The Haunting of Shepherdstown, Part Two | Guest Janet Hughes

The Grave Talks | Haunted, Paranormal & Supernatural

Ghost Stores, Haunted, Paranormal & Supernatural Stories

Science, Religion & Spirituality, Society & Culture, Personal Journals, Spirituality, Natural Sciences

4.6 • 2.2K Ratings

🗓️ 30 October 2025

⏱️ 23 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Shepherdstown, West Virginia, may be small, but its history runs deep — and dark. Founded in 1762 along the Potomac River, it’s one of the oldest towns in the state. On the surface, it’s full of charm — brick sidewalks, historic homes, and the quiet hum of university life. But behind the beauty lies centuries of turmoil.

Just three miles away, the Battle of Antietam became one of the bloodiest days in American history. When it ended, the wounded poured in by the thousands, turning every home, church, and business into a field hospital. Locals say the town was never the same — it seems that the ground itself remembers. Ghostly figures are seen near the riverbanks, whispers echo from the churchyards, and even Shepherd University has its share of unexplained encounters.

Janet Hughes, owner of Shepherdstown Mystery Walks, knows these stories better than anyone. Through her tours, she reveals the layers of tragedy, resilience, and lingering energy that make Shepherdstown one of the most haunted towns in West Virginia.

Is it history holding on—or something that refuses to let go? This is Part Two of our conversation.

Get more information about her walking tours, at shepherdstownmysterywalks.com.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Today on The Grave Talks, we continue our conversation about the haunting of Shepherds Town with Janet Hughes.
0:08.2	There is a museum inside the Antler Hotel?
0:14.1	Yes, the Antler Hotel itself is now a museum, the Antler Museum.
0:19.3	Oh, okay.
0:20.6	So there was a very, very famous duel in Virginia, and one of the young men, Peyton Smith,
0:29.0	was what was to be mortally wounded, and they brought his body across the river
0:35.5	and laid him out in the Entler Hotel, now the Entler Museum.
0:40.3	And he did die. He was reportedly said, Mama, mama, the whole time he died.
0:46.3	That's up on the second floor.
0:48.3	They're not quite sure which bedroom. They believe it's bedroom one, but the second floor of the Antler Museum is insane with activity.
0:58.1	The bed laid out in the same fashion as it was where he was supposed to have died.
1:04.4	Still has marks sometimes in the morning.
1:06.6	They will find where the bed sheets were like someone had laid there.
1:10.1	It's an insane amount of energy on the top floor of that museum.
1:14.9	Because when you think of hotel, you know, you think it's 35 rooms, but this would have
1:20.6	been a hotel built way back.
1:23.1	And so it's probably 10 rooms-ish, or how many do you think?
1:28.9	At the day, it was about between 6 and 10, and it was actually a long-term hotel for very,
1:34.4	very wealthy people.
1:35.5	There was one fire of Shepherds town.
1:38.6	It did not devastate all of our historical records, but there was a young girl who we don't know if she was playing
1:47.1	with a candle or playing with matches.
	...

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