Something wicked will descend on Fredericksburg this weekend, bringing with it tales of horror and suspense.
Those aforementioned tales will be brought to town by 30 authors from around the United States converging for the first annual Horror on the Rappahannock. The event will take place from Friday–Sunday, at the Inn at the Old Silk Mill and the Woolen Mill located in downtown Fredericksburg.
The convention offers opportunities to meet the authors as well as discovering new books, live readings, panels and other events for those interested in the world of horror literature.
One of those authors is Fredericksburg’s Michelle L. Hamilton, an author of titles such as “I Would Still Be Drowned in Tears: Spiritualism in Abraham Lincoln’s White House”, “Mary Ball Washington: The Mother of George Washington” and “Civil War Ghosts.” Civil War Ghosts, is a collection of real ghost stories collected during the timeframe of the American Civil War.
Along with her writing, Hamilton is also the manager of the Mary Washington House, which was the last residence of the mother of George Washington, Mary Ball Washington, before her passing in 1789. The Mary Washington House is part of the Washington Heritage Museums.
In addition to being one of the event’s featured authors, Hamilton will also host a talk on her latest book, “Haunted Fredericksburg.” Released in September 2024, the book collects stories of ghost sightings in and around the town. One such account tells of the lady in white who is said to walk the grounds of the Chatham Manor, while others explore rowdy spirits at the Rising Sun Tavern and the ghost of Mary Ball Washington.
Hamilton said that while this is the first horror convention that she has been invited to speak at, she had previously presented and spoken at various pop culture conventions.
“It’s very humbling,” she said about being invited to the event. “Some of the people on the list are New York Times bestsellers, they’ve received the highest accolades of the horror field. So it’s very humbling to be part of such an august group.”
Hamilton, a long time fan of the horror and science fiction genres, began her dive into the genre with ghost hunting shows. She said that it was the blending of the mystery and history that drew her into the show and further into the horror genre.
The author has a theory about what attracts people to horror, not just as fans but to participate in its creation.
“It allows us to deal with the stresses of the world in a way that’s contained, in a way that’s safe, that you can close the page and move on,” she said. “It’s also a way of talking about difficult subjects in kind of a fantastical form.”
Christine Harrold, the host of the upcoming event, spoke about the convention and what Hamilton brings to the table. Harrold, through her group Horror Reader Weekend, has recently begun organizing horror-themed events such as her first with Memories of Horror on the Hudson, which took place in New York last year.
“The guests attending this second Horror Reader Weekend are looking forward to hearing spooky stories from such an expert on local history and Fredericksburg lore,” she said. “Fredericksburg is a city steeped in history, and I am glad that some weekend guests, who have never been to this part of the country, will get to hear all about it from Michelle L. Hamilton, who knows her stuff.”
Hamilton hopes that Horror on the Rappahannock will succeed and become an annual event, which will bring more fans and creators of the genre. She also hopes that it will encourage more understanding and appreciation of the history of Fredericksburg.
“A lot of horrific things have happened here,” she said. “We have a lot of hauntings and understanding of the truth of history, the truth of history isn’t black and white, it’s grey with a lot of suffering.”
