The Five Types of Guests on a Ghost Tour by The Merrit's

Here are the top 5 types of guests we see on our ghost tours. Which type would you be? Let us know in the comments.

The Skeptic

This guest arrives with arms crossed and a scowl upon their face. Maybe they were dragged here by an enthusiastic family member or maybe they are doing someone a favor. For whatever reason, they are here and they are not happy about it. “I don’t believe in ghosts!,” they say. They groan every time the guide describes another ghost. What did they expect? This is a ghost tour, after all.

Photo by SHVETS production: https://www.pexels.com/photo/uncertain-black-man-in-hoodie-in-studio-6974936/

The Ghostbuster

EVP - check!

Divining rod - check!

Hired medium - check!

This guest is here to find indisputable proof of the paranormal. “Don’t cross the streams!, Ray”

Photo by Willian Justen de Vasconcellos on Unsplash

The Emotional One

This guest is shocked every time someone dies in one of our stories. Spoiler alert, they all die!

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-in-gray-tank-top-3812746/

The Precocious Kid

They seem to be too young for this kind of thing, but their parents said it was okay and their money is still good! May be tapped for a future in the ghost tour biz.

Image: Paramount Pictutes

An Actual Ghost

Who knows what will follow you home!

Photo by Kevin Escate on Unsplash

Trolley Follies By the Merritt's

One of the most elegant and convenient ways to travel our fair city is aboard the King Street Trolley, which transports passengers from King Street Metrorail Station to the Market Square where we begin our tours. These environmentally friendly, hybrid vehicles are a throwback to the original. Alexandria’s original trolley system ran from 1892 to 1932, transporting countless locals and tourists alike.

This trolley system was a massive success, taking people from Alexandria all the way to Washington’s home, Mount Vernon. Tickets were five cents a pop, and by the early 1900s the trolley reached over one million passengers. This trolley car was a massive spectacle- all along Fairfax street, you would hear people excitedly calling out to announce the trains arrival, and business would often stop on King Street for everyone to take a look.

With the popularity of gas powered automobiles, trolley systems were run out of business. Eventually, the electric rails required to power the trolley cars would be paved over to create the George Washington Memorial Parkway. Workers discovered a portion of the original tacks while repairing a water main break on King Street in 2020.

Having this tangible peek into the past makes us wonder how the trolley riders at the turn of the century compare to the riders of today. Did they ever get distracted and forget to pull the bell cord at their stop? Were they likely to strike up a conversation with fellow riders about the news of the day? Were they captivated by the same local legends? Haunted by the same spirits?

It was surprising to learn that Victorians enjoyed a transportation system that ran on clean energy reaching from Mount Vernon to Washington DC. Its debut caused quite a hubbub. The crowd of excited spectators prevented it from running on time. Though popular, it was not without its flaws. Early on board heating systems were shoddy and the old trolley cars would occasionally stall out along their route.

But what a lot of people don’t know is that the trolley was responsible for a gruesome accident one cool autumn night on Royal Street. On our North Route tour, you can hear about both the accident’s victim, and the tale of how on foggy nights he still walks the streets of Old Town, following the path the trolley once took…

Sources:

https://www.dashbus.com/trolley/

https://edu.lva.virginia.gov/dbva/items/show/120

Alexandria Living Magazine

alxnow.com

A Warehouse on the Banks of the Potomac - By Sarah B.

John Fitzgerald was a former aide-de-camp to George Washington during the Revolutionary War. It’s unclear as to when John was born, however he projected leadership. He was elected to the House of Burgesses within a year of his arrival in Virginia, Colonel in the Continental Army, exposed a cabal against George Washington and gave early evidence against Benedict Arnold. He moved to Alexandria in 1779 after spending the winter at Valley Forge.

In September of 1778, John purchased with Valentine Peers the south side of the 200 block of King Street. The town trustees granted them the “sunken ground” on the south side of King, east of Lee Street. This building was John Fitzgerald’s Warehouse.

The first reference to the warehouse is to its loft by sailmaker Daniel McDougall in 1798. He informed the public of his move over the warehouse belonging to John Fitzgerald. His loft was on the south east corner of King and Union, where Starbucks is today.

Early warehouses here are simple one and a half story wooden structures. Raised four feet from the ground, their cribbing filled with sand and rubbish. The first and second floors served as a warehouse and salesroom, the top floor housed a sail loft that was 42 ft x 83 ft in length.

Wales Alley, now a 30 ft street, was a 50 ft wide pier serving vessels.

John Hunter was a shipbuilder born in Scotland and came to Alexandria about 1783, establishing Hunter’s Shipyard. His business was regarded as one of the most complete and private establishments. Most important exports were tobacco, Indian corn, wheat, and flour with imports of a variety of processed goods and manufactured items. Whether these two John’s knew each other is unclear from my research. Although it would not surprise me if they did cross paths given their businesses being right on the waterfront within the same time frame.

John Fitzgerald passed in 1799 preventing him from making significant use of the building. Before his death, deep in debt he deeded the warehouse in January of 1799 in trust to William and John Herbert of Burke and Herbert Bank. The bank is still in operation on the corner of King and South Fairfax.

A few years later in May of 1801 an ad for the warehouse appeared in the Alexandria Advertiser and Commerce Intelligencer. Two respected merchants John Dunlap and Thomas Irwin offered $14,750 for the building. After Dunlap’s death in 1806, it would then be known as Irwin’s Wharf and Warehouse. The Irwin family held the property for a number of years.

Today the Warehouse is home to Starbucks, The Old Town Shop and around the corner from Starbucks is Mai Thai. The once 50 fit pier is now an alley that provides a walkway to the waterfront and a space between the Old Town Shop and Virtue Feed and Grain. This author can be found in the shop and haunting the streets of Old Town.