Old Medical Shop Yorktown
PANICd#: 2224
Publication date: 07/27/2025
Dr. Corbin Griffin was a prominent Yorktown physician active in the American Revolutionary War, serving as a surgeon with Virginia forces.
Database Summary:
Demographic Rank: 0
History: 1
Stories: 1
Claims: 12
Evidence: 0
Resources: 2
Retrievals: 16
Vistor Rating: 0.0
Votes: 0
| |
Rate this Location <- Get Location Badge Code |
History
History information is some background and history about the location. This is meant to be a basic summary. Below the history records you will find sources in which you can click on to find out more information. There may be multiple history records per location.
The Old Medical Shop, often referred to as Dr. Corbin Griffin’s Medical Shop, is a reconstructed structure located on Historic Main Street in Yorktown. Although the original building no longer stands, the current version was built in the mid-1930s as part of an effort by the National Park Service to recreate a typical 1780s-era medical shop. The reconstruction was based on limited archaeological evidence and historical records, with construction completed around March 1936.
Dr. Corbin Griffin was a colonial-era physician in Yorktown during the Revolutionary War period. He is known to have been imprisoned by the British on a ship anchored in the York River during the 1781 Siege. While the original shop’s precise location remains uncertain, the reconstructed building across from Swan Tavern commemorates Griffin’s medical practice. For a time, it even served as the town’s post office before later becoming part of the Historic Yorktown landscape.
Historic records indicate that the lot where the medical shop now stands (Lot 30) was occupied by various dwellings and structures in the mid-1700s, leased and sold by owners such as Stith, Powell, Savage, Lilly, Moss, and eventually Corbin Griffin. However, the specific structure used as Griffin’s medical worksite has not been confirmed archaeologically; the current reconstruction is a period-appropriate interpretation rather than a replica of the original.
During the Revolutionary War, Yorktown’s main street and surrounding lots—including the site of Griffin’s shop—lay within the British defensive lines. While there’s no direct documentation of the medical shop’s operational role during the siege itself, it's likely that local medicine and care were provided within these buildings under wartime conditions. Afterward, much of the town—including original buildings—was lost through fire, military occupation, or negligence.
In the 20th century, preservation efforts under the National Park Service led to the construction of the shop building seen today. It serves as a visual reminder of 18th-century medical practice in Yorktown, although it is privately leased and not open for interior tours. Visitors can view the exterior and interpretive signage as part of Colonial National Historical Park’s Historic Yorktown tour route.
Added by: sdonley on 07/27/2025
DB#:790
Source(s):
Various
Stories & Folklore
Stories & Folklore are just that. Stories and personal accounts that have been reported about the location and passed down from generation to generation. This section could also contain research notes as well.
The Old Medical Shop in Yorktown, though a reconstruction, stands on land believed to have seen great suffering and trauma during the Revolutionary War. With its connection to colonial medicine and wartime injury, many believe the building and surrounding area harbor residual spiritual energy. Visitors and staff have reported eerie sensations when standing near the shop, such as the feeling of being watched or sudden chills, even on warm days. These experiences are often strongest in the early morning or after sunset, when the historic district is quiet and still.
One of the most commonly reported phenomena is the sound of soft moaning or labored breathing near the building’s exterior walls. These sounds are attributed to the suffering of wounded soldiers who may have once received crude medical treatment nearby. The moaning is sometimes accompanied by faint footsteps on gravel or wooden floorboards—despite the fact that the building remains locked and unoccupied. Some have even claimed to hear what sounds like medical instruments clinking together inside the structure.
Witnesses have also described apparitions appearing briefly in the windows of the building, usually at night. These ghostly figures often resemble colonial-era doctors or patients, their forms blurry and motionless before vanishing into the darkness. One frequently reported sighting involves a man in a long coat and tricorn hat who appears to be staring out from one of the front windows. Paranormal investigators who have visited the site claim to have captured unexplained light anomalies and voice recordings in the vicinity.
Cold spots and oppressive sensations have been noted by those walking past the shop, especially on the side facing the York River. Some guests have felt a heaviness in their chest or experienced difficulty breathing while standing nearby, which many attribute to the lingering energy of those who may have died in pain during medical treatment centuries ago. These physical reactions are often paired with a sharp drop in ambient temperature that cannot be explained by natural causes.
Though the Old Medical Shop is not open to the public, it remains a quiet yet powerful landmark in Yorktown’s haunted past. Whether influenced by the memory of Dr. Griffin, the suffering of wounded soldiers, or the disturbance of land tied to generations past, the site continues to stir curiosity and unease. For many, it serves as a reminder that even reconstructed places can hold echoes of real human anguish, felt as strongly today as they may have been centuries ago.
Added by: sdonley on 07/27/2025 DB#: 1752
Source(s):
Various
Paranormal Claims
Here are the paranormal claims for this location. These have been found through Internet research, reports from members, or reports from personal interviews. To add a claim, please contact PANICd.com, and we will review and add your information.
| Claim # | Added | Added By | Claim |
| 4133 | 07/27/2025 | sdonley | Soft moaning and labored breathing are heard near the building. |
| 4134 | 07/27/2025 | sdonley | Unexplained footsteps are heard outside and around the structure. |
| 4135 | 07/27/2025 | sdonley | Clinking sounds like medical instruments are heard inside. |
| 4136 | 07/27/2025 | sdonley | Apparitions appear in the windows at night. |
| 4137 | 07/27/2025 | sdonley | A man in a long coat and tricorn hat is seen staring out a front window. |
| 4138 | 07/27/2025 | sdonley | Unexplained light anomalies have been captured near the shop. |
| 4139 | 07/27/2025 | sdonley | Voice recordings with no known source have been collected. |
| 4140 | 07/27/2025 | sdonley | Sudden cold spots occur near the exterior walls. |
| 4141 | 07/27/2025 | sdonley | Visitors feel an oppressive heaviness or tightness in the chest. |
| 4142 | 07/27/2025 | sdonley | Some report difficulty breathing while standing nearby. |
| 4143 | 07/27/2025 | sdonley | Feelings of being watched are common around the building. |
| 4144 | 07/27/2025 | sdonley | Paranormal activity increases during early morning or late evening. |
Additional Resources
This is a collection of Internet resources for this location. This section will house links to other websites that contain information related to history, claims, investigations, or even the location's website.
| Medical Shop (Reconstructed) Historical Marker
Added: 07/27/2025 By: sdonley |
Dr. Corbin Griffin was a prominent Yorktown physician active in the American Revolutionary War, serving as a surgeon with Virginia forces. (A historical marker located in Yorktown in York County, Virginia.) |
| Medical Shop (Yorktown) | Historica Wiki | Fandom
Added: 07/27/2025 By: sdonley |
The Medical Shop is a historic building in Yorktown, Virginia. |
Recently Added Locations
