Haugnting of the Blue Ridge Tunnel

East portal entrance

Built in the 1850s under the direction of a French immigrant, Claudius Crozet (1789 – 1864), using majority Irish folk (300) and African American people (40ish). Crozet was both the designer and the chief engineer on the project. He never expected the tunnel to take as long as it did to complete. Claudius had originally expected the tunnel to be complete by 1853, but nature had other plans.

Claudius Crozet

Due to massive hard rock and greenstone on the east side of the tunnel, it was a tough endeavor.. The rock was so unforgiving that drills had to be sharpened 18-20 times for every 18-inch deep hole that was drilled. To some, this may not seem like a huge deal, but to put that into perspective: while the Baltimore and Ohio Railway was advancing at a pace of 300 feet per month, the Blue Ridge Tunnel managed an average of only 53 feet per month. Some accounts put it as low as 19 feet per month.

Just inside a bit of the east end portal

The cost wasn't just in time and labor but in human lives as well. The workers and their families paid a high price for building this tunnel. At least 14 Irishmen died due to blasting accidents and rock falls.. Two African men died from a railcar incident another a month later died in a hand car accident. These African men were among the 33 to 50 slaves Claudius had in his possession. In 1852, Michael Curran had his hands ripped off by a blasting accident. Things continued to go sideways for the workers during the 1854s cholera epidemic. Many more workers, their families, and slaves alike perished. Approximately 189 souls in total the tunnel and cholera took during those years.

John Kelly played a huge role in the completion of the Blue Ridge Tunnel. He came to America from Ireland in 1834. He immediately started work on the Long Island-Jamaica Railroad. He continued his career on the Baltimore and Susquehanna Railroad. Over the next 12 years, Kelly became a full contractor. In that time, linking up with his Irish partner John Larguey.

After being passed over by Crozet for a cheaper contractor who ended up not being able to hold his end of the bargain. In early 1850, Kelly and company signed the contract to bore three tunnels, including that of the Blue Ridge Tunnel.

1855 brought new hardships. Virgin could no longer afford the cost of construction nor the pay to the workers. From 1855 to 1857, Kelly and his partner fronted the funds for the continued construction of the Blue Ridge and Brooksville tunnels.

It wasn’t until 1873 that the state finally began repaying John Kelly for the immense financial burden he and his late partner, John Larguey, had shouldered to keep the Blue Ridge and Brooksville tunnel projects alive. While they were reimbursed for funds advanced up to early 1856, anything spent beyond that point was only partially compensated, and even then, largely through undervalued state bonds. That same year, Virginia issued a payment of $10,491.97 to Kelly and to Larguey’s estate, years after Larguey’s passing in 1858.

The takeaway? Kelly and Larguey didn’t just build tunnels, they rescued them. But let their story be a warning: don’t front the Virginia commonwealth any money.

Perforation Announcement, Baltimore Sun, Jan 1857

In the depths of winter, around January of 1857, skilled stonemasons completed one of the tunnel’s most visually striking features that we see still standing today. A grand arch crowns the west portal of the Blue Ridge Tunnel. Described by the Richmond Daily Dispatch as a “handsome and massive piece of masonry,” the arch stood as both a structural triumph and a symbol of enduring craftsmanship carved into the mountainside. With it, there was a memorial plaque stating, “This work was constructed by the Commonwealth of Virginia. It was commenced in 1850 under the direction of the Board of Public Works." Beneath the inscription, seven names were engraved: those of the governor, Claudius Crozet, his former assistant engineer, and other state officials responsible for overseeing the project. One would notice the absence of the names of John Kelly and John Larguey, the two Irish contractors who not only saw the project through its darkest financial hours but personally financed the very stonework on which the plaque was mounted. Their omission from this lasting monument, despite their pivotal role, lingers like an unfinished sentence, a huge injustice carved in stone.

