ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

WRITING A BOOK IS MUCH LESS of a solo activity than people might think — as is ghosthunting under ideal conditions — and there are a number of people I would like to thank for efforts that range from routine to extraordinary.

Foremost among the people who deserve recognition is my wife, Diane, who accompanied me for much of the fieldwork and whose moral and logistical support made the completion of this book possible —and she deserves credit for guarding the car at a great number of the possibly haunted sites that I investigated. She also played a big part in compiling the information for the “Visiting Haunted Sites” section at the end of this book.

Just as important to this endeavor was my father, Michael H. Varhola, whose greatest contribution to this book was serving as primary author for two of its chapters, the ones on Fort Monroe in Hampton, Virginia, and the Stephen Decatur House in Washington, D.C. He also accompanied me on the excursion for one of the other chapters and provided useful guidance on a number of others.

Special thanks are due to the people who accompanied me on the field trips to the various sites described in this book. These include my mother Merrilea, my friends Geoff Weber and Jason Froehlich, my daughters Lindsey and Hayley, and my grandparents James and Valerie Beall.

Heartfelt thanks are also due to the people who extended their hospitality to us during the travel required for this book. These new friends include Jerry Prewitt of the 1848 Island Manor House on Chincoteague Island, Debby Johnson and Richie Oram of the Fuller House Inn in Winchester, and Ron and Deena McKinney of the Volunteer Gap Inn and Cabins in Fancy Gap.

I would also like to thank all the people — both those named in the various chapters of this book and those who for whatever reasons are unnamed — who took the time to speak with me about the sites described in this book and to show me around, such as Paul Carbé of Gadsby’s Tavern; Beth Cardinale of the Weems-Botts Museum; Tina Carlson of The Shadowlands; Col. Keith Gibson and Cadet Dominique Baker of Virginia Military Institute; Roger Hawthorne of the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce; Dale Kaczmarek of the Ghost Research Society; Katherine Kiss of Guinevere’s Antique Shop; Robert M.W. Kocovsky of the Exchange Hotel Civil War Hospital Museum; Judge Oliver A. Pollard Jr. of the Trapezium House; Courtney Prebich and Henry Ward of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority; Fairfax County Police Officer Kathryn Schroth; Chris Semtner of the Edgar Allan Poe Museum; David Smith of the Village Square Restaurant; Joel Smith of the Cork Street Tavern; Terri Vanderlaan of Virginia Paranormal; Colie Walker of Danville, Virginia; Laurel Wilkerson of the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge; and Peter Yonka of the Barter Theatre.

Two other people who deserve my thanks are authors Joe Tennis and John Amrhein Jr., whose books helped me while working on various parts of this project, and both of whom very generously provided me with useful information.

People beyond those mentioned above who are due thanks include Robert Harvey and a number of librarians of the Fairfax County Public Library system, especially those working in the Virginia Room at the City of Fairfax Regional Library.

Last but certainly not least are two people who have been of immeasurable help with this project, my editors Jack Heffron and John Kachuba, both of whom have provided me with invaluable guidance and feedback throughout its course.

Finally, I would like to beg the forgiveness of anyone I have neglected to mention here! Your help is no less appreciated because of this oversight.