Gaffos House - Real Haunt in Portsmouth VA

During the mid-19th century, this historic home was used as a makeshift hospital by a doctor who was combating an outbreak of yellow fever in the region. One of his patients, the young daughter of a widower sea captain, stayed in the house’s attic until she eventually succumbed to her disease. Having now lost his wife and his daughter the captain was devastated; though he faithfully came to visit his sick child every day while she clung to life, he began spending as much time as possible out at sea after her passing. Still, every time he returned to port, the captain would go the home and stare longingly at the attic. Some years later, long after the captain had himself passed away, a family of three moved into the building. It was not long before the captain’s spirit began showing up to the home, perhaps triggered by the fact that the new occupants’ young daughter was around the same age as his own when she died. The girl was the first to encounter the ghost, hearing him open the front door and slowly clomp up the staircase to the attic, where the door would open and slam shut. This happened several nights in a row at first, but now occurs much more infrequently, as though the old captain is still on the schedule of his sea vessel.

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