William Nelson House Site
PANICd#: 2216
Publication date: 07/27/2025
An open field where the house of William Nelson once stood.
Database Summary:
Demographic Rank: 0
History: 1
Stories: 1
Claims: 3
Evidence: 0
Resources: 1
Retrievals: 29
Vistor Rating: 0.0
Votes: 0
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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 site of the William Nelson House in Yorktown originally hosted a residence built around 1725 to 1730 by Thomas Scotch Tom Nelson, patriarch of the influential Nelson family of Virginia. His son William Nelson who served as acting colonial governor of Virginia from 1770 to 1771, owned the property and likely maintained a house on the site after his father's passing.
William Nelson’s house later passed into the hands of his sons, including Thomas Nelson Jr., a signer of the Declaration of Independence and brigadier general during the Siege of Yorktown. Thomas Nelson Jr inherited the family estate and lived nearby, though the site in question is specifically tied to William Nelson Sr. and his time as a prominent Yorktown merchant and politician.
The original William Nelson House was destroyed in the great Yorktown fire of 1814, which consumed many of the town's structures. While the main Nelson House built by Thomas Scotch Tom survived, the site belonging to William Nelson did not, leaving behind mostly archaeological remnants rather than an intact building.
Over the 19th and early 20th centuries the original house site remained largely vacant or redeveloped for other uses. The main Thomas Nelson House survived and became the primary focus of preservation, eventually acquired and restored by the National Park Service. Meanwhile the William Nelson site became a point of historical interest primarily through marker designations and archaeological investigation.
Today the William Nelson House site in Yorktown is interpreted as part of the larger Colonial National Historical Park. While no standing structure remains the location offers visitors visual context for understanding the Nelson family legacy connecting the political and commercial achievements of William Nelson with the later revolutionary heroics of his son Thomas Nelson Jr.
Added by: sdonley on 07/27/2025
DB#:797
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.
If you walk into town from the Yorktown Victory Monument, you’re in for a Colonial-era treat. The remaining houses on Main Street are from the Colonial period, and it’s an incredibly tidy walk back into time. On your right is an open field where once stood the home of William Nelson, one-time governor of Virginia, appointed by the King himself. On moonlit nights, British soldiers are seen racing across the yard, fleeing from the sounds of cannon, which the living cannot hear.
Added by: sdonley on 07/22/2025 DB#: 1740
Source(s):
https://www.gothichorrorstories.com/gothic-travel/...
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 |
| 4219 | 07/27/2025 | sdonley | The apparitions of British soldiers have been seen running across the field. |
| 4220 | 07/27/2025 | sdonley | The sounds of musket fire have been heard. |
| 4221 | 07/27/2025 | sdonley | The sounds of cannon fire have been heard. |
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.
| William Nelson House Site Historical Marker
Added: 07/27/2025 By: sdonley |
(A historical marker located in Yorktown in York County, Virginia.) |
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