This is our house in Norfolk Virginia. Norfolk was established in 1619 by early American settlers. The area began to grow and eventually in 1907 the ground work was laid for the world's largest naval base.
This house was built in 1918.
Slavery can be traced back to the very beginnings of Virginia's history when it was still an English colony. It was embedded in the traditions and lives of these early settlers and continued to be until its abolition in the 1800's. Black domestic help and skilled laborers continued to work with white (now) employers and continued to be kept and treated separate even after the civil rights movement in the 1950's and 60's.
This post is not intended to be a history lesson...just to provide some background about the city and house we live in.
My book club is reading "The Help" for our book in April and I just devoured it! I loved it. This post will also not be a synopsis of the book or even a review...read the book yourself, it will change your life.
After reading and pondering on this book I was talking about it with Owen and we made some startling connections...
Facts-
-this very large house was built just as the Norfolk Naval base was opening and being staffed (we just live on the 1st floor)
-it is on one of the original and main streets in Norfolk, prime location for upper ranked military personnel, a mere mile and a half away
-it was designed during a time when black domestic help was common, and pretty much expected for any white family with money
And this brings me to my ghost story. Let me start by saying that Owen and I both feel a sort of sensitivity to spirits. You can laugh, its ok. Its not a sixth sense or anything, we just have both individually and jointly experienced situations...ok, we both have our ghost stories! When we first came to look at this house we felt good. It had a light feel to it and a positive vibe. (You can ask us sometime...our house in Springville did not!) So we moved forward and got settled in no problem...until we discovered the laundry room. It is a separate room outside of our main living area. It has its own door, is about 7 feet by 9 feet, all brick walls (now painted), has one small window and a small cubby of a toilet area. It had a MAJOR creepy feel to it! (Owen said a special prayer and now it doesn't) but what we realized is, that this room was quarters for live in domestic help. Check out the pictures below and see for yourself...
This is our house, it was once red brick but someone thought shingles would look nice...I beg to differ
You actually have to walk down into the room...not good enough to be on the same living level I guess.
Through that doorway is a toilet area 3 feet by 4 feet!
One window...this window was never updated...its ancient!
The original brick
When we first moved in I hated doing laundry. I wanted nothing to do with this room! Freaked me out, and the girls wouldn't go near it. It now has been (somewhat) painted and has no creepy vibe anymore. I can do laundry in peace :)
If you've read the book "The Help" I think you may find this interesting like I did. If not, you should read it and yes I believe in ghosts! My laundry room was haunted! I'd come back and haunt that room too if I was live in help and been treated the way some of the maids were in that book! I just hope if I had lived back then that I would have treated all people decently and with respect.
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