Secret Virginia Podcast Episode 15: University of Virginia

The University of Virginia in Charlottesville is steeped in history and traditions, some of which are downright macabre. What strange encounters await visitors to Thomas Jefferson’s famous academy? Join our host, the mercurial Morella Belle, for Season 2 of the Secret Virginia Podcast, where we explore the hidden mysteries of the Old Dominion and its neighbors.

Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the University of Virginia is considered the equal of New England ivy leagues like Harvard and Yale. The year Thomas Jefferson died, a young man from Richmond named Edgar Allan Poe enrolled at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville to study ancient and modern languages. His tenure lasted less than a year, but he went on to become a literary legend. The university has preserved Room 13, West Range as it would have looked when he stayed there.

A particularly ghoulish tale is told about Pavilion VI, otherwise known as the "Romance Pavilion" due to languages like French, Spanish, and Italian being taught there for many years. Rumors swirl that, while living in Pavilion VI, a deceased professor’s wife changed his clothes and kept him propped up by the window in order to continue enjoying their accommodations. For nearly a month, students passing on the Lawn waved to their professor, unaware they were waving to a corpse. #virginia #secretvirginia #charlottesville