13th Annual Historical Ghost Walk

Five characters from Johnston County’s past will be brought back to life October 26 during the Johnston County Heritage Center’s 13th annual Ghost Walk in Smithfield’s historic Riverside Cemetery. This unique event, sponsored by the Johnston County Visitors Bureau and presented in conjunction with the Downtown Smithfield Development Corporation, will begin at 6:30 pm at the corner of Church and Second streets beside St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. 

The line-up includes several fascinating Johnston County personalities—Clayton native Hubert Banks, a member of the famous Harlem Hellfighters in World War I; Mrs. B. B. Adams of Four Oaks, a World War I Red Cross worker; a naval stores producer; Blanche Mitchener, Selma’s pioneering telephone operator; and Dr. Calvin Jones, a Smithfield physician who pioneered the use of the small pox vaccine in North Carolina. 

“This is a fun educational event for all ages that a lot of people look forward to,” says event chairman Matt Dean. “It’s a great way for families to learn about interesting people who are part of the Johnston County story.” 

Visitors will be given guided tours through the cemetery where they will meet each ghost character. The tour concludes with refreshments at the Hastings House, the home of the Downtown Smithfield Development Corporation where Confederate generals had their headquarters at the end of the Civil War. 

Admission charge is $3 for adults and $2 for students, payable at the event. No advance tickets will be sold. 

For further information, call the Heritage Center at 919-934-2836.