Disturbing graves can cause restless spirits.

A grumpy master of the house still carries a grudge.

Another male spirit who is terribly disappointed finds some peace inside.

DESCRIPTION

This is a 1784 three and a half story semi-detached Colonial townhouse that shares a wall with the townhouse on the right. It is classified as a 4,077 sq. ft. single family home, currently worth around two million, three hundred and fifty thousand dollars. It has eight rooms, four bedrooms, four and a half bathrooms and an 825 sq ft basement. It also has a garden area.

The Colonel Michael Swope Townhouse has been steadily renovated throughout the eras to make it fit the plans of the property owner. At one point, it was divided into apartments, but has since been put back together as a single family home, probably with a modern kitchen. The last remodel was done in 1992. According to a 2010 report, the lovely decor is still there.

Being Colonel Michael Swope’s dream home, his townhouse has many lovely features. It is known for the wonderful, fine woodwork in the living room. Exquisite molding flows throughout the house. The living room is described as being “grand” and the dining room as being “opulent.” As Colonel Swope loved music and books, he had a music room and a library on the first floor as well. The second and the third floor had the bedrooms.

HISTORY

Colonel Michael Swope has been described in the book, GHOSTS OF ALEXANDRIA. “Swope was a true Patriot! Here is a man who as a real hero of his day, someone who was admired and revered.” (Quote taken from Wellington Watts of Alexandria Colonial tours.)

Originally from York, Philadelphia, Michael Swope rose in the ranks of the PA Continental Army because of his fighting spirit, battle-smarts, and courage to lead others. When the war broke out, his family was living in Pennsylvania. His wife and sons were there to greet him after his ordeal of being a prisoner of the British.

While some from Alexandria, like Patriot John Dixon, were caught by the British and executed for being spies, Colonel Swope was not, though other sources have claimed that he was. Other sources claimed that Colonel Swope died soon after returning home from his ordeal, but this isn’t true either. He was a lot tougher in mind, body and spirit than that.

However, he was captured along with his men during the Battle of Washington by the British, and spent some miserable years on a prison barge in New York City, developing a healthy dislike of his captors. They offered him his freedom if he would agree to terms that were not honorable or healthy for the Patriot cause, so he refused.

Finally, he was exchanged for the Patriot’s prisoner, Governor William Franklin, who was the Loyalist son of Ben Franklin; a few years after the offer was accepted. Despite being in a weakened state from his captivity, the British forced him to walk hundreds of miles back to his home in Pennsylvania, probably abusing him along the way. By the time he finally got home, Colonel Swope had a burning anger against the British that he took to his grave in 1809, twenty-five years later.

After the end of the Revolutionary War, Colonel Swope “moved on” without finding a true release for all of his anger. Colonel Swope went to Alexandria and bought some property and built his dream townhouse, complete with a garden, and moved his family here in 1784. His dream home featured all the decor that pleased him, and had rooms that were used for activities close to his heart: music and books.

He went into business with his sons. Some say they were chandlers, defined as being dealers in supplies, and equipment for ships and boats. Or, perhaps they were dealers in household items such as oil, soap, paint, and groceries. Other historians claim that Swope and sons opened a riverfront shipping business. Perhaps they did both businesses. Colonel Swope and family enjoyed success in business, and a wonderful life together while living in Alexandria, where he was treated as a hero.

When he died in 1809, his body was taken to the family vault in Philadelphia. In 1859, when a Yellow Fever epidemic swept the city the officious health authorities made the Swope family unearth their family caskets, probably to prove that family members had not died of the fever. Uh Oh!

His townhouse remained in his family for awhile but was eventually sold to other owners, and became a rental off and on between being the property of people who owned and lived in it too. Apparently, since 1859, residents have had a spirit or two staying with them as guardians of the townhouse as well.

HISTORY OF MANIFESTATIONS

One or two male spirits seem to claim this house as their afterlife home or place to visit.

Disturbing graves can cause restless spirits.

The Easton Public Library, PA (Being disrespectful of remains often leads to confused, restless spirits. Consequently, there are restless spirits around and inside this beautiful library!).

Cincinnati Music Hall, OH (Being built on top of mass graves caused trouble. Many restless, sometimes peeved spirits are not at peace).

The Eagle Hotel, PA (The hotel was built over French soldiers’ graves, which has caused one angry spirit, who was and is still not afraid to confront the living and claim territory).

Michael Swope Townhouse, VA (The brave Colonel Swope started haunting his home soon after his body was disturbed in Pennsylvania, and has continued to do so for two hundred plus years. Perhaps what had given him peace enough to rest was that his body was in his family tomb. He became angry at the stupid dolts who insisted that he be unearthed, showing disrespect to him and his family. Soon after the unearthing of the Colonel’s remains in Pennsylvania, his spirit was noticed being very front and center in his Alexandria townhouse.

Changes can act as triggers that draw spirits back into active states in this world, if they can identify with them. Chaos can cause them to worry about the special places they loved while alive.

Bullock Hotel, SD (The adding of gambling machines in the lobby because city officials gave the ok, infuriated the spirit of Seth Bullock, activating his presence).

