Imagine driving down a quiet road barely traveled.  The moonlight is shining through the trees.  The windows down, a cool breeze, and the smell of autumn in the air.  As you go around the curve, you find a cobblestone bridge passing over the road.  Getting closer, there appears to be someone hanging off the side wearing a dress.  Just before getting close enough to see it better, the image disappears.  As you go under the bridge, the engine cuts out.  Since the car just got a tune-up, there couldn’t be anything wrong with it.  Rolling a little further, there is a thud.  Now you are under a bridge with the engine dead and you just hit something.   Could you have been imagining things?  Do you get out to look for what you hit?

This road has many experiences like the one just described.  Many people have questioned whether or not these things have really happened.  One question has been asked, but never answered.  What started these stories of haunting on this road?  The area around this road has been occupied for over a century.  There so many stories created about what happens on this road, that it is hard to keep track of them.  The bridge crossing over the road is included in the legends and stories because, Crawford Road is one of only two ways to get to the bridge.  You can go over the road, or under the bridge.  It is the only place in the area that has this type of bridge and road crossing.

It is said that various ghosts can be seen on, and around the bridge crossing over Crawford Rd.  There have also been reports of soldiers marching over the bridge.  A woman, who didn’t want to marry the guy she was supposed to, allegedly hung herself.  Now you are supposed to be able to see her hanging off the bridge at a certain time of day.  There have been suspicions of people being hung for different reasons.

The road is a couple miles long.  There is a mystery added to the road which people haven’t been able to explain.  One end of the road is spelled Crawford, while the sign on the other end it is spelled Crafford.  What may explain this is, it is used as a way to keep too many people from venturing down it.  The bridge on this road was used during the revolution and civil war.  The way to go over the bridge is through the Yorktown Battlefield State Park.

An asylum can also be found just off the side of this road, down another creepy path.  An idea I came up with, after hearing the stories about the various ghosts haunting.  The ghosts haunting this road could be from the asylum.  There are many stories about what happens in asylums.  Without any history on the one that is on this particular road.  It is possible that the ghosts came from the asylum.  The thing that hasn’t been heard in the stories is ghosts being from that place.  It is an unexplored explanation for the start of all these legends.

This road is good for the thrill seekers, and those that have a fascination with the paranormal.  The people that have an interest with history would appreciate studying the importance of this road during the revolution, and civil wars.  Others would enjoy the scenery that surrounds this area.  The drive through here during the day time is very peaceful and enjoyable.

When I first found out about this road, I decided a trip here was necessary.  My husband and I took our daughter with us.  It was late at night, the only car on the road.  The moonlight was shining through in that eerie kind of way.  We decided to test one of the legends.  I parked the car under the bridge and put the keys on the ground under the car.

The car was supposed to start shaking after a minute but, nothing happened.  So, we waited a little longer.  After about 5 minutes, our daughter started screaming bloody murder.  It was like nothing we heard her do before.  I got the keys and started driving.  After getting a good distance from the bridge, she stopped and acted like nothing happened.  I looked at my husband and said “There is definitely something going on with that bridge”.

For those that haven’t heard this before.  It is believed that kids have a connection to the paranormal that adults don’t have.  That is why our daughter got scared and started crying and screaming.  Before the experience that night, I wouldn’t have believed it.  Seeing it happen first hand has opened up my mind to different possibilities.

Another account of this road being haunted is a cousin who decided she wanted to check out the legends.  She drove to the bridge, stopping the car underneath it.  She placed the keys underneath the car.  Waiting a minute, the car started to shake violently.  It was as if someone was pushing on it from the outside.  We asked her if it could have been the wind.  She replied “There wasn’t any wind when I both got there and left”.

The thrill of going down this road without knowing what you may experience.  That is the experience of a lifetime.  Those who haven’t gone down here, and would like a good thrill, or even just a nice drive.  This is definitely the place to go.  A trick to possible get an experience is, go down the road without thinking too hard about finding the haunting.  Looking too hard for things will only make it harder to find them.

I would recommend going for a drive during the night time.  Wait for a moonlit night for the eerie effect.  For a more scary experience, wait for a moonless night.  Whatever you choose to do, it is a good reason to get outside and enjoy the nice scenery.  Not many people who know the true legends of the road are around anymore.  The asylum isn’t a known place either.  Someone recently stumbled upon it by going down a path that looked interesting to them.  They came to the place after a couple hundred feet into the woods.  Why this place was kept hidden could be a bunch of different reasons.

Check out this out if you end up visiting, or even living in the area and you want something to do.  The asylum is something to check out if you are a thrill seeker.  A history buff would enjoy this area for the battles that happened around it.  I hope you get a chance to enjoy the experience of going here.  Even if you don’t go to see the area, I hope you enjoyed reading about it.

References

Jr., L. B. (June, 1983). The Ghosts of Williamsburg: And Nearby Environs. Williamsburg, Virginia: L.B. Taylor Jr.

Kinney, P. K. (May 28, 2011). Virginia’s Haunted Historic triangle: Willamsburg, Yorktown, Jamestown, and Other Haunted Locations. Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA: Schiffer Publishing, Ltd.