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Bacon's Castle is Virginia's oldest documented site

A new index ranks places by published accounts, not legend

September 30, 2026

With Halloween approaching, Bacon's Castle in Surry is Virginia's oldest documented site in HauntBound's 2026 index of the state's most haunted places. The index ranks 163 Virginia sites by separate published accounts and how far back they go, not by fame or search popularity.

Arthur Allen completed the brick house in Surry County in 1665, giving America its oldest documented brick dwelling and the sole surviving example of high Jacobean architecture in the Western Hemisphere. In September 1676, rebels loyal to Nathaniel Bacon seized the home and held it for months during Bacon's Rebellion, though Bacon himself never set foot inside before his death that October. Preservation Virginia has owned the property since 1972.

The best-documented phenomenon is a ghost light: witnesses describe a fireball that appears near the stair tower, crosses the fields toward the ruins of Lawnes Creek Church, then reverses course and vanishes. Visitors and interpreters have also described a translucent figure ascending the staircase before vanishing, and the Center for Paranormal Research and Investigation has recorded cold spots on the upper floors.

Statewide, St Albans Sanatorium in Radford ranks #1.

"We rank by evidence, not legend: independent published accounts, documented history, and how far back the reports go. We don't claim ghosts are real, or that they aren't. We document where the reports concentrate, and we show our work," said Ben Fineman, editor of HauntBound. The ranking shows each site's documented record.

Visiting:Bacon's Castle, 465 Bacons Castle Trail, Surry, offers weekend daytime tours from March through December and evening Haunted History Tours on select dates; general admission is $20 for adults, $15 for Preservation Virginia members.

For media:The full ranking: https://hauntbound.com/most-haunted/virginia/The fact sheet, with cleared images: https://hauntbound.com/press/fact-sheets/virginia/Venue contact: preservationvirginia.orgA short version follows.

HauntBound (hauntbound.com) is a family-friendly field guide to more than 6,000 documented haunted and historic places across the United States, ranked by published evidence rather than legend. No venue pays to be listed or ranked.

Media contact: Ben Fineman, Editor, HauntBound, editor@hauntbound.com

Short version

SHORT VERSION

Bacon's Castle named Virginia's oldest documented haunted site

Bacon's Castle in Surry is Virginia's oldest documented haunted site in HauntBound's 2026 index, which ranks sites by separate published accounts rather than fame. Arthur Allen completed the brick house in 1665, and it is the country's oldest documented brick dwelling and the sole surviving example of high Jacobean architecture in the Western Hemisphere. Witnesses have long described a ghost light crossing the fields toward the ruins of Lawnes Creek Church, and visitors have reported a translucent figure ascending the staircase. The house museum offers tours from March through December.

Full ranking: https://hauntbound.com/most-haunted/virginia/