Weems Botts Museum | The Ghastly Port of Dumfries

Posted: 02.25.2025 | Updated: 02.25.2025

Over three centuries of bloodshed, war, and suffering have made Washington D.C. a hub for spiritual activity. It’s not just DC’s dark history but the mysterious and surrounding aura that makes it home to many of America’s most haunted locations. The Weem Botts Museum is one of them.

It stands just a little under an hour south of D.C. in the quiet town of Dumfries. As old as the town itself, this simple colonial-style house nestled at 3944 Cameron Street emits a sense of peace just from its outside appearance.

However, life inside was anything but simple for the Merchant family, who owned the house over a hundred years before. Because of what they experienced, ghost hunters consider the museum to be the most haunted house in Virginia. 

There’s a presence peeking around every corner throughout the nation’s capitol. Maybe it’s your imagination, or maybe it’s something a little more ghoulish.

Come see for yourself on a DC ghost tour through some of Washington’s most haunted locations.

Is the Weem-Botts Museum Haunted?

The Weems-Botts Museum emits nothing but a feeling of tranquility and simplicity from its outside appearance. Once a house, now a museum, it tells a story from a simpler time when the town of Dumfries was in its infancy. 

What it doesn’t tell are the numerous ghost stories surrounding the property that have made it one of the most haunted houses in Virginia. 

History of the Weems Botts Museum

The Weems-Botts Museum sits inconspicuously in the quaint town of Dumfries, only five minutes from the Quantico River.  It was built in 1749, making it one of the oldest structures in Virginia’s oldest town. It originally served as a vestry for the Quantico Church. 

Ownership changed hands several times in the coming years as the strategic port town became embroiled in the turmoil of the Revolutionary War. Its earliest known owner was Mason Locke “Parson” Weems, an author and pastor. He is perhaps best known for being George Washington’s first biographer, to whom we owe the origin of Washington’s famous cherry tree story. 

Benjamin Botts, a successful attorney, bought the house in 1802 and used it as his law office. A promising career lay ahead for Botts, who defended Aaron Burr during his treason trial. 

However, his life was cut short when he died in the Richmond Theater Fire of 1811. Misfortune and tragedy seemed to have made their home at his residence that day, unbeknownst to its future owners. 

Richard and Annie Merchant purchased the home in 1869, adding four extra rooms to where they would raise their two daughters, Violet and Mamie. The house became a prison for Mamie, as she suffered from violent epileptic seizures and was confined to an upper room for most of her life.

She fell down the stairs to her death in 1906 at only 23 years old; her father died the same year. The house continued to stay within the Merchant family until she passed in 1968 from old age. 

Today, the house operates as a museum and nationally registered landmark under the ownership of Historic Dumfries Inc. Its name pays homage to its earliest owners, now known to the public as the Weems Botts Museum. 

Hauntings of Weems Botts

The Weems Botts holds a long history of hauntings connected to its tragic past. Visitors have consistently reported feeling an eerie presence. Many even feel a ghastly touch, from the minute they walk through the door.  Even more so, a number of other intense experiences have been reported.

An antique doll has supposedly been moved around the parlor room. Visitors have also claimed that books have flown off of shelves and curtains flutter on their own. 

A photograph hung on the wall has also been found on the floor or propped up on a chair at random times. Additionally, a closet door is known to open by itself every day. 

Once at the epicenter of the blood-drenched Civil War, it should be no surprise that the Weems-Botts Museum also has its fair share of war-time spirits. Passersby have claimed to see the apparitions of Civil War soldiers roaming the nearby cemeteries and park. There have also been claims of hearing horses on the property. But were they for transportation or pulling a casket? 

Violet’s Room

Some hauntings in the home suggest that Mamie and Violet have never left. Ghost hunters, on several occasions, have heard the spirit of what sounds like a little girl. There is also another haunting – and one of the most known – that comes from the window in Violet’s old bedroom on the second floor. 

For one reason or another, it seems to have a life of its own, opening and closing when it pleases. Even more peculiar is that the spirit that lingers around the window is known to have an affinity for children. 

A guide described one occasion where two girls under the age of five were in the bedroom during a tour. They were told the story regarding the haunting and proceeded to ask the window if it would open and close. 

The guide continued the tour and, when it was finished, brought the girls back one more time. To their surprise, the window was opening and closing on its own when they returned to the room. 

Haunted DC

Washington, DC stays at the top of the list for those interested in history with a sense of macabre and mystery. The cries of over three centuries of battles echo through the streets and through its historic landmarks. 

Some believe that’s why Washigton DC is one of the most haunted cities in the US. Others think the tales don’t stop at the city’s limits. Instead, the state’s mysterious identity makes the dead come alive in places such as the Weems Botts. 

It was supposed to be a home for the Merchant family where they could raise their two daughters. However, in an era with epilepsy seen as possession, it might as well have been a prison where they were forced to live with the devil. 

It’s not known what or who resides in the former house now, but one thing is for sure – it’s definitely one of the most haunted houses in Virginia. 

Ready to have your own ghost experience? What better place to do it than in Washington, DC, where the spirits of the dead can be heard at every turn!

Don’t miss out! Book a ghost tour on our website today with DC Ghosts while slots remain open. Be sure to read up on our blog for more chill-ridden stories, and stay connected with us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

Sources:

• https://www.princewilliamtimes.com/news/one-of-virginias-most-haunted-places-to-appear-on-travel-channel-show/article_e900b892-8dc4-598b-b986-5f48fa5a35c7.html
• https://www.potomaclocal.com/2012/10/31/a-dumfries-house-full-of-history-and-chilling-experiences/
• https://www.princewilliamtimes.com/news/one-of-virginias-most-haunted-places-to-appear-on-travel-channel-show/article_e900b892-8dc4-598b-b986-5f48fa5a35c7.html
• https://www.virginia.org/blog/post/5-spirited-places-to-visit-in-prince-william/