THE PARANORMAL WORLD DATABASE       MARYLAND   ADMIRAL FELL INN (BALTIMORE) BACKGROUND: The central building of what is now the landmark Admiral Fell Inn was opened on December 3, 1900. The property, then known as The Anchorage, was built by the Port Mission Women's Auxiliary as a place "to maintain under Christian influence a boarding house for seamen, a home away from home, a social and recreational center where the seafarer might find a safe refuge while in port." Guests had to be deloused in order to stay. That was still preferable being shanghaied; the building was a safe haven for merchant seamen who were grateful to stay in one of the inn's 28 rooms. Continuing in this tradition, the YMCA ran the facility as a Seamen's Branch from 1929 to 1955. After that followed a series of tenants and periods of vacancy during which time the buildings fell into disrepair. The most recent tenant, a vinegar factory, closed in the mid-1970s. In 1985, after a total renovation, the original Anchorage buildings were reopened as the Admiral Fell Inn, a bed-and-breakfast with 38 rooms. PHENOMENA:  Guests have often called the front desk in the late hours to complain to complain about loud noises or what sounds like a party coming from the room next door only to learn no one is checked in there. One guest in room 218 woke up to the sound of footsteps in his room and looked on as a woman in old fashioned clothing entered through the wall. She motioned to him to relax and lie back down before moving over to check on the person in the adjacent bed. She then vanished from sight. A member of the housekeeping staff claims being touched on the shoulder and experiencing odd cold spots in room 413. ANTIETAM NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD (SHARPSBURG) BACKGROUND: The Battle began at dawn on September 17, 1862, when Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker began the Union artillery bombardment of the Confederate positions of Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson in the Miller cornfield. Hooker's troops advanced behind the falling shells and drove the Confederates from their positions. Around 7 a.m. Jackson reinforced his troops and pushed the Union troops back. Union Maj. Gen. Joseph K. Mansfield sent his men into the fray and regained some of the ground lost to the Confederates. The battle was over with the Union sitting on three sides, waiting for the next day. During the night of the 18th, General Lee pulled his troops back across the Potomac River, leaving the battle and the town to General McClellan. Also during this battle 23 thousand died, wounded, and missing on both sides during the battle. PHENOMENA: What is known as, “Bloody Lane” is a particularly active part of the battlefield with sounds of phantom gunfire along with the smell of smoke and gunpowder. One group of schoolboys were on a tour of the battlefield and while recording their thoughts for their history assignment, more than one described hearing shouts and singing on Bloody Lane. During a fire in the 1970s at the Pry House, which served as a hospital during the Civil War battle, firefighters reported seeing a woman standing in front of a second floor window after that floor had collapsed. One director’s first day at the house was spent hauling out junk and he opened all of the doors in the house. He listened as each one of them slammed shut from front to back. Ruling out a breeze passing through the house, he opened them all again and again them all slammed shut, this time from back to front. A ghostly woman has been spotted walking out of an upstairs office and what looks like a lantern has been seen floating down an old road. At Burnside Bridge, there are reports of ghostly figures, balls of blue of light and sounds of drum playing. It is also said that during reenactments, phantom soldiers will sometimes join the ones acting. BALTIMORE COUNTY ALMSHOUSE (COCKNEYSVILLE) BACKGROUND: Constructed of local limestone in 1872, the Almshouse was damaged by a fire in 1919 after which it was rebuilt. The building has been used in several different capacities since 1958 when modern methods of caring for the indigent dictated its closing as a poorhouse. The Historical Society and various county agencies have been located in the Almshouse since 1959. During the Cold War, the Almshouse was used as a fallout shelter; emergency supplies from that era still reside in the basement. The Historical Society of Baltimore County’s campus comprises several buildings of various ages and states of repair. Chief of these is the Almshouse which houses the offices and library. PHENOMENA: Visitors sometimes claim to hear children playing and objects being tossed around. They also report the sounds of women’s conversations on the third floor and sometimes catch a glimpse of someone involved. A former resident named Anthony Rose who died in a fall down an elevator shaft is also thought to haunt the building. CLUB CHARLES (BALTIMORE) BACKGROUND: Esther West opened the Wigwam Restaurant in 1951. Esther was a Native American born in Oklahoma, but making Baltimore her home. Successful from the start, she continued to hold on as urban blight move into the area. In 1981 a change was definitely needed. The Wigwam