Monmouth Plantation, MS (The spectral original master of the house returned with force during restoration, ready to hunt bear, because the living hadn’t taken care of his property in the past. When he realized the current owner’s intentions were to restore his home, he stepped up to the plate to support them)..

The Hermitage, TN (Southern civility and hospitality went out the window when the spirit of the former owner found a loud but unique way to tell the living to wake up and get to work! In the past, the living dolts obviously didn’t know how to care for his property).

Michael Swope Townhouse, VA (The rising strife between the North and the South before the Civil War could’ve acted like an environmental trigger, reminding Colonel Swope of the political/violent strife he and others had experienced with the British, adding to his anger to past treatment).

People who were wrongfully disrespected, hurt and mistreated when they were alive in this world sometimes cannot find peace to be able to rest. Sometimes they try to continue in their lives, often staying in a favorite place they had while alive where they had peace and respect. This act of defiance is their effort to make themselves feel better.

Clinton Tavern, MD (The restless spirit of Mary Surratt is still looking to clear her name after being executed for something she didn’t do. She had leased her tavern to John Lloyd, who falsely testified against her in order to gain control of her property. She was convicted on his testimony alone).

Glebe House Museum and Gardens, CT (The spirit of the courageous loyalist who paid dearly now savors his privacy and peace in his house).

Brumder Mansion, WI (During its speakeasy days, the mob enforcer Joe was shot along with the other staff when Chicago mobsters closed the speakeasy after heist money was stolen. Joe had been loyal, doing everything that was asked of him, but it didn’t matter. His spirit has stayed in a place he loved to work).

Swope Townhouse, VA (He still has a huge grudge against the British, fueled by the anger he couldn’t let go of completely while alive. He also was disrespected as a war hero when the health officials made his descendants dig up his undisturbed grave and show his remains. This also caused hurt and resentment to development in his family members).

People who suffer and die at the hands of others unexpectedly, sometimes feel cheated out of their goal or purpose, and like to stay in a structure that they admired, or one that was owned by someone they admired.

Kahler Grand Hotel, MN (The spirit of a woman who was brutally killed by underworld thugs, visits/stays here for peace and possibly justice).

Wabasha Caves, MN (The spirits of three gangsters who were shot to death while playing cards in the speakeasy, find some joy and peace by attending the social events held here, interacting sometimes with living children).

Coral Gables Hilton, FL (The mobster Thomas Fatty Welch was shot and killed by another mobster who thought Fatty was skimming money from the speakeasy on the 13th floor. The spirit of Fatty resides at the hotel in his afterlife, still enjoying the activities and being helpful to the staff and guests).

Swope Townhouse, VA (Fellow Alexandrian James Dixon was caught by the British and accused of being a spy. He had no trial, but was executed quickly. Dixon was terribly disappointed to have such an end before accomplishing his goal of being in the Patriot’s fight. Perhaps he feels better to be in the home of such a great Revolutionary hero and Patriot, Colonel Michael Swope. He may just visit a lot.

MANIFESTATIONS

PARANORMAL FINDINGS

For over 200 years, people who have lived in or visited Colonel Michael Swope’s Townhouse have experienced his spirit and perhaps the spirit of John Dixon. The Alexandria Library has quite a boatload of ghostly personal experiences in their archives, starting around 1859.

I looked around and couldn’t find any hard evidence that has been made public which backs up all the years of sightings and experiences of so many people.

STILL HAUNTED?

Colonel William Swope: Yes Indeed! So many personal experiences for so many years point to a spirit not willing to leave his dream home to just anyone, who needs to guard against anyone British buying it.

The Colonel still has anger issues that he can’t let go of; the incompetent Pennsylvania officials who should’ve honored his service by leaving his grave alone, and the British who treated him so badly.

The lack of public evidence may be because the owners don’t want to let in paranormal investigators who would aggravate the already annoyed Colonel. He may be content to be the volunteer security officer and all around helper for owners he approves of; anyone not British, and willing to keep it basically the way he designed it artistically.

John Dixon: Perhaps so. I’m not sure that the spirit of Colonel Michael Swope wasn’t mistaken for the spirit of John Dixon. It would take some research; looking at the old written paranormal experiences that are in Alexandria’s archives.

It is possible that people who knew John while he was alive, saw him in Colonel Swope’s townhouse at some point. Perhaps someone was able to communicate through a medium or their own psychic abilities with the spirit of John Dixon, who may have been of a different temperament. He may just visit the spirit of Colonel Swope.

LOCATION

210 Prince Street
Alexandria, VA 22314

Colonel Michael Swope Town House can be found in the heart of Alexandria’s historical residential section, within walking distance of the downtown area. It is on the very end of a row of townhouses, and sits on Prince St. with S. Fairfax and S. Lee being its cross streets. It is about one block south of King St. and north of Duke Street.

SOURCES INCLUDE

• HAUNTED PLACES: The National Directory
  by Dennis William Hauck
  Penguin Books – 2002
• The Ghosts of Alexandria
  By Michael Lee Pope
  Arcadia Publishing – 2010
• The Ghosts of Virginia, Vol. 1
  By L.B. Taylor, Jr.
  Progress Printing Co., Inc. – 2003
• www.loc.gov

Our Haunted Paranormal Stories are Written by Julie Carr

Our Photos are copyrighted by Tom Carr

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