Vancouver Ghost Stories: First Presbyterian Church

Today is the first day of October and the unofficial start of spooky season. The greens of summer turn crimson and gold, chill winds blow from lead gray skies, and Halloween decorations are unearthed from dusty attic boxes to hold court on porches and front lawns. There is no better way to kick off the season than with a ghost story, so turn out the lights and gather ‘round.

Photo credit: Google, "Streetview", digital images, Google Maps (http://maps.google.com),
photograph of 400 W Evergreen Blvd, Vancouver, Washington, taken June 2019.

The Gothic Revival building that occupied the northwest corner of Evergreen and Daniels in downtown Vancouver until late 2020 was originally constructed as the First Presbyterian Church in 1912. Over the years, the building was also home to the Columbia Arts Center until 2000, and finally New Heights Church. In each of its incarnations, the building has been the home of a ghostly specter.

Many visitors to the building reported sightings of a tall bearded man in dark clothing. When approached, the man would disappear. Other accounts included hearing mysterious footsteps nearby only to discover that no one was there. Others claimed simply seeing a shadow in the shape of a man.

A popular theory is that the ghost is the spirit of Reverend Charles Baskerville, the former pastor of the church, who tragically perished in 1929 while attempting to save his wife and daughter from drowning. The dark clothing worn by the phantom could be the ministerial garments of a parson. Serving the church for ten years prior to his death, Reverend Baskerville was a beloved and dedicated figure, and perhaps his attachment to the church transcended death.

The building was demolished in the fall of 2020, and is currently a vacant lot. Although the structure is gone, it is not known for certain if the ghost remained behind. If you are crossing this way on a cold, dark night you may have no one to accompany you except the sound of the wind in the trees or the soft patter of an October drizzle. Or maybe you will encounter a tall bearded man in dark clothing.

Ref.: Jollota, Pat. Haunted Vancouver, WA. E-book edition, 2020.

Comments

  1. Dale ChumbleyOctober 1, 2022 at 10:46 AM

    I'll miss the Columbia Arts Center! Spent a good portion of the 80's and 90's in that building. So many amazing memories of our once vibrant theatre scene. Specifically Peanut Gallery Theater Company and Little Peanuts. Loved being onstage, back stage and up in the lighting booth. Had some pretty great times up in the bell-tower as well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. KeithOctober 2, 2022 at 6:09 AM

      Those sound like wonderful memories. I am still fairly new here, so I was not around to enjoy the local theater, except for one production at Magenta. With all of the recent construction downtown, I would hope that there could be a push for a new arts center there. It would be great for that old theater scene to be revived.

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