Located in the heart of the Colonial Williamsburg Historic Area, dwells a beautifully restored tavern. Behind its white-painted exterior and quaint shuttered windows resides a handsomely recreated interior that harkens back to times of yore.
Rustic wooden tables and chairs line the floors where guests can sit and imbibe a warm drink or partake in a comforting meal. Many who frequent Shields Tavern by day might never know, but this historic spot contains a ghost or two as well. Read on to peel back the layers of history surrounding this 1700s-era tavern and learn of its haunted lore.
Interested in seeing all that the Colonial Capital has to offer enthusiasts of the spooky and otherworldly? Come journey on one of our Williamsburg Ghost Tours to immerse yourself in the legends of this city’s spectral past.
What Is the Haunted History of the Shields Tavern in Williamsburg?
Although there are many haunted pubs and taverns in Colonial Williamsburg, Shields Tavern on East Duke of Gloucester Street is one of the oldest. This historic tavern offers several period-authentic eats and beverages in its charming 18th-century ambiance. But those who enter here after dark to satiate their appetites may find themselves privy to stranger sights, including a ghost or two.
One of many haunted places in Virginia, Shields Tavern has a history meandering back over three centuries. It has seen many owners and patrons throughout its expansive history, and more than one former tavern worker is rumored to haunt the property.
Over Three Hundred Years of History
The history of Shields Tavern winds back many centuries, beginning in the early 1700s with a Frenchman called Jean Marot. Marot ran a tavern on this location beginning in 1709, operating the business until he passed in 1717. At this point, his wife Anne, now a widow, assumed operations.
Anne ran the tavern until the late 1730s. Eventually, she remarried, and the tavern fell to her daughter (also named Anne) and her spouse, James Shields, in the 1740s. Now operating as Shields Tavern, the couple lived on the property with their families and various enslaved laborers.
Shields Tavern existed as one of seven licensed taverns in Williamsburg, Virginia, accommodating travelers as well as the lower gentry and upper middle class. It offered sustenance, lodgings, and simple pleasures, such as gambling.
For centuries, taverns have endured as communal centers for gatherings, news, and sites of rest for weary travelers. Those who stopped at this tavern were particularly privy to diverse tastes and wares.
Rum from the West Indies and wines from Portugal could be found there. Lucky patrons might discover citrus fruits from the Caribbean or teas from distant Asian lands. Even the wares on which these items were delivered were cosmopolitan, as archaeological efforts indicate they served their customers using Chinese, German, and British ceramics.
When James Shields died, Anne continued to oversee the tavern until remarrying shortly after. The tavern then passed from her second husband, Henry Wetherburn, to Daniel Fisher, who renamed the establishment the English Coffee House, afterward turning it into a grocery store.
From here on, the property changed hands multiple times, being sold and leased out. It survived at least two fires and saw many owners and businesses over the years. Finally, in 1988, it was restored and reopened as a tavern.
Spirits of the Shields and Former Staff
Many haunted happenings have been reported throughout the years at Shields Tavern. One case by a former manager is especially uncanny. As she was locking up for the evening and preparing to leave, she spied a light still left on in the office upstairs. She promptly returned upstairs to switch the light off.
Upon leaving again, she looked up to see the light had been relit. She returned a second time to investigate and discovered something quite disturbing upon returning to the office. The room was in shambles — trash littered the floor, and furniture appeared rearranged.
She cleaned the mess, turned off the light once more, and left. Looking up one last time, she saw the light had remained off, but a strange silhouette stood in the window. This man in a tri-cornered hat seemed to stare out the window directly at her.
Might this have been James Shields himself? Or perhaps another former tavern keeper, like Marot? After Marot died in 1717, a man called Francis Sharpe was accused of his murder, although it appears he was never convicted. Perhaps Marot’s spirit remains decidedly annoyed by this fact.
Given the tavern’s lengthy history, it could be any number of past owners lurking about the rooms after dark.
Additional ghost stories mention a little boy hiding below the tavern tables. Others photographing the tavern from outside have sighted a strange black mist, thought to be the spirit of a young girl who died after being hit by a carriage outside the tavern.
Even more recent hauntings have been suspected. The tavern is also said to be frequented by the spirit of a former reenactor who depicted James Shield. After his death, colleagues mentioned encountering his presence on the site.
Stolen Voices and Phantom Footsteps
According to historian Dr. Kelly Brennan Arehart, James Shields might not be the only Shields family ghost that haunts this history-steeped tavern.
Dr. Arehart is well-versed in Williamsburg’s haunted history and is no stranger to the otherworldly. She’s spent many a night inside empty buildings, observing lights that flicker, doors that swing open, and encountering footsteps with no person there. What she experienced at Shields Tavern, nonetheless, was truly unique.
One quiet night, Dr. Arehart had begun her tour at the historic tavern while other staff assembled on the second floor for a little mischief. There, they constructed an improvised spirit board, hoping to contact one of James Shields’ daughters, Frances Shields.
Why might this strange specter haunt the tavern still? Frances, it seems, was not written into James Shields’ will. Perhaps she remains a bit perturbed by this, even in the afterlife.
After asking Frances if she was there, the planchette moved to yes. They then asked if she was willing to talk. Once again, the planchette moved to yes.
Footsteps were heard next. The bunch, thinking they belonged to Dr. Arehart, called for her. They quickly discerned she was outside. After this incident, staff members heard Dr. Arehart’s distinctive footsteps or even her voice when she wasn’t presently there.
Dr. Arehart herself has even experienced this eerie occurrence. One night, on a closing shift, she descended into the basement to retrieve something. There, she heard a voice emanating from the corner—a voice she immediately recognized as her own.
She responded, “Who’s there?” The familiar phantom voice replied chillingly, “I thought you would have known by now.”
It appears that Frances did very much want to speak, and not just through a moving planchette. Why she adopted Dr. Arehart’s voice, however, is an enigma.
Haunted Williamsburg
Today, the popular Shields Tavern offers an inviting atmosphere filled with comforting cuisine and beverages amidst a historic backdrop. Just be wary of staying too late into the night — you never know what phantoms might be watching from a corner or peering out a window.
To plunge further into the spooky stories interwoven with Williamsburg’s history, keep reading on our blog, and be sure to follow US Ghost Adventures on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Prepared to wander down this city’s ghostly streets in person? Book a tour with Colonial Ghosts!