Avenel (Bedford, Virginia)


Avenel, also known as the William M. Burwell House, is a historic home located at Bedford, Virginia. It was built about 1836, and is a two-story, brick dwelling with a blend of Federal and Greek Revival styling. It is topped by a hipped roof and has a one-story wraparound porch. Also on the property are a contributing smokehouse, hen house, a frame 19th-century barn, and site of a kitchen building.
"The Lady in White" or the "White Lady of Avenel", is the most commonly reported apparition at Avenel. The apparition is thought to be Mary Frances "Fran" Burwell. "The legend has it that she stayed on the front porch waiting for her husband to come home from the Civil War, but he never did." says Adam Stupin, founder of SouthWest Virginia Ghost Hunters.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. It is located in the Bedford Historic District.