West end portal

After nearly a decade of sweat, blood, and loss, the tunnel was finally open for business in April 1858. However, it was still not 100% complete. June 8, 1859, brought with it not one but 2 more tragedies. An Irishman perished in the passage, and later the same day, another gentleman from an explosion.

photo from Richmond News Leader

The Blue Ridge tunnel was a marvel for its time—the first tunnel built without vertical or ventilation shafts. Upon its completion, it was the longest railway tunnel in the United States and remains the longest hand-dug tunnel constructed using only black powder.

Originally, the Blue Ridge Tunnel connected the end of the Louisa Railroad to the town of Waynesboro, linking Augusta and Nelson counties. On April 13, 1858, the tunnel opened to rail traffic.

Aug 1910 brought with it yet another tragedy, this time a young girl named Virginia. She and her family were moving to Cleveland, Ohio. They took the train from Chesapeake to Afton without any issue. During the middle of the night, the train passed through the Blue Ridge Tunnel. The conductor had instructed everyone to keep their windows closed due to poor ventilation in the tunnel, unfortunately, very few actually listened. Which allowed smoke into the cabins and woke the passengers.. And what did the idiots do? They flung more windows open, allowing MORE smoke inside the train.

The exact details remain unclear, but accounts suggest there was a sudden rush toward the rear of the train car. For reasons unknown, Virginia was the only passenger who managed to open the door. She jumped, tragically falling between the vestibule and the adjoining express car. In an instant, she was pulled beneath the wheels and killed. As the Spectator later reported, “In the blackness of the tunnel, all was confusion, and no coherent account of just what occurred could be obtained.”

East Portal, 1909

After nearly a century of service, the Blue Ridge Tunnel was finally outpaced by the modern world. By the 1940s, larger and faster trains rendered Crozet’s narrow, hand-dug passage obsolete. In 1944, a newer, more spacious tunnel was carved into the mountainside, running parallel to the original. With its purpose served, the original tunnel was left to the silence of the mountains.

East Portals – Old and New, circa 1950

Over time, nature crept back in. Moss blanketed the stone walls, water dripped steadily from cracks overhead, and fallen rock littered the once-busy rail bed. The tunnel fell into shadow, its history slowly forgotten by all but a few. Locals whispered of strange echoes and cold drafts that seemed to breathe of the past. Some said the walls remembered the sorrow of those who had labored and died, within never truly left.

By 1976 the Blue Ridge Tunnel entered the American Society of Civil Engineers as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), April 9, 2021

It wasn’t until the early 2000s, preservationists, historians, and community leaders began to take notice. What had once been a forgotten relic was now recognized as a cultural and engineering treasure. Here started another leg of the journey for the Blue Ridge Tunnel. It took damn near 2 decades for hard work, dedication and a lot of effort to be able to reopen the historic wonder.

On November 21, 2020, the 2.25 miles hike and that of the Blue Ridge Tunnel reopened to the public, not as a passage for trains, but as a trail through time. Hikers, cyclists, and curious travelers now walk the same stone corridor carved by hand nearly two centuries ago. Flashlights bounce off damp walls still scarred from blasting, and echoes chase footsteps where

locomotives once thundered. The air remains cool and heavy, as if the mountain itself is still holding its breath. The Blue Ridge Tunnel stands once more—part monument, part memorial, and for many, still a place where the past lingers just beneath the surface.

This is just a small part of the tunnel's history. I didn't wish to bore you all more than I may already have. 🙂

Paranormal side

April 4, 2025, was the first time I had ever stepped foot inside the Blue Ridge tunnel. I had found it via the web while looking at rumored haunted places in VA. So we decided to take the trip and see for ourselves what this historic marvel held.

April 4 was a hot summer day, and there were many people out hiking the trail and walking the tunnel, even my small Pup enjoyed the hike.

Day 1

During our first hike through the tunnel, I got a sense of a presence off and on. There were enough people that we did not overly need our own flashlights. Though still dark, the light from others was enough to know where to go. About halfway in, the energy changed, and my mate made a reference that we should be about halfway through the tunnel, to which I replied, “Something because the energy changed, it's not the same as it has been. It almost feels newer.” So I clicked on the flashlight to find we were then at the point in the tunnel with the red brick. This was not only awesome for me, but since doing research, it's highly interesting because it's not actually NEW, but it sure has a completely different energy to it.

