Hollywood Cemetery is one of Richmond’s most historic areas. | Photo by RICtoday
Richmond’s been through a fair share of the spooky. Whether you believe them or not, stories about mysterious graveyard dwellers and bizarre non-dogs on doorsteps have been haunting the River City for over a hundred years.
Richmond’s most famous undead dweller is the Richmond Vampire. After several decades shrouded in hearsay and mystery, the creature appeared in print in the Commonwealth Times in 1976. The Times reported that W.W. Pool, a local bookkeeper who died in 1922, was “alleged to be a vampire.”
Legend has it that the vampire disappeared into W.W. Pool’s mausoleum.
Photo by RICtoday
The article goes on to explain that the vampire is said to have escaped the tragic Church Hill tunnel collapse in October 1925. After the incident, which killed multiple railroad workers who were trapped inside, eyewitnesses reported seeing a bloodied man with jagged teeth emerge and flee from the scene. He was chased, but disappeared into the mausoleum of W.W. Pool.
Doubters say this was actually Benjamin Mosby, a 28-year-old man who was inside the tunnel when it collapsed. Mosby made it out of the wreckage, disoriented and in shock, and sprinted for the river before being taken to the Grace Street Hospital. Mosby would soon die of his injuries and be buried in — you guessed it — Hollywood Cemetery.
Elmer the cryptid, or a mother opossum with her joeys? Green glowing eyes added for reference.
Photo by Specialjake
Richmond also has a more benevolent cryptid named Elmer.
In the summer of 1935, Georjie Douglass answered a tapping at her door to find a beast about the size of a raccoon with webbed feet, a bulldog face, and green glowing eyes. She dubbed the creature Elmer, and in the weeks that followed it became a local sensation. Nightly search parties grew as large as 2,000 strong, and the headlines proclaimed a “weird mystery here.”
Elmer was eventually found to be a family of opossums, but some still swore to have seen the green-eyed creature.
So take a walk through Hollywood Cemetery this week, or listen for a tapping at your door. A piece of Richmond’s paranormal history could be anywhere.
Events
Events
Wednesday, Oct. 30
Garden Glow | Wednesday, Oct. 30-Sunday, Nov. 10 | Times vary | Maymont | $12+ | Take in the gardens, transformed by color and lighting effects, and explore the Glow Village and light installations by international artists.
Show Me The Body | 6:30 p.m. | Canal Club | $30 | The lineup for this post-hardcore night includes Zelooperz, BIB, and Black Noi$e.
Thursday, Oct. 31
Halloween Bash | 7-11:59 p.m. | Bandito’s Burrito Lounge | $10 | Rock out all night long with Weekend Plans, Gabby’s World, For What It’s Worth, and Taylor Keith.
The Soul Rebels | 7:30 p.m. | Modlin Center for the Arts – Camp Concert Hall | $10+ | Get there early for a pre-concert artist talk at 6:30, then enjoy an eclectic live performance from the brass band.
Friday, Nov. 1
Friends of the Library Book Sale | Friday, Nov. 1-Sunday, Nov. 3 | Times vary | RPL Main Branch | Free entry | Pick up a gently-used book and support RPL programming.
“The Nightmare Before Christmas” | 7 p.m. | The Byrd Theatre | $9 | What’s this? It’s a screening of the beloved musical directed by Henry Selick.
Saturday, Nov. 2
NCAA Cross Country Atlantic 10 Championships | 10 a.m.-1 p.m. | Pole Green Park, Mechanicsville | Free | Athletes from across the A10, including UR, VCU, and George Mason, will compete in this year’s conference championships.
Friday, Nov. 8
Third Anniversary Celebration of The Virginia Wine Experience | Friday, Nov. 8-Saturday, Nov. 9 | 3:30-9 p.m. | The Omni Homestead Resort | Enjoy an intimate four-course dinner with six top vintners, a Norton wine master class, vertical tastings with Jim Law, and more.*
3 ways the Virginia Lottery invests in public education
Presented by a RICtoday Partner
Virginia Lottery employees contributed nearly 1,000 volunteer hours in the 2024 fiscal year through their outreach program. | Photo provided by the Virginia Lottery
Did you know? Buying a Virginia Lottery ticket is a direct investment in our community.
Here are three ways the Lottery provides resources for the state’s public schools:
K-12 programs: In 2024, $934 million from the lottery went to Virginia public schools.
Thank a Teacher: Since 2016, the Lottery has distributed more than 200,000 thank you cards to teachers statewide.
Made in Virginia: Four schools received $9,000 and school supplies from this 2018 campaign.
A bakery pop-up is opening a permanent location in the Museum District. B-Side Bakehouse is moving into the Sheppard Street storefront which was once home to Atelier Owens. It plans to open tomorrow, Oct. 31, and then have a larger grand opening in early November. (Richmond BizSense)
Community
Henrico is ready to welcome players to its new pickleball complex at Pouncey Tract Park. The grand opening ceremony and “first serve” will take place this Saturday, Nov. 2 at 10 a.m.
Civic
Do you own a home with lead pipes? The city wants to help you replace them. Look up your home on this map. If it is marked “Unknown” on the customer-owned side, you can take a survey to give the city more information about service line materials and see about replacing them.
Number
$23 million. That’s how much Virginia will receive in grants from the Federal Railroad Administration. A portion of the funds will go towards accessibility improvements at the Staples Mill Road Amtrak station. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Pets
Today is National Treat Your Pet Day — although let’s be honest, that’s basically every day. Take your pup out on the town with the help of our local dog-friendly businesses guide.
Featured
Your business… in our newsletter… in as little as two days. Make it happen.
Try This
Instead of spending too much on Halloween costumes and decor, consider shopping at your local Goodwill. We recently went thrifting and left with four popular costumes. Check them out.*
Finance
Rates just dropped — now could be the time to tap into your home equity. Calculate your payment.*
🚗 Get in, reader: We’re getting up to half-off AAA Membership
Presented by AAA
Experience the peace of mind that comes with AAA Membership for up to 50% off. | Photo provided by AAA
Calling all commuters, day-trippers, or those who simply think the leisurely drive is the destination: For a limited time, save up to 50% on a AAA Membership — and add an additional driver for free or a discounted rate.
From flat tires and dead batteries to towing, feel secure on your road trips with access to AAA Roadside Assistance 24/7/365.
Bonus: Members also save on flights, hotels, rental cars, cruises, and more with AAA Travel.
A great deal for the holidays ahead — get 18 bottles of wine for $79 plus shipping. Choose from red, white, or a variety pack of red, white, and rosé. Hello, stocked bar for holiday hosting season.
I enjoyed reading this Sunday Story in Style Weekly about local poet Mathias Svalina, who says he’ll “point to buildings and lie about them for 90 minutes” on his new surrealist walking tours.
