Mystery & Macabre: Occoquan Walking Tour

Tour Description

WALKING DISTANCE: 1 MILE Take a stroll back in time with tour guide Nathaniel Lee as we delve into the shocking tales behind these picturesque houses. The walking loop is less than one mile in length around the historic district. This quaint little town on the Occoquan River is said to have many ghosts. Many are drawn to the old Occoquan Inn built in 1810, as it has a bit of a sordid history. It’s said to be haunted by a Native American man, the last of the local Doeg tribe, who was enamored with the innkeeper’s wife. The husband shot and killed the man when he saw him sneaking down the stairs one night. The man’s ghost has been seen in the mirror behind women in the restroom but disappears as soon as they turn around. Store owners have reported having their merchandise strewn around their stores as well. In the Loft art gallery, witnesses have reported a painting flying off the wall, a glowing mist floating through the gallery, phantom footsteps and creaking doors that close by themselves. Come along and hear more about these paranormal tales and perhaps learn a little about the history of the people that built Occoquan into this small but vibrant riverfront town. Over the years, the town has survived and thrived. Today, it is a restored artists' community, with shops, outdoor dining, ghost walks, a town boat dock and more. A number of structures in town, including many in the downtown commercial area, are part of the Occoquan Historic District listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Rockledge, the former house of the town's founder, is also listed as a significant structure on the NRHP. Occoquan is derived from an Algonquian Doeg Indian word, meaning "at the end of the water". Located on the Occoquan River, Occoquan was long a site of indigenous peoples' habitation that relied on the river for transportation and trade, as well as fish. By 1765, Anglo-American colonists had established an industrial settlement at Occoquan, with grist mills and tobacco warehouses. The Merchant's Mill was the first automated grist mill in the nation. It operated for 175 years until destroyed by fire. Battles occurred in the streets of the town and on the river during the American Civil War. In 1910, The District of Columbia Workhouse (Lorton Prison) was established. The first prisoners walked through town to tents on the workhouse property across the river. Prisoners were put to work building their own dormitories brick by brick.