The transition from sunny summer vitality to those more vibrant and fiery colors in conjunction with cooler climes (a last hurrah preceding winter’s pending dormancy) has a way of stirring up thoughts and feelings of nostalgia. It also comes at a time when the spooky season is right at its peak, reminding us not only of our unpredictable and oftentimes paradoxical Mid-Atlantic weather patterns but also of our versatile and perplexing histories paired with alleged hauntings that have emerged throughout the centuries.
The state of Maryland in particular provides the perfect cocktail of quintessential haunts of all kinds. Given its noted reputation as “America in miniature,” along with the fact that it was one of the 13 original colonies, it goes without saying that it would be the optimal place to find profuse and versatile hauntings surrounding its rich state history. In honor of Halloween and to provide for your creepy, cozy reading pleasure, in this Flashback Friday Feature, I’m taking you on a fright flight of some of Maryland’s most historic hauntings.
Antietam National Battlefield
With its Civil War notoriety for being the single bloodiest day in American military history, how could the Antietam National Battlefield in Sharpsburg not be haunted? Whether you believe in ghosts or not, it is the haunted memory of what unfolded here back in 1862 during the Battle of Antietam. These grounds became the resting place for more than 22,000 brutally slain soldiers. Others were severely wounded or went missing.
By the accounts of countless visitors and even several rangers, the battle continues to this day. Eyewitness reports include visions of soldier-like entities walking through the fields. Those with higher sensitivity levels are often troubled by inexplicable sadness when walking the grounds. Some areas appear to be more spirited than others, one example being Sunken Road, alternately known as “Bloody Lane” for obvious reasons.
Bladensburg Dueling Grounds
Infamously given the moniker “Dark and Bloody Grounds,” Bladensburg Dueling Grounds in Bladensburg, as its name suggests, played host to at least 50 known duels between the early and mid-1800s. One of its most famous resident ghosts is none other than Commodore Stephen Decatur, who was killed on these grounds in 1820.
The most common vision reported is that of the naval hero clutching his abdomen. A woman in black mourning attire, assumed to be Decatur’s widow, has also been spotted, weeping beneath the oak tree. The most spirited haunting occurs in the center of the old field, marked by much sadness, sickness, and death. Sensitive individuals often report chest pains, sudden temperature changes, and feelings of illness in these parts. Sometimes gunshots still echo through the otherwise silent fields.
Edgar Allan Poe House
Located in the heart of Baltimore, this was where the famed author once lived. And some say he and various members of his household remain at home here to this day. Not only has the entity believed to be Poe been seen throughout the house, but also a gentle female, thought to be Virginia. She’s been most commonly reported in the second-story bedroom. Other reported hauntings in the house include cold spots, phantom breathing, and overwhelming feelings of melancholy.
Fell’s Point
One of Baltimore’s most historic districts also happens to be one of its most haunted ones. Founded in 1763, the community of Fell’s Point has seen it all, from epidemics, illness, brawls, and significant historic events. It’s no wonder that it hosts a helping of spirits to reflect it all.
Poe’s spirit apparently gets around, because he’s been reported at The Horse You Came In On Saloon also. The spirit of a fever-quarantined child has been reported in room 413 at the Admiral Fell Inn as well. A ghost of a bar fight victim, Geoffrey, can still be found about the Cat’s Eye Pub. But what may be one of the most haunted locations is the tunnel system beneath Thames Street. In short, Fell’s Point is a historic haunted hotspot by varying accounts. Guided ghost walks even operate here several nights a week, especially during the Halloween season.
Forest Haven Asylum
Now in a state of decay and ruin, Forest Haven Asylum in Laurel was permanently shuttered back in 1991 as a result of a lawsuit surrounding ongoing abuse. In its 66-year tenure, more than a thousand deaths have been recorded here.
Several sad, sick spirits remain trapped on these grounds to this day. The most famous entity reported in Building Four is that of the infamous girl in white. The basement morgue is also a lively bed of activity.
Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine
Given its dark history and harrowing conditions while in use as a military prison during the Civil War, how could Fort McHenry be anything but haunted? Based in Baltimore, the creepy energy and reported sights and sounds are seemingly endless, to say the least.
Historic Jericho Covered Bridge
As one of the state’s oldest still-surviving covered bridges, this Kingsville marvel has seen it all, including multiple hauntings throughout the decades. Some unlucky drivers report their cars stalling while crossing the bridge. Others claim to find phantom-formed fingerprints on their vehicles. Appearances of a mysterious female ghost top the list, though. It’s just undeniably overall creepy vibes all around.
Historic Sotterley
Based in St. Mary’s County, the once-thriving tobacco plantation can be traced back to circa 1703. Now a converted museum, several staff members have reported hearing soft voices and drumming near the slave cabin in particular. Visitors and employees alike often feel a sense of being pushed while on the primary staircase. The smell of brewing coffee and sizzling bacon infiltrates the kitchen at certain times as well.
Jonathan Hager House
Constructed in 1740 by German immigrant Jonathan Hager of Hagerstown, this historic home gives off undeniably uncomfortable vibes for many visitors. Some of the haunted accounts reported by tourists and tour guides include muffled voices, objects being moved around, and the disturbing sensation that someone unseen is watching you. Sometimes the nursery cradle and rocking chair can be seen swaying on their own.
Maryland State House
Established during the late 1700s, the Maryland State House holds the title of being the oldest state capitol still in continuous legislative use in the United States. The Annapolis marvel also boasts a 94-foot wooden dome, the largest all-wooden dome in North America.
A tall order indeed, the construction of such a marvel came at a fateful cost to one of the employed plasterers, Thomas Dance. He apparently fell to his death in 1793 while working on the dome. By all accounts, he never left.
Various other entities have been seen on the grounds as well. Strange sounds and feelings have accompanied these accounts many times over.
Mount Clare Mansion
As Baltimore’s oldest surviving colonial estate, Mount Clare Mansion has seen it all and served multiple purposes through the years. It predates the American Revolution by several years and was later even used as a Union hospital during the Civil War. That alone is enough to peg it as being a spiritually saddened place linked to suffering and death. Yet one of the house’s most notable ghost sightings is that of Margaret Tilghman Carroll, who lived here during the colonial era and died in 1817. She’s often seen from the window. Others report smelling lavender, believed to be the scent of her perfume.
Point Lookout Lighthouse
Here you have another one-time Civil War prison camp, this time based in Scotland, Southern Maryland. It sits right on the tip of the confluence of the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River with what can easily be described as one of the nation’s most haunted lighthouses. Owing to the harrowing conditions that defined the many happenings here, several soldier spirits have been spotted along with lingering sounds and sudden temperature changes.
USS Constellation
Docked in Baltimore, the USS Constellation was built by the United States Navy and launched in 1854. It is now apparently home to several spirits who never left, including Captain Thomas Truxtun, who still allegedly walks the quarterdeck. But it’s really sailor Neil Harvey who steals the show, owing to his infamous execution story. Other observations include phantom footsteps, gunpowder smells, cold spots, and appearances by various other crew members.
Westminster Hall and Burying Ground
Here is another Baltimore-based hotspot. Most notably, it is the final resting place of Edgar Allan Poe, his wife, and mother-in-law. And it goes without saying that the former’s ghost has been seen here as well.
Another notable appearance is frequently made by General James McHenry, a Secretary of War under Washington and Adams. He’s easily recognizable by his Revolutionary regalia and proximity to his family plot.
According to witnesses and official paranormal investigations alike, the graveyard’s catacombs are the most haunted hotspot of all. Daytime tours are even led through these grounds on select Saturdays between April and November. Evening ghost tours are conducted exclusively during October.
These are just a handful of haunted examples from a countless array of plenty. Maryland is home to so many other options to explore in addition to all these. Take note, however, that not all locations are accessible or open to the public, so exercise caution while seeking happy haunts.