It doesn’t seem too much of a stretch of logic to assume abandoned towns are abandoned for a reason. If a whole town decided to leave, then why would anyone ever want to come back? This isn’t always the case, as economic turmoil or other hardships can drive people to new locations, but there’s one ghost town in Virginia that most people haven’t inhabited for years, and that’s mostly because of its tragic history and harsh conditions. The former town of Wash Woods is currently part of False Cape State Park, and yet the plot of land where the buildings are deteriorating is undeniably haunting. Are you brave enough to explore the creepiest abandoned town in Virginia?
The story behind Wash Woods reads something like folklore, although all of the details are true.
Lago Mar/Wikipedia The community was established under the most unlikely of terms: a shipwreck along the Atlantic. While the time frame is not certain, it is believed this wreck happened as early as the 16th century.
Surviving passengers repurposed the cypress wood that washed ashore after the wreck for building some of the town’s earliest structures, including the church.
Lago Mar/Wikipedia The foundations for this community were strong, as the town survived well into the turn of the 20th century. At one point, Wash Woods housed a United States Coast Guard station, a grocery store, a school, and two churches. More than 300 people called this coastal site home, working as farmers, fishermen, hunting guides, and more.
One of the promising points about Wash Woods was the quality of soil found there.
Virginia State Parks Follow/Flickr The pristine, coastal location made for rich soil where crops could thrive. In addition to fish and crabs nearby, berries and waterfowl provided plenty of nutrition and opportunity for prosper.
So what is it about Wash Woods that makes it such a heavy place to visit?
Virginia State Parks/Flickr Despite the fact that this town eventually thrived, there’s no escaping the fact that it was a shipwreck that set the community in place. In fact, the town had no roads leading in or out, promoting the idea of further isolation and despair undoubtedly felt by its first residents.
In addition to the feeling of being stranded, there was a literal chill in the air from the Atlantic’s harsh winds.
Virginia State Parks/Flickr Storms were a constant threat, causing waves of saltwater to interrupt much of the farming. This, in fact, is why the name “Wash Woods” was chosen. By 1920s, most of the town had evacuated and the Hurricane of 1933 essentially cleared out the town.
Remains of this structure can still be seen today, as the site happens to be located at the very popular False Cape State Park.
Virginia State Parks/Flickr Most haunting are the graveyards and church steeple left behind. Anyone interested in seeing this site faces limited access to one of the most southeastern locations of Virginia. The two access points are through the National Wildlife Refuge or North Carolina’s Outer Banks shores.
Have you made the journey to False Cape State Park, the creepiest abandoned town in Virginia, before? Be sure to share your experience at this eerie ghost town!
Lago Mar/Wikipedia
The community was established under the most unlikely of terms: a shipwreck along the Atlantic. While the time frame is not certain, it is believed this wreck happened as early as the 16th century.
The foundations for this community were strong, as the town survived well into the turn of the 20th century. At one point, Wash Woods housed a United States Coast Guard station, a grocery store, a school, and two churches. More than 300 people called this coastal site home, working as farmers, fishermen, hunting guides, and more.
Virginia State Parks Follow/Flickr
The pristine, coastal location made for rich soil where crops could thrive. In addition to fish and crabs nearby, berries and waterfowl provided plenty of nutrition and opportunity for prosper.
Virginia State Parks/Flickr
Despite the fact that this town eventually thrived, there’s no escaping the fact that it was a shipwreck that set the community in place. In fact, the town had no roads leading in or out, promoting the idea of further isolation and despair undoubtedly felt by its first residents.
Storms were a constant threat, causing waves of saltwater to interrupt much of the farming. This, in fact, is why the name “Wash Woods” was chosen. By 1920s, most of the town had evacuated and the Hurricane of 1933 essentially cleared out the town.
Most haunting are the graveyards and church steeple left behind. Anyone interested in seeing this site faces limited access to one of the most southeastern locations of Virginia. The two access points are through the National Wildlife Refuge or North Carolina’s Outer Banks shores.
For more information on creepy abandoned places and ghost towns in Virginia, be sure to read this article: These 7 Ghost Towns That Are Hauntingly Beautiful.
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.
