In June of 2025, we traveled once again to Fredericksburg, Virginia. As we were visiting the monument to Mary Bell Washington, we also discovered Kenmore. The home of her daughter and her husband, Fielding Lewis. We had to stop, and what we uncovered was wonderful, both historically and paranormal-related as well.

We first saw the house on Sunday (June 29) as we were visiting the location of Mary Bell Washington's tomb and read the sign posted there that the property was once part of the Kenmore property. As we were leaving that area to go back into town, we drove by the Kenmore house and stopped there because it looked intriguing. We found out the name of the residence. We had to leave because we had a schedule for that day, but later that night, while researching, we discovered that it was the original estate and decided we wanted to return for a tour before leaving Fredericksburg. We didn't initially include Kenmore in Fredericksburg, but we're glad we did.

Once we arrived, we walked about the front end of the property for a brief while, and then we made our way to the museum/gift shop area, where you can purchase tickets to tour the house. We were a little early for the tour, so we spent some time walking around the museum looking at the artifacts and reading the plaqards. If you plan on visiting yourself, we suggest that you view the website for Kenmore to find out the ticket prices and tour times. This will help you with the timing of your tour. Parking is only available on the street in front of the estate.

We made a video of the tour, where you can see the museum, the house, and the grounds. What we found out on the tour was some pretty intriguing information. Our video includes all of that information, from the ceiling designs to George Washington's ties to the paranormal activity reported in the building and on the grounds.

The Kenmore Estate in Fredericksburg is perhaps most famous for its intricate and breathtaking plaster ceilings, considered some of the finest examples of colonial decorative art in America. Each ceiling is elaborately adorned with motifs of fruits, flowers, shells, and classical patterns, showcasing a level of craftsmanship rarely seen in 18th-century homes. These ceilings were not only symbols of wealth and refinement but also testaments to the cultural aspirations of Fielding and Betty Washington Lewis, who wished their home to reflect the sophistication of the colonial gentry.

The artistry is credited to an anonymous craftsman who has since earned the nickname “the Stucco Man.” Although his true identity remains a mystery, his work demonstrates extraordinary skill in decorative plasterwork. Using lime, sand, and carefully sculpted molds, the Stucco Man created ceilings that appear almost sculptural, with intricate three-dimensional designs that have captivated visitors for centuries. The fact that his name has been lost to history only adds to the intrigue, making him a ghostly presence in Kenmore’s story—immortalized not in flesh, but in the ceilings that bear his genius.

The ceilings remain a major draw for historians, architects, and tourists alike. Some visitors even describe a strange, almost spiritual presence when gazing upward at the Stucco Man’s designs, as though the craftsman left behind more than just plaster—perhaps a part of himself, bound within the home’s walls. In a house already rich with tales of ghosts and lingering spirits, the Stucco Man’s invisible hand still guides the eyes of every guest who walks into Kenmore, reminding all that art can carry echoes of its maker long after the artist is gone.

When taking the tour of the home, visitors are only allowed on the main floor since the ceilings were being damaged as tours went to the second floor of the home. The work was so intricate and detailed that George Washington himself wrote to the Fieldings asking to borrow the craftsman to come to Mount Vernon to do the ceiling in the dining room of the mansion.

Kenmore Estate in Fredericksburg, Virginia, is one of the region’s most elegant and historically significant landmarks. Built in the 1770s, this Georgian-style mansion was the home of Fielding Lewis and his wife, Betty Washington Lewis, the only sister of George Washington. The home is a symbol of colonial affluence, Revolutionary sacrifice, and the bittersweet personal stories that shaped early America. Today, it stands preserved as both a historic site and a place that many believe is touched by the supernatural.

Before the Revolution, Fielding Lewis was a wealthy merchant with profitable trade ties to Great Britain. When war erupted, these trade routes became illegal, and he poured much of his fortune into supporting the American cause, personally financing arms and supplies for the Continental Army. His patriotic devotion, however, came at a devastating cost. As the war dragged on and overseas trade faltered, Fielding’s finances collapsed. He died in 1781, destitute and broken, never able to see the full fruits of independence that his sacrifices helped secure.

Betty Washington Lewis carried on in the mansion, raising their family while burdened by the weight of grief and loss. The estate itself became both a reminder of her husband’s noble efforts and of the hardships that had nearly ruined the family. These deep personal tragedies, layered over the already turbulent backdrop of the Revolution, are part of what gives Kenmore such a haunting atmosphere today.

The most well-known ghost story at Kenmore centers on Fielding Lewis himself. Witnesses over the years have reported seeing the apparition of a distinguished man in colonial dress pacing the grounds with a troubled expression. Others claim to have seen him in his former office, seated at a desk or wandering restlessly among the books and ledgers. Many believe his spirit is restless because of the debts he left behind and the immense pressures he shouldered in trying to fund a nation’s fight for freedom.

This apparition is described as tall, dignified, and sorrowful, often appearing late at night when the mansion is quiet. Some visitors report that the air becomes unusually heavy before he is seen, as though the house itself remembers his struggles. Paranormal investigators suggest that Fielding’s energy lingers because of the emotional toll of losing his fortune and his role as a provider. In death, he seems bound to the estate where his dreams and sacrifices both blossomed and crumbled.

Reports of his ghost are not the only supernatural claims tied to Kenmore. Many have seen what they believe to be the apparition of Betty Washington Lewis, her presence felt in the upper bedrooms and near the large windows where she may have once gazed over the grounds. She is said to appear calm and motherly, watching over the home and family she loved.

Unexplained noises also abound in the house. Guides and visitors have heard footsteps echoing across empty halls, doors opening and shutting without explanation, and muffled voices drifting as though from another time. These auditory phenomena often occur in the areas where the Lewis family gathered, as though echoes of colonial life have never entirely faded.

Temperature fluctuations add to the estate’s haunted reputation. Guests frequently report sudden cold spots in otherwise warm rooms, particularly in the office where Fielding Lewis is said to linger. Sometimes, an overwhelming sense of sadness or pressure accompanies these icy chills, reinforcing the belief that his spirit remains troubled.

The basement and servant quarters have their own share of paranormal reports. Many visitors describe feelings of unease or sorrow in these spaces, with some suggesting that the spirits of enslaved people connected to the property may still be present. The weight of that history, combined with the estate’s larger tragedies, creates a strong sense of lingering unrest.

Objects moving without explanation are another recurring theme. Tour guides recount incidents where chairs shift slightly, doors unlock themselves, or items appear in unexpected locations. While these occurrences are subtle, they contribute to the growing body of experiences that keep Kenmore’s reputation alive among paranormal circles.

Investigators who have studied the estate claim to have recorded electronic voice phenomena (EVPs), capturing whispers and phrases that some interpret as the voices of Fielding or Betty Lewis. At times, the words “help” or “money” have been reported, perhaps symbolic of Fielding’s desperate financial state in his final years. Skeptics dismiss these as coincidence, but believers see them as direct communication from the past.

Kenmore is thus a place where beauty, history, and tragedy intertwine. Visitors come to admire its architecture and learn of its ties to the Washington family, but many leave with chills and stories of strange encounters. Whether it is the dignified yet sorrowful ghost of Fielding Lewis pacing the grounds, Betty Washington Lewis keeping watch, or the echoes of voices from centuries ago, Kenmore Estate remains both a historic jewel and one of Virginia’s most quietly haunted treasures.