The bricks start a little wonky looking, and the closer you get to the west end portal, the more "clean cut" laid they look.

Once we made it through, we turned around and headed back. At which point I ended up having to stop, squat down, and touch the running clear water. It was at this point that I felt someone squatting next to me. The feeling was so strong that I had my mate shine the light to make sure another traveler wasn’t by us.

As we walked, I felt an energy behind us. Imagine if you will, when someone is trying to sneak up on you and you get a sensation someone is standing there, well, that is the same type of sensation I was getting, and each time I would look, nothing was there. As we got closer the the east entrance, I heard a weird screaming sound. Still unsure of who or what made such a noise.
No real surprise, though. With so many deaths, there is no telling how many spirits still linger, especially since their resting place was disturbed and reopened to the public.
I did get some shots of orbs, which, of course, I always love.

Just one of the few I got from day one.

Day 2.

Today was much quieter. It was a dreary day, and hardly anyone was on the trail. As we hiked through the tunnel, the energy was calm. I felt like someone was watching us. Today, we made an effort to connect with the spirits using a pendulum. After all, I wasn’t trying to sit in clay and use a Ouija board. Lol

As we made our way to the West end of the tunnel, nothing really stuck out. Other than a faint "someone's here" vibe, however, once we started back towards the East end, the feeling that someone was watching never faded. About 50 yards in or so, I turned and looked at the opening of the West in the portal, and what I saw had me a bit confused.

There was a man standing just inside the entrance wearing a suit with a top hat. I could not see his face or the color of his skin due to it being dark and too far away. He stood tall, yet relaxed and unmoving, but the energy coming off of him was amusement, almost a type of smirking laughter. I knew he, or should I say “it” because I believe it was only showing itself to me as a humanoid man figure. He has power and not your usual spirit kind. This entity was keeping the ghost away. Not for my benefit either. He was doing it in a manner to show control and power. He knew why we were there and found it amusing to have the power to not allow the other spirits to communicate with us. He has the power to bind or block them somehow. He definitely saw us and knew why we were there.

I turned around and continued down the tunnel. We stopped once more in the middle-ish area and tried to make contact, but nothing. Since the day before I had captured a few orbs, I continued to take photos and not a nare one had any spirit activity.

Day 3

Our third and final day in the tunnel turned up even less. No orbs, no ghosts, no top hat man, nadda. Now, one thing I did find strange is that we did nothing different the first two days as far as how many batteries we took or how much we used the video camera and mic. However, on this day, the batteries DIED like dead on everything by the time we reached the western portal. Compared to the first two days, the batteries were simply low or about dead once we made it out and back to the vehicle. The flashlight we used was charged every night, and yet it was glitching out today. It felt like Mr. Top Hat was straight up suppressing everything.

Coincidence, or was Mr. Top hat sending a message that he didn’t want us there anymore?

This was my first encounter with this type of entity. Through my years, I have encountered a number of beings, but none like this fella. It sure has opened up questions.

If he was ever human, who was he?

What is he now?

Why did he not want the spirits to communicate with me?

A theory is that he owns the tunnel in some way. Rather, he is a residual spirit or something darker; he sees the tunnel as his domain. And when the spirits draw too much attention, he steps in and binds them, silencing them.

It could have been a Warden or gatekeeper spirit. They can be quite territorial. These spirits, once human, would have been the less-than-desirable style of human. The cruel foreman, landowner, etc.

A guardian turned malevolent is also an option here. A spirit that was meant to guard a place turns dark due to pain and suffering. Perhaps it's one of the men who lost their lives during the construction of the tunnel, and reopening it woke that spirit and caused it to turn angry, dark.

Maybe the isolation between the 1940s and 2000s, when it reopened, caused it to become controlling and dark.

Not to mention the actual "top hat man" theory.

Whatever it is, whatever he is, he has no interest in communicating. He knew what he was doing and was enjoying doing it.

Have you been to the Blue Ridge Tunnel and seen Mr. Top hat?

Be sure to check out the companion video here:

Haunted Appalachian Blue Ridge Tunnel Investigation