became the Club Charles (Esther had worked there for years as a hat check and bartender). The original Club Charles had closed years earlier and Cy Bloom gave Esther the okay to use the name. Art director Vince Peranio came on board and helped showcase the art deco bones. The Club Charles became the mecca for artists, musicians and everyone in between. John Waters called the Club Charles his favorite spot. In 1997 the Club Charles welcomed its little sister, the Zodiac Restaurant. Also fashioned from the past, the Zodiac is Art Moderne in style. The large mural of the zodiac above the bar is from a theater in New York. The mural was painted by the Nardini Studios of Hollywood, California in 1941. http://clubcharles.us/history.htm PHENOMENA: The club is reportedly haunted by a benevolent ghost dressed in a black-and-white waiters uniform named “Frenchie,” who was said to be a double agent working for the Allies in WWII. It’s said he moved to Baltimore and once lived in an apartment above the club. He makes after-hour appearances and likes to move bottles and glasses around. Another spirit is said to sit at table 13 smoking a cigar. It’s thought he died in the club during the Prohibition Era of the 1920s. TRIVIA: Club Char;es appeared on the SyFy series, Proof Positive. It’s result was indeed, “positive”. DRUID RIDGE CEMETERY (PIKESVILLE) BACKGROUND: When General Felix Agnus, the publisher of the Baltimore “American”, died in the 1925, he was buried here in Druid Ridge Cemetery. A memorial statue was placed on his grave that was named by its sculptor, Augustus St, Gaudens, “Grief”. Oddly, this figure was modeled after one Gaudens was previously commissioned to create called the “Adams Memorial” as it was designed for the wife of Henry Adams (grandson of John Quincy), Marion, who tragically took her own life after the death of her father in 1885. Henry Adams steadfastly refused to acknowledge this sculpture, going so far as to hide it behind some bushes which was odd considering it was regarded as an incredible piece of art. It’s reasonable to assume Agnus had been aware of the original casting and had one created for his family plot which angered Adams to a great degree. The Agnus statue went on to be known as the “Black Aggie”. Becoming aware of this, Gaudens widow even traveled to see this replication calling Agnus a “good deal of a barbarian” to copy the original work, while Agnus claimed he was duped by unscrupulous dealers and refused to remove the art from the plot even after suing (and winning) $4,500 from the dealers. PHENOMENA: Urban legend alert >> Soon it was said that those who ventured near the Black Aggie at night would suffer great tragedy. It was said her eyes glowed at night and this legend grew to the point even newspapers publish accounts of her mayhem. Soon some incredible stories surfaced about her powers: The dead would rise and gather around her gather around on specific nights;  the living were made blind by staring directly into her eyes; pregnant women would suffer miscarriages if they walked in her shadow; how a local fraternity during an initiation rite would require pledges to sit on her lap and how one time a freshman was crushed in her grasp. For a while the statue disappeared after being removed due to the excessive amount of graffiti and vandalism it encountered. It was donated to the Smithsonian for display but it was discovered they did not have it and never did so. Eventually it was found at the Federal Courts building in Washington, in the rear courtyard of the Dolly Madison house. EDGAR ALLEN POE HOUSE (BALTIMORE) BACKGROUND: Assumed to have been built in 1830 and rented by Poe's aunt Maria Clemm in 1832. Clemm was joined in the home by her ailing mother, Elizabeth Cairnes Poe, and her daughter Virginia Clemm. Edgar Allan Poe moved in with the family in 1833 around the age of 23, after leaving West Point. Virginia was 10 years old at the time; Poe would marry her three years later, though their only public ceremony was in 1836. Poe lived in the house from about 1833 to 1835. The house was rented using pension money that Elizabeth collected thanks to her husband, David Poe Sr., who was a veteran of the American Revolutionary War. The home is small and Poe's room on the top floor has a ceiling with a sharp pitch which is six feet high at its tallest point. In the 1930s, homes in the area, including Poe's, were set for demolition to make room for the "Poe Homes" public housing project. The house was purchased by Richard Gimbel and control was given to the Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore, which opened the home as The Baltimore Poe House in 1949. PHENOMENA: In the 1970s, a common claim from visitors was feeling a tap on the shoulder in one particular spot. Another time, an actor was using an empty room to change into costume and watched a window sash fly across the room and land at his feet. When someone went to check on him, he was already packing his belongings and headed out the door. Although visitors to the house have reported unexplained cold spots in the place, Poe’s ghost is not believed to haunt it. However, there have been spectral sightings of a heavyset woman with gray hair and period clothing of the early 1800’s. The