Address: False Cape State Park, 4001 Sandpiper Rd, Virginia Beach, VA 23456, USA
The OIYS Visitor Center
Abandoned Town in Virginia October 26, 2021 Tori Jane What are some haunted places in Virginia? With as much history as is packed into Virginia’s past, it’s no surprise that there are plenty of places said to be haunted. It’s an old state with ghosts dating back to Colonial days and before, and if you know where to go, you’re sure to experience at least something. Some of the most well-known and infamously haunted places in Virginia include Bacon’s Castle, in Surry, Crawford Road, in Yorktown, the Staunton Train Depot in the town of the same name, and so many more. Some cities and towns are definitely a little more haunted than the others; Williamsburg is one of those places that tends to come up again and again in lists of haunted places! There are also some interesting, haunted battlefields, like Cold Harbor Battlefield in Mechanicsville, and the Graffiti House in Brandy Station. Are there any interesting, abandoned places in Virginia? There are. Lovers of urban decay, rejoice! There are several super-interesting abandoned places scattered throughout Virginia. In Wise, there’s the old County Orphanage, whose past is as dark as its status as an orphanage insinuates. In Staunton, there’s the Western State Lunatic Asylum, which is technically no longer “abandoned” - it’s been renovated and turned into a boutique hotel (though the ghosts are said to have remained). It originally opened in 1828 and was about as dark and cruel as you’d imagine a place literally called a “lunatic asylum” would be. If you like ghost towns, you might want to check out Pamplin, a whole abandoned town with a spooky, empty main street and lots of interesting, dilapidated buildings. In Chesterfield, you can find a whole abandoned mall – said to be the site of several murders in the 1990s, it’s about as creepy as you can imagine. For more of our favorite abandoned (and un-abandoned!) places in Virginia, check this article out!
The OIYS Visitor Center
Abandoned Town in Virginia
October 26, 2021
Tori Jane
What are some haunted places in Virginia? With as much history as is packed into Virginia’s past, it’s no surprise that there are plenty of places said to be haunted. It’s an old state with ghosts dating back to Colonial days and before, and if you know where to go, you’re sure to experience at least something. Some of the most well-known and infamously haunted places in Virginia include Bacon’s Castle, in Surry, Crawford Road, in Yorktown, the Staunton Train Depot in the town of the same name, and so many more. Some cities and towns are definitely a little more haunted than the others; Williamsburg is one of those places that tends to come up again and again in lists of haunted places! There are also some interesting, haunted battlefields, like Cold Harbor Battlefield in Mechanicsville, and the Graffiti House in Brandy Station. Are there any interesting, abandoned places in Virginia? There are. Lovers of urban decay, rejoice! There are several super-interesting abandoned places scattered throughout Virginia. In Wise, there’s the old County Orphanage, whose past is as dark as its status as an orphanage insinuates. In Staunton, there’s the Western State Lunatic Asylum, which is technically no longer “abandoned” - it’s been renovated and turned into a boutique hotel (though the ghosts are said to have remained). It originally opened in 1828 and was about as dark and cruel as you’d imagine a place literally called a “lunatic asylum” would be. If you like ghost towns, you might want to check out Pamplin, a whole abandoned town with a spooky, empty main street and lots of interesting, dilapidated buildings. In Chesterfield, you can find a whole abandoned mall – said to be the site of several murders in the 1990s, it’s about as creepy as you can imagine. For more of our favorite abandoned (and un-abandoned!) places in Virginia, check this article out!
The OIYS Visitor Center
The OIYS Visitor Center
With as much history as is packed into Virginia’s past, it’s no surprise that there are plenty of places said to be haunted. It’s an old state with ghosts dating back to Colonial days and before, and if you know where to go, you’re sure to experience at least something. Some of the most well-known and infamously haunted places in Virginia include Bacon’s Castle, in Surry, Crawford Road, in Yorktown, the Staunton Train Depot in the town of the same name, and so many more. Some cities and towns are definitely a little more haunted than the others; Williamsburg is one of those places that tends to come up again and again in lists of haunted places! There are also some interesting, haunted battlefields, like Cold Harbor Battlefield in Mechanicsville, and the Graffiti House in Brandy Station.
Are there any interesting, abandoned places in Virginia?
There are. Lovers of urban decay, rejoice! There are several super-interesting abandoned places scattered throughout Virginia. In Wise, there’s the old County Orphanage, whose past is as dark as its status as an orphanage insinuates. In Staunton, there’s the Western State Lunatic Asylum, which is technically no longer “abandoned” - it’s been renovated and turned into a boutique hotel (though the ghosts are said to have remained). It originally opened in 1828 and was about as dark and cruel as you’d imagine a place literally called a “lunatic asylum” would be. If you like ghost towns, you might want to check out Pamplin, a whole abandoned town with a spooky, empty main street and lots of interesting, dilapidated buildings. In Chesterfield, you can find a whole abandoned mall – said to be the site of several murders in the 1990s, it’s about as creepy as you can imagine. For more of our favorite abandoned (and un-abandoned!) places in Virginia, check this article out!
