Virginia’s Old House Woods, Part ll

Mathews

There are several legends connected to this 50-acre wood located in Mathews County near the Chesapeake Bay—the following is one of the oldest.

A fisherman by the name of Ben Feribee was fishing along Whites Creek in Old House Wood at night in the late 19^th century when he was shocked to see a large ship floating above the surface of the water.

Feribee saw what he described as a “full-fledged ship in the bay.” He saw this huge ship come right toward him, “with lights at every masthead and spar . . . “

“Just as I thought she would strike me the helmsman put her hard a port and she passed so close that I was almost swamped by the wash.”

Ghost pirate ship.

He later told a local newspaper reporter in 1926, “that after the ship passed, he heard beautiful music playing.”

Feribee continued, “I could see the ship hanging over Old House Woods, just as though she were anchored in the sea. And running down to the woods was a rope ladder, lined with forms of men carrying tools and other contraptions.”

Since several witnesses have stated, they saw this phantom ship. Here is just one recent eyewitness account.

Road leading into
Old House Woods.

I grew up in Mathews and the summer I turned 13 years old I saw Old House Wood’s phantom ship.

One night I was with my parents as we drove to a house just on the other side of the woods—in an area behind what the locals call Shagtail.

My parents went inside to check on an elderly couple my mother took care of, I remained in the car.

It had been about fifteen minutes when I looked to the right in an area near the woods. I saw an old ship coming in from the Chesapeake Bay.

I was stunned for it was floating fifty feet above the water. I watched as it hovered over Shagtail, which today is eroded away, and then up on the beach.

This ship came to a stop between the shore and the wood line. It was not close to me, but I still remember vivid details.

It was made of wood, with three masts. There were two short masts and one tall one. The ship was huge. I saw a lot of ropes, but the sails were not up.

A gray fog moved in with the ship. I was so scared I did not leave the car to join my parents inside. Instead, I locked all the doors.

As I watched for five to ten more minutes in disbelief, I saw the fog grow thicker and then the ship just faded away.

When my parents returned I told them what I had seen. They didn’t believe me. But I talked about this ship for years afterward—so my parents began to wonder if I did see something since it had such an impact on me.

When I was sixteen years old my mother showed me an old book with stories about Old House Woods being haunted.

On one page were several eyewitness accounts about seeing the phantom ship. The descriptions in these accounts were similar to what I had seen.

I am thirty-three years old now and no longer live in Mathews, but if I visit I will never return to those woods at night.

Old House Woods is privately owned today. Many thrill-seekers have damaged this property, so the owner requests people to show respect and do not trespass.

In Part l of Virginia’s Old House Woods, various legends about lost treasure in this forest are shared.

Virginia’s Old House Woods, Part l

Town of Mathews

One of Virginia’s most haunted places is in Mathews County. Old House Woods is a 50-acre pine forest with marshlands, located in the Tidewater area of Chesapeake Bay.

Old House Woods got its name from an old house that once stood in the center of this forest—it has since burned to the ground.

This area was an active port before and during the Revolutionary War. There are many stories and legends connected to this area, including lost treasure, and an unusual phantom ship.

This forest lends itself to these kinds of tales because it is densely wooded, which does not allow much light at night. The trees are so tall the moon and stars can not be seen.

Old House Woods

For over 200 years tales of pirate and British lost treasures have been told.

Pirate's Loot

One early legend is about a band of pirates who buried their treasure on the banks of Whites Creek intending to return. But when they left to acquire more loot, their ship was lost in a storm.

This legend is connected to the phantom ship that is seen around Whites Creek, which is in Part ll of this post.

Another legend about buried treasure involves England’s King Charles ll. It is said he sent chests of treasure to Jamestown following the battle of Worcester in 1651.

He wanted a treasure in safekeeping in case he had to flee the country and go into exile.

Unfortunately, the crew in charge of this treasure encountered a storm, and they headed up the wrong creek—they ended up at Whites Creek. As they unloaded this treasure, bandits attacked them.

These robbers got away with some of the treasure, and the rest was buried in the woods. 

These besieged men intended to return to retrieve the buried treasure, but their ship capsized in a storm.

When they returned to England to give the King the news of what happened, they were put to death.

Yet another treasure story told about Old House Woods happened in 1781. It is said a large amount of gold and silver coins and jewelry were buried in large canons near a graveyard near Willow Creek.

This treasure was said to be patriot plunder left by soldiers, under the command of General Cornwallis, they were eventually captured and not allowed to return to the area.

In Part ll of Virginia’s Old House Woods, a popular tale about a phantom ship seen above this forest is told.