HauntBound archive · catalog record
Reported phenomena, as catalogued
Built between 1848 and 1853 for Harrisonburg's first mayor, this Civil War headquarters now hosts visitor services — and reports of Isaac Hardesty's apparition in the upstairs conference room.
212 South Main Street, Harrisonburg, VA 22801
Research updated September 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
Free
Free admission as a public visitor center; Valley Turnpike Museum and Civil War Orientation Center inside
Access
Wheelchair OK
Historic building with visitor center accessibility accommodations
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1848 · Harrisonburg's First Mayor Residence · Union Army Civil War Headquarters · Virginia State Certified Visitor Center
The property at 212 South Main Street has a construction history split between two owners. Physician Henry Higgins broke ground in 1848; Isaac Hardesty, an apothecary and successful merchant who would become the city's first mayor when Harrisonburg was officially incorporated on March 16, 1849, completed the house by 1853. Hardesty lived there with his wife Ann and two children.
When Union forces occupied Harrisonburg in 1862, Hardesty — a Union supporter — had already relocated. General Nathaniel Banks used the house as his military headquarters during that occupation. Two years later, as General Philip Sheridan's army moved through in 1864, the Strayer sisters who then held the property hosted Sheridan himself there.
In the early 20th century the building became home to Virginia Craftsman, a furniture manufacturer that operated from the premises from the 1920s into the 1980s. The City of Harrisonburg purchased the property in 2001 using federal grants totaling $595,000 and converted it into a multi-use facility serving as a Virginia State Certified Regional Visitor Center. It now houses the Valley Turnpike Museum, the Civil War Orientation Center, the Rocktown Gift Shoppe, and Heritage Bakery and Café.
Sources
The Hardesty-Higgins House appears in WHSV's coverage of Harrisonburg's haunted locations, with tour guide accounts describing two recurring phenomena: the apparition of Isaac Hardesty himself in the upstairs conference room, and attic lights that have reportedly turned on after the building was locked and secured for the night.
A WHSV news segment on haunted Harrisonburg noted that "some say you can see the ghost of Isaac Hardesty in the conference room" — a claim attributed to staff and guides rather than independent investigators. Tour guide Lisa Ha, who leads ghost tours through downtown Harrisonburg, confirmed the house appears on the circuit, noting that visitors have reported experiencing paranormal activity during tours, though specifics are rarely shared until much later.
The building's Civil War history — as headquarters for two Union generals during the occupation of a Confederate-leaning city — provides historical texture for the haunting claims, though the reported apparition is specifically of the home's original civilian owner rather than any military figure.
Notable Entities
Free public museum inside the Hardesty-Higgins House covering the Valley Turnpike and Civil War history of the Shenandoah Valley. The building itself served as Union Army headquarters for Generals Banks and Sheridan.
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