Blandford Church

I LOVE, and I repeat. LOVE old cemeteries. One of the best I have ever been to is Blandford church in Petersburg VA.

Listed as one of the top ten most haunted cemeteries in the country. There are reports of running pursuits through the grave lots, soldiers shooting from behind the cover of the headstones and other creepy stuff. My daughter and I took my grandson there last July (he had just turned two in May) and while walking around he told us he saw a "Papa". When asked where the man came from he walked over to a grave stone and laid his hands on it. Right there he said. This would be the first of many sightings that my grandson tells us about. Later that same day we were looking at some deer that were grazing in the back area. We had taken my grandson out of his car seat and let him stand next to us in the car (We were the only ones there and we were going about 3 miles an hour) He suddenly gasp and told us he saw a man. When asked where he all most crawled out the car window trying to point to the front bumper of the car. It really spooked my daughter and I. It was almost dark and we decided we better get out of there. It was just getting to creepy.

Later that night my grandson woke her up (he was sleeping in her bed at the time) and told her there was a papa in the room with them. She was really alarmed. She said she was afraid to look and told him to put the covers over his head and go to sleep. The next day we burned some sage and she didn't have any more problems with him sleeping. Could the ghost from the cemetary have followed her home?

Anyway I plan on taking a trip back there again soon. In the mean time enjoy the photos.





(The following information came from the Internet)



The cemetery adjacent to Blandford Church has been used as a burial ground since the early eighteenth century. The oldest marked grave dates from 1702. Among the more noted individuals buried within the cemetery is one foreigner, Major General William Phillips, British citizen and commander of the British troops during the April 25, 1781 "Battle of Petersburg." Phillips died on May 13, 1781 in Petersburg following a fever that was most likely malaria or typhus. A memorial stone, erected by the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1914, stands adjacent to Blandford Church, marking the general location of Phillips' secret burial, done at the direction of his deputy commander, Brigadier General Benedict Arnold. For more information on Petersburg's Revolutionary War history, follow the link on the left.



In June 1866, the first Memorial Day was celebrated in honor of the 30,000 Confederate soldiers buried on Memorial Hill inside the burial ground. For more information about Petersburg's Civil War history follow the link on the left.



The cemetery's gravestones, sculptures, and tombs represent a diverse array of eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth century styles of funerary art. In addition, some plots feature exquisite examples of nineteenth century decorative iron fences. A walking tour, highlighting some of the monuments and burial sites in close vicinity of the Church is incorporated into the Church tour, weather permitting. More extensive cemetery tours are offered throughout the year, including a Halloween evening tour on October 31. Check the Calendar for additional information.



Begin your tour of Historic Blandford Church and Cemetery at the Blandford Visitors' Reception Center, 111 Rochelle Lane, Petersburg, VA 23803, (804) 733-2396. The reception center features a display of artifacts associated with the history of the Cemetery and Church as well as a gift shop.