Staunton, Virginia, often dubbed "The Queen City," was founded in 1747 and is widely regarded as one of the most haunted small towns in Virginia. Because the town largely escaped physical destruction during the Civil War, much of its 18th- and 19th-century architecture remains intact, leaving centuries of history—and dark folklore—embedded in its streets.  Along with the Civil War history, its former psychiatric institutions, cemeteries, and railroad tragedies provide much material for local ghost lore.