Upcoming Program at Fredericksburg Area Museum will Explore City's "Dark History"

Ghosts, diseases, disasters, hauntings, and more.

By Adele Uphaus
MANAGING EDITOR AND CORRESPONDENT

From our 21st century sensibilities, a piece of jewelry made with the hair of a deceased person might seem unsettling.

But to the Victorians, who were surrounded by death, such jewelry was cherished and played an important role in elaborate mourning practices.

“Instead of being disturbed by a piece of hair jewelry, we can think, ‘Look how much this person was loved,’” said Kylie Thomson, curatorial specialist at the Fredericksburg Area Museum.

Arriving with the start of Spooky Season, next week’s special program “Dark History” will feature pieces of hair jewelry from the museum’s collection, along with other “haunted objects” and stories of tragic deaths, diseases, and natural disasters that have affected Fredericksburg.

In addition to the museum’s collection, Thomson researched old newspaper articles to put together the program, which includes tales of a deadly flood, an accidental burial alive, the mythical sea monster of the Rappahannock, and FAM’s in-house ghost(s).

Thomson will provide some history of the building, which she said is itself “a little dark,” and the program will end with a tour and possible encounter with the resident spirits.

“Most of the staff here have had their own experiences” with ghostly coworkers, Thomson said—though she added that none of them have been malevolent.

The program is recommended for ages 18 and up, because of the unsettling and “gory” nature of some of the stories, Thomson said.

But the larger intent, she explained, is not so much to scare people as to provide a greater understanding of how past inhabitants of Fredericksburg thought about, prepared for, and responded to death and disaster.

“It’s important to understand every aspect of your town,” Thomson said, and be reminded that those who came before us both experienced and survived dark times.

Next week’s program is part of a series of object-centered programs FAM is planning, all under the title “What Remains.” Look for more programs in the series to come early next year.

Tickets for “Dark History” are available here.

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