house was vacant between 1922 and 1949, when it became a historical site and museum. Since the 1960's, the sounds of hushed voices have been heard and visitors have reported being touched by invisible hands and have seen doors and windows open by themselves. TRIVIA: The late Vincent Price toured the house many years ago and came away saying,  “This place gives me the creeps.” FLETCHERTOWN ROAD (BOWIE) BACKGROUND: The first media mention of the “Goatman” came on October 27, 1971, in the Bowie-based Prince George’s County News. On November 30, the Goatman got its first introduction to a larger audience thanks to the Washington Post. An article headlined “A Legendary Figure Haunts Remote Pr. George’s Woods,” identifies the young men who found the body of a dog named Ginger: Ray Hayden, John Hayden, and Willie Gheen. The Prince George’s County Police are also quoted in the piece saying that “the legend just gets passed on from generation to generation” and that they’ve been receiving more recent calls about Goatman sightings.https://www.washingtonian.com/2015/10/30/the-goatman-or-his-story-at-least-still-haunts-prince-georges-county/ PHENOMENA: Urban legend alert >> Local folklore regarding the origins of the Goatman are numerous and all equally fantastic. One claims he was an angry, isolated goat herder who lost his mind after finding his goats dead at the hands of some local teens. Other stories identify him as some sort of bizarre cryptid, but the biggest stretch has him as the result of some sort of experiment gone horribly wrong at the nearby Beltsville Research Agricultural Center who actually went on the record to deny that rumor. The boys mentioned above found Ginger decapitated near Fletchertown Road after she had gotten away from her owners. It was assumed the Goatman was responsible because their 16 year old daughter claimed to hear strange noises there and reports of a bipedal hairy creature had become increasingly prominent in that area. The Governor Bridge, otherwise known as the "Cry Baby" Bridge, is also known as a place where Goatman can be seen. If you park under the bridge at night, you may hear a baby crying, a goat braying or even see Goatman himself. FORT FREDERICK STATE PARK (BIG POOL) BACKGROUND: Fort Frederick was built in 1756-57 by the colony of Maryland. During the French and Indian War in 1756, a £6000 appropriation was authorized by the Maryland Legislature at the request of Governor Horatio Sharpe to build a fortification on the frontier. The fort, named after Frederick Calvert, 6th Baron Baltimore, was completed the following year. Between 1757 and 1758, small raids by Indians in nearby settlements caused settlers in the surrounding countryside to flee eastward. At the same time men of the 60th Regiment of Foot and local militia soldiers garrisoned the fort. Ranging parties were sent from the fort to patrol the area and to deter if not prevent Indian raids. The fort was not designed to resist artillery, as it was correctly assumed that the French would not be able to transport artillery to the remote location from the west. The fort served its purpose in 1763 during Pontiac's Rebellion; however, the fort was never directly attacked. The fort was used as a prisoner of war camp from 1777 to 1783. PHENOMENA: Staff and visitors report odd cold spots, odd noises after hours and shadowy apparitions who wander the parking lot. Reenactors claim feeling an angry presence who stalks them through their recreations until they end and the participants leave. This entity might be inhuman as it’s described a small, dark shadowy mist that floats through the grounds. FORT MC HENRY (BALTIMORE) BACKGROUND: It is best known for its role in the War of 1812, when it successfully defended Baltimore Harbor from an attack by the British navy from the Chesapeake Bay on September 13–14, 1814. It was first built in 1798 and was used continuously by the U.S. armed forces through World War I and by the Coast Guard in World War II. It was designated a national park in 1925. During the War of 1812, an American storm flag was flown over Fort McHenry during the bombardment. It was replaced early on the morning of September 14, 1814 with a larger American garrison flag. The larger flag signaled American victory over the British in the Battle of Baltimore. The sight of the ensign inspired Francis Scott Key to write the poem "Defence of Fort M'Henry" that was later set to the tune "To Anacreon in Heaven" and became known as "The Star Spangled Banner", the national anthem of the United States. PHENOMENA: Staff members through the years have reported everything from shadowy figures to drums beating to the smell of gunpowder. Phantom footsteps throughout the fort are another common claim.  