East of North Mountain. Route 51 runs along the side of that mountain to the gap on the right of it where it meets Route 45 and Route 20.
Source: Debra Allen
A Legend About Some Gold?
Legend has it that two men in Braddock's Army had a couple of payloads of gold they were carrying. They decided to bury it because of an impending Indian Raid and the thought that they marked the area pretty well. Well when things calmed down and they came back a few years later the area was quite different and the never found that stash of gold. During the French and Indian War there were lots of skirmishes and raids in the area and it was difficult to stay there. On one occasion, at the last Indian Massacre, the Indians killed many and took a few to be sold as slaves. One woman was sold to a Canadian trader by the name of Jean Baptiste Plata. He fell in love with her, brought her back to Middletown (which is now Gerrardstown) married her. Her brother, George, killed him shortly after the wedding and she became very ill. After ten years she married William Cleery and they moved to Morgantown. Her name was Isabella Stockton.


Hays-Gerrard House, First Baptist Minister



John Gerrard House
John Hays and family were the first baptist settlers to come to live in the Gerrardstown area in1743.




John Hays was built his first house in Gerrardstown and then Reverend John Gerrards bought it, used it as a home and a church. It is still there.
Source: Debra Allen
The first Baptist preacher was Reverend John Gerrard. He acquired much land from Lord Fairfax and bought the John Hays house hence the name Hays-Gerrard house.
He built a big plantation and later sold it to his son, David. David then platted out the town and it did prosper a great deal. David changed the town's name from Middletown to Gerrardstown in 1784. It has been that name ever since.
***An interesting note about this historical house is there there are drawers under all the windows.



The Corner Store in Gerrardstown WV Excerpt from "The Gerardstown times." (Gerardstown [i.e. Gerrardstown] W. Va.) 1871-1905

The Corner Grocery Store




The Corner Store
Source: Debra Allen
It is on the corner of Mountain Street (now Route 51) and Congress Street (now Virginia Line Road). This store originally had 2 stories. It was torn down and this small store was built in it's place in 1845 and changed owners in 1867 and the new owner did not sell as wide a range of goods as the original owner.
The original name was Then Corner Store, then became the "Cheap Store" but eventually became The Corner Store again. It has changed owners a couple of time in the last 10 years.
During it's first phase when it was a 2 story building the Masonic Lodge held their meetings in the 2nd story of the store. The first newspaper was published there in Gerrardstown in that 2nd story building. The name of the newspaper was "The Gerrardstown Times" and was published in 1870.



Churches of Gerrardstown
Methodist Churches of Gerrardstown







Apple Chapel was originally Methodist Episcopal Church
(Southern)
Source: Debra Allen


Apple Chapel was renovated in 2008. Originally it was The Methodist Episcopal Church on the southern corner behind the Corner Store. During the Civil War the church members were divided on the different sides of the war and the new church formed leaving this one unfinished. That was until someone decided to finish it in all it's beautiful handwork and splendor and named it Apple Chapel. Occasionally there will be an event or meeting












This used to be the northern Methodist Episcopal Church.
Source: Debra Allen



The Presbyterians arrived in Gerrardstown in 1794, but it was not until 1797 when they started having regular service. That was when Reverend Joseph Glass came. The cemetery and the church are a Historical Landmark. This is not the original church. This one was built in 1892 after two other churches were built. The second one was deemed unsound and then they built this new one that still stands and is in use today.

The Methodists were the last denomination to settle in Gerrardstown. The first settlers were Baptists. The Methodists would have their services with the Presbyterians until this church was being built in the year 1833. The new church was built on Mountain Road in 1957. It still stands and is still in use.
The South and Northern Methodist spilt in the Civil War along the political lines of the state. Among other churches there were Lutheran and several other reformation churches. None of them are standing today. What is left of them is just the Lutheran Cemetery.
***Historical Note: President Lincoln's bodyguard is buried in this cemetery.




The Earl McCormick House





The Earl McCormick House 2013
Source: Debra Allen
This house is a house of add ons because each owner would add a section onto the existing house. The original is thought to be built around 1822. The two most noted additions were made in 1905 and 1920. The picture that I took here is 2013. You can see the many additions on the outside. On the inside there is a large hall in the center that has a gorgeous spiral staircase in it. I am not sure what is left in the ten room house because the current owners did some upgrading in the last three years. This house has had many owners in it's time but it got the name The McCormick house because they were the occupants that lived there the longest.


The James Bell House



The James Bell House a.k.a The Tavern




The James Bell House 2012
Source: Debra Allen
This is the only house that is still standing that was used as a tavern and Inn in Gerrardstown. It was bought by Mr. James Bell in 1796. The previous owner was Justus Gerrard who bought it from Daniel Thomas.
The original owner was Jesse and Sarah Payne. The original part of the log cabin was one room with a second story. The bottom was divided into four rooms and had 2 fireplaces. Early in the 19th century was when it was used on the bottom level as an Inn and Tavern. It was expanded and later was used as an antique shop, a pool house and currently it is a private residence.
There are several other buildings on this piece of property. Some are still standing and some have fallen apart. The most notable one is the building behind this one that was used as a residence, a wagon makers and a harness shop. Another house sit behind this house and is a log home used as a smokehouse and the original hardware is still there and intact.
There were a couple of other taverns and Inns but there isn't much information about them anymore. Too bad they do not have anything in this town anymore. There used to be a Bed and Breakfast and we did have family stay in it one night but it has since been sold and is now a private residence,




Wiest Store
Just in the last two years the antique store owner had moved everything out and closed it up.
It was built in 1854 as a commercial property. The glass windows in the front used to be a porch area. It was built by Phillip Jacob Wiest who arrived in Gerrardstown in the year 1852. He had a few occupations as he was a farmer, a cabinet maker and an undertaker. It was like the stores that you see in old westerns and like on "Little House On The Prairie" with everything from groceries, equestrian things to fabrics.
Eventually Phillip's son, John, took over running the grocery store part and then later the entire business His father continued the undertaking business and made caskets in a building on the back of the property.
This store was operational for 124 years. Records showed that they used a bartering system for those who needed caskets to bury their loved ones.
My husband and I were in that building a few years ago when it was an antique shop. The floors were wooden, not like the kind or feel like they are today. There was a large staircase that in the back of the building. I definitely took you back in time as you walked around the building.


Sources and Other Related Information
"The Berkeley Journal" that was written in 1991 by the Berkeley County Historical Society.
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© Debra K. Allen a.k.a Lady Guinevere

I researched and wrote this article. Please do not copy and paste any part of this article, picture included for your own use. I will find you and report you for stealing. It is my right to change any information therein at any time and/or change the location of my article.