‘Haint mistress’ tells ghostly tales

By Joe Tennis
Bristol Herald Courier
Published: October 14, 2008

ABINGDON - By the time we reached The Tavern, Donnamarie Emmert was on a roll. And, well, a little out of breath.

We had, after all, been walking uphill from the Martha Washington Inn in Abingdon, Va.

And every few houses, she stopped and told a crowd of about a dozen of us another story.

We heard about that mysterious horse that’s said to be roaming the hill across from the Barter Theatre, still looking for his master, gunned down in 1864.

And we heard about that ghost walking down the old hallway in the upper floor of the building that now houses The Star Museum – what were once the offices of the town’s beloved but now-defunct newspaper The Abingdon Virginian.

Standing outside one building, Emmert announced, “This is American history told through my point of view.“

And that – her view – is a big selling point for the “Abingdon Spirit Tour” offered by this self-styled “Haint Mistress.“ Emmert has been out here on the brick sidewalks for a dozen years now, making the rounds from the Martha to the Tavern and back down to the Barter Theatre. She giggles. She grins. At times, she gets goofy.

Yet it is clear this natural-born storyteller loves the rich history of Abingdon just as much as the possibility of anything that might go bump in the night.

“Abingdon-ians love gossip,“ Emmert said. “We don’t care what you do – as long as you tell us.“

And with that, Emmert gets into the behind-the-scenes story of Elliott Roosevelt, the brother of Teddy and the father of Eleanor. She spills forth how Elliott came to live in Abingdon in the 1890s, presumably to look after his family’s business interests.

This is not a ghost story. But it is a story that is nearly forgotten. And Emmert spins several yarns like it on her tour. Still, while standing at the tour’s midway point of The Tavern, Emmert spends time serving only spooky tales.

“This building is haunted from the attic all the way down to the basement,“ she said. “People drank here, fought here, died here.“

Today, she swore, The Tavern has more ghosts “per square inch” than any other building in town.

Emmert has dubbed one spirit “The Tavern Tart” – it’s an alleged female ghost that dislikes good-looking women but does like to knock things around inside the restaurant.

At times, Emmert gets mighty big-voiced with her on-the-street explanations.

Only, she will not step inside. She will not tempt “The Tavern Tart.“

“Once I get inside,“ she said, sheepishly, “I am almost demurred – humbled [by the spirit].“

The Abingdon Spirit Tour is offered Oct. 10-11 and 17-30, at 7:30 p.m. at the East Lawn of the Martha Washington Inn. Cost is $10 for adults and $8 for children under 12 (not recommended for children under 10). It is also not recommended for wheelchairs or strollers, because of terrain. Tours last two hours. Call (800) 435-3440.