The Hauntings at Gadsby's Tavern

Before and during the Revolutionary War, taverns like this one served as the nerve centers of the independence movement. Secret meetings were held in private rooms, intelligence was passed between patriot spies, and the ideals of liberty were debated over tankards of ale.

Alexandria's strategic location on the Potomac River made it essential to the war effort. Troops were quartered in and around the tavern, and wounded soldiers were treated in its rooms. The suffering and death that occurred within these walls during the Revolutionary period laid the groundwork for the paranormal activity that would follow.

John Gadsby was a shrewd businessman who understood that the wealthy and powerful required accommodations befitting their status. He imported fine furnishings from England, hired the best cooks, and ensured that his establishment offered amenities unavailable elsewhere in the region.

The ballroom he created became legendary. With its musicians' gallery, elegant windows, and spacious dance floor, it hosted the most important social events in Virginia. When Gadsby eventually moved his operations to Washington, D.C., the tavern's golden age came to an end, but its ghosts remained behind.

Dr. John Colvin attended to the dying woman for weeks, but her condition only worsened. Throughout her illness, the man who accompanied her never left her side, and he continued to insist that no one inquire about their identities.

When the woman finally succumbed to her illness - some say consumption, others suspect poison - her companion made arrangements that only deepened the mystery. He ordered an elaborate tombstone for St. Paul's Cemetery that read simply:

"To the Memory of a Female Stranger whose mortal sufferings terminated on the 14th day of October 1816, Aged 23 years and 8 months. This stone is placed here by her disconsolate Husband in whose arms she sighed out her latest breath and who under God did his utmost even to soothe the cold dead ear of death."

The man paid all debts, swore the doctor and tavern staff to secrecy, and disappeared, never to be seen again. To this day, no one knows who the Female Stranger was, where she came from, or why her identity had to remain hidden.

Over two centuries, countless theories have emerged. Some believe she was Theodosia Burr, the daughter of Aaron Burr, who supposedly died at sea in 1813. Others suggest she was a British noblewoman fleeing scandal, or the mistress of a powerful man who could never acknowledge her publicly.

The most romantic theory holds that she was the secret wife of a man already married, and that revealing her identity would have destroyed him socially and politically. Whatever the truth, the Female Stranger took her secrets to the grave - but she didn't stay there.

Staff members at Gadsby's Tavern have reported encounters with the Female Stranger for generations. She is most often seen in and around Room 8, where she spent her final weeks. Witnesses describe a woman in period dress, her face pale and drawn, who appears at the window or beside the bed before vanishing.

Ghost City Tours staff have spoken with current employees who report cold spots that appear suddenly in Room 8, regardless of the season. One server told us about a night when the candles in the room flickered out simultaneously, only to relight themselves moments later. Another described the sensation of being watched while cleaning the room, turning to find no one there but catching a glimpse of a white figure in the mirror.

Visitors have reported smelling rose perfume in the hallways, hearing the rustle of silk skirts, and feeling an overwhelming sense of sadness near the Female Stranger's former room. Some have captured strange mists and orbs in photographs, while others have recorded unexplained voices on audio equipment.

Multiple witnesses have reported seeing men in Continental Army uniforms in the tavern, particularly in the basement and cellar areas. These apparitions are believed to be soldiers who either died here during the war or who remain attached to a place where they experienced significant moments in their lives.

One Ghost City Tours guide spoke with a museum docent who described an encounter in the basement. She was closing up for the night when she heard boot steps on the floor above. Assuming a visitor had been left behind, she went upstairs to investigate. The footsteps continued, always one room ahead of her, until they led to a wall where they simply stopped. There was no one there.

The historic ballroom, where Washington himself once danced, is said to be haunted by the sounds of a party that never ends. Late at night, staff members have reported hearing faint music - violins and a harpsichord - drifting down from the ballroom. When they investigate, they find the room empty and silent.

One restaurant manager told our team that he's heard what sounds like a full ball in progress: music, laughter, and the shuffle of dancing feet. But the moment he opens the ballroom door, silence falls. 'It's like they know I'm coming,' he said. 'They go quiet the instant I reach for the handle.'

Some believe that John Gadsby, the man who made this tavern famous, has never truly left. Staff members have reported seeing a distinguished gentleman in 18th-century attire walking through the establishment, seeming to inspect the premises. When approached, he vanishes.

A local historian who has studied the tavern for decades told Ghost City Tours that Gadsby was known for his meticulous attention to detail and his constant presence in the tavern. 'It would be completely in character for him to still be checking on things,' she said. 'He built this place into something legendary. Why would he ever leave it?'