Randolph-Macon Woman’s College was founded over 115 years ago in a world largely opposed to the “dangerous” idea of educating women.
William Waugh Smith, then president of the all-male Randolph-Macon College, had the courage to disagree, and set about making plans for a "college where our young women may obtain an education equal to that given in our best colleges for young men and under environments in harmony with the highest ideals of womanhood."
With no backing from his trustees, Smith took his cause to the road, eventually winning support of the Rivermont Land Company, which donated 20 acres of bucolic land in the quiet town of Lynchburg.
Thanks to the generosity of 150 local residents, Smith was able to raise the $100,000 necessary to officially found Randolph-Macon Woman’s College on March 10, 1891. The college welcomed its first class of 36 students and 12 professors in 1893.Today, Randolph College is a small liberal arts college that houses over 1000 students.
On to the ghosts. The ghosts of this college stem from on campus murders and deaths that surround the school. I'll let the Bedford Paranormal group take it from here.
The one that we heard most often was the purple clog story. The student in this story was known for wearing clogs that were a popular fashion at the time. This story concerned a student that had been murdered when she crossed a street next to the college on the way back to her dorm. Her body was hidden and then later found by security. Several students that lived in or visited other students that lived in her old dorm told us that they could hear her walking around at times through the halls and rooms. They told us that her foot steps were noticeably different due to the clogs.
Another story that we heard several times from different students was the sighting of an older woman in the West Dating Parlor. Students told us that at times when they entered the dating parlor they would see the woman seated near the door only to have her disappear as they approached or attempted to talk to her.Another story that isn't mentioned but is talked about in the News Advance link below, is the story behind the haunting in the the schools auditorium. In 1971, a Shakespeare play was set to be performed but the male lead was killed in a car wreck on the way to the play. According to student and faculty reports, the ghost of said student has shown up from time to time and normally sits in the back row of the theater.
School's Website: http://www.randolphcollege.edu/
Bedford Paranormal Investigation: http://www.bedfordparanormal.com/Randolph_College.html
Seven Hills Paranormal Investigation: http://www.sevenhillsparanormal.com/2009/09/randolph-college-lynchburg-va/
News Advance Article: http://www2.newsadvance.com/news/2008/jul/20/students_ghost_hunters_at_randolph_college_explore-ar-219834/
WSLS 10 Video on RC: http://www2.wsls.com/news/2008/jul/11/ghost-hunters-to-visit-randolph-college-94527-vi-16256/
Natural Plane Article: http://naturalplane.blogspot.com/2007/07/is-randolph-college-haunted.html
Strange USA Post: http://www.strangeusa.com/ViewLocation.aspx?locationid=10255
6 comments:
I attended Randolph-Macon Woman's College from 1989-1993 and if there is any interest in stories from RMWC, there are far more than the ones listed here- including seances held in the top of one of the dorms which contacted former classmates and beaus driving over 501 from Lexington....on multiple occasions. Two dorms are reknown to be haunted, but all dorms have stories attached to them. And for the record, the accompanying photograph for this article is not one of RMWC-
Thanks for the comment. I've heard a lot of rumors about Randolph-Macon but I couldn't really back any of them up with my research. Hopefully that's something one of the paranormal groups in the area can document and research further in the future.
Also thanks for the note about the picture. For some reason, it's really hard to find a good picture of this college.
i went to RMWC during the fall semester of 1991. I was trying to fall asleep on my bed. A figure showed up next to my head and asked to please stop crying. I was upset about a boyfriend at University of Texas. anyway, she was there next to my face. very sweet. I thought it was the rn. i bolted up in bed, and then she was in (not next to the foot of my bed)
Surprised to see this on here! Like the commenters above, I also attended RMWC/Randolph from 2006-2010, and there are many more stories than what's listed here. The fourth floor of Main Hall is very creepy. When I attended, no one lived up there (we didn't have enough students to fill the rooms) except for a tiny annex on the west end of the floor. However, there was a nice lounge that students would use. An acquaintance of mine was watching TV by herself up there one night, and when she turned off the TV she saw an image of a little blue girl in the screen. I'd heard of her before, but I'm not sure what her alleged origins are. Also, another acquaintance of mine who worked in the library was shelving books late at night and saw a woman in period clothing walking among the stacks. Oh, and another very common story that wasn't mentioned above is the story of Mary's Garden. Between Moore Hall and the library there's gardens on either side, and the story went that if you cut through them rather than walking on the path a woman name Mary would haunt you.
To elaborate on the story of the student that was murdered in the 70's my mother and I were the last people to see her alive...well my mother was I was looking the other way at my favorite big church on Rivermont Ave. It was in the early morning hours and this white girl was fighting with a black man on Rivermont Ave right in front of those shops and restaurants. Mom said she thought it was a couple having a typical fight cause it looked like that they knew each other so she didn't think anything of it. Then my mom said that she broke away and went running back to the school. The black man followed her. The light changed and we went on our way. A couple days later after her body was found and the news came out about the murder my mother was sick with horrible regret that she may have been able to save that girls life. Mom then contacted the police and reported the incident. She didn't have to testify but to this day she regrets not at least trying to stop the fight and helping the girl.
The picture shown with the story is of Randolph Macon College, Ashland VA, not Randolph College, formerly Randolph-Macon Womans College, RMWC, Lynchburg VA. Easy and common mistake to make.
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