Got Ghosts? Better Call Hell Town Haunts

Mr. Keith W. Menefee, a seasoned historian, and Ms. Rose Greynolds, his youthful “Ghost Technician,” form an unusual team of historical paranormal investigators known as Hell Town Haunts. This past Tuesday, they captivated a packed audience at Samuels Library, recounting their eerie experiences at haunted sites around Front Royal, Virginia.

Rose Greynolds and Keith W. Menefee.

With over two years of experience in ghost hunting, Keith and Rose shared spine-tingling stories from their investigations into “spirits” at the Belle Boyd House and the Balthis House. These investigations have introduced them to numerous spirits, including a young boy named John. Located on Chester Street, these historic homes are steeped in the lingering presence of past lives—and sometimes, lives that refuse to move on.

Recently, my wife and I had the pleasure of interviewing Keith and Rose at Down Home Bakery on Main Street, situated in front of Vibrissa Brewery. A narrow hallway connects the two, where many have reported an unsettling, almost sinister feeling. Rose, who has encountered near-hostile entities there, described one particularly dark presence that gives even seasoned ghost hunters pause. Keith and his wife own the bakery, a place for great pie and its historical ambiance, with walls covered in photos of old Front Royal. Keith, a Front Royal native with generational ties to the area, is a wellspring of historical knowledge. Meanwhile, Rose, only 16, began sensing spirits at a young age and is now emerging as a medium.

The pair demonstrated several ghost-hunting tools they use in their investigations. These include the EMF meter, a staple of the paranormal investigator’s toolkit. EMF meters detect electromagnetic fluctuations, helping the team track unusual disturbances in old buildings where no electricity should be interfering with their readings. Another tool they use is the REM Pod, which creates its own electromagnetic field, lighting up when something disturbs it. The lights signal the proximity and strength of any energy source, helping to visualize potential spirit interactions.

Perhaps the most intriguing tool in their arsenal, however, is the Spirit Box. Unlike what its name might imply, the Spirit Box doesn’t capture spirits; instead, it gives them a medium through which to speak. By rapidly scanning AM/FM frequencies, the Spirit Box provides spirits a way to “hop” through various wavelengths to communicate—a practice known as Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP). By recording these interactions, Keith and Rose can later review and piece together responses, searching for any words or phrases from the beyond.

Rose’s youthful openness and lack of preconceived biases seem to make her particularly approachable to spirits, many of whom seem to prefer speaking with her over Keith. The pair also utilizes an Ovilus, a device that translates environmental readings into words. The Ovilus doesn’t scan frequencies; instead, it relies on shifts in temperature and electromagnetic fields to produce words, supposedly acting as a translator for spiritual communication.

Keith and Rose also categorize spirits into two types: residual and intelligent. Residual spirits seem stuck in time, replaying past events without awareness of their surroundings. Intelligent spirits, on the other hand, can interact with the living. While visiting the Belle Boyd House, Rose demonstrated this by interacting with a spirit who acknowledged her presence and that of her companions, stating, “There are four of them.” She frequently speaks with a young boy spirit in the Balthis House, believed to have died from a fever on a bed that remains in the house to this day.

Their work is not without danger. Before entering and leaving haunted locations, Keith and Rose recite a prayer to prevent spirits from attaching themselves to them. Rose shared a chilling story about one spirit that kept repeating “kill” and “prison.” She’s also encountered elusive “Shadow People” that linger in the corner of her eye. One even tried to lure her down a staircase, to which she emphatically responded, “Oh Hell No!” This moment is shared on their Facebook page, Down Home Front Royal, as well as on their YouTube channel, Hell Town Haunts.

Keith and Rose would like to express their gratitude to the Warren Heritage Society and Samuels Library for their ongoing support. They’re currently planning future investigations of haunted sites around Main and Chester Streets and other historic locations around Front Royal.

My wife and I were both intrigued and slightly spooked by their tales. So intrigued, in fact, that we invited them to visit our home to meet “our ghost.” If you’re curious, open-minded, or even a little skeptical, drop by Down Home Bakery to swap stories with Keith and Rose. They’ll regale you with tales of Front Royal’s rich history and its lingering mysteries.

Check out their YouTube channel for more chills and thrills.