It’s been said that the ghost of Lt. Levi Claggett, who was killed at the Battle of Baltimore when a British mortar dislodged a cannon which fell on him and crushed him to death. His spirit has been seen floating off the ground as if walking on air. Perhaps because the water batteries are not in the same location since his death. There is also a haunted prison cell that may still be inhabited by the spirit of Private John Drew, who was arrested and placed there after falling asleep at his post. When the guard was looking away, Private Drew shot himself in the head. GARRETT JACOBS MANSION (BALTIMORE) BACKGROUND: Built in 1853 by Samuel George, the home gets its name from its last and most famous owner, Mary Frick Garrett Jacobs, who, with her husband Robert Garrett, transformed the home into a prime example of the Gilded Age mansions of the city. During this first stage of renovation, Robert Garrett became ill. The pressures of operating the railroad prompted him to resign as president of the B & O in 1887. While abroad on a trip planned to ease his nerves, his tenuous health was further hampered by the unexpected death of his beloved brother, Thomas Harrison, in a yachting accident. Garrett lived eight years in a state of precarious health before dying in 1896. During his illness, Dr. Henry Barton Jacobs, at the time a physician at Massachusetts General Hospital, was engaged as Garrett’s full-time physician. Four years after Robert Garrett’s death, Dr. Jacobs, who, after Garrett’s death, had joined the staff of Johns Hopkins Hospital doing clinical work, specializing in study and care of tuberculosis, proposed marriage to Mary Garrett. They were married in 1904. In 1962, it was sold to Baltimore’s Engineering Society, an organization that contributed much to Baltimore’s revitalization after the Baltimore fire of 1904 that destroyed most of the downtown. In need of a new home, the Engineering Society moved into the property and rescued it. PHENOMENA:  Shadowy figures as well as a full table of ghostly guests raising their glasses in the dining room have been seen in the mansion, but the most notorious sighting at this home probably involves a former handyman. During one holiday season, Peter Weston, the former food and beverage director, moved a heavy sculpture for the Women’s Auxiliary, but the next morning it was back in its original place. Upset, Weston asked Manny the handyman about the sculpture but Manny denied knowing anything about it. The handyman turned in his resignation on Christmas Eve, his final working day to be New Year’s Eve, but he suddenly took ill and died that December 31. Nearly a month later, Weston was working downstairs and saw Manny sitting in a chair by the bar where he normally took his break. Instinctively, Weston said, “Hello Manny,” but when he turned back, shocked, Manny had vanished. http://www.mikericksecker.com/why-does-this-town- host-a-christmas-ghost-hunt-6-true-christmas-ghost-stories/ GLENN DALE HOSPITAL (GLENN DALE) BACKGROUND: A tuberculosis sanatorium and isolation hospital. It is a large facility, consisting of 23 buildings on 216 acres that was built in 1934 and closed in 1981 due to asbestos. Though it is now closed and may be eventually demolished, for decades it was an important public health institution near Washington, DC. The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission Park Police patrol the hospital grounds regularly.  In the meantime, the Countywide Historic Preservation Staff of MNCPPC is preparing an application to designate the hospital on the National Register of Historic Places, which would make tax credits available for restoration. PHENOMENA: Those that have braved security there report strange noises, yelling, banging and sounds of laughter. Urban legend alert >>  There are also claims of the smell of burning flesh but this might be due to the false claims of a crematorium on site that was actually used to burn hospital waste. It’s also said that a pack of “black dogs” roam the site and a man in a straitjacket has been seen in one of the rooms. Legend has it that he killed himself over guilt of witnessing his family murdered and being helpless to stop it. It is also allegedly one of the prime locations for sightings of the famous Maryland “Goatman”. HAMPTON MANSION (TOWNSEND) BACKGROUND: The estate was owned by the Ridgely family for seven generations, from 1745 to 1948. The Hampton Mansion was the largest private home in America when it was completed in 1790 and today is considered to be one of the finest examples of Georgian architecture in the U.S. The property was originally part of the Northampton land grant given to Col. Henry Darnall (c. 1645–1711), a relative of Lord Baltimore, in 1695. His heirs sold the land on April 2, 1745, to Col. Charles Ridgely (1702–72), a tobacco farmer and trader. In 1783, Capt. Ridgely began construction of the main house, Hampton Mansion. He said its concept was inspired by Castle Howard in England, owned by relatives of his mother. Although Maryland, as a border state, was exempted from Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, the Maryland General Assembly eliminated slavery in 1864. With the end of slavery, Hampton began to decline. A number of the former slaves continued to work at Hampton as paid household servants but the Ridgelys had to hire other hands to work the farm. Starting in January 2005, the mansion closed for almost three years as it underwent the major restoration project. PHENOMENA: There is along history of reported hauntings here, though many now attached to the house claim it’s all “malarkey”. Here are a few: It’s said the ghost of Priscilla Ridgely, the rather mentally unstable wife of Charles Carnan Ridgely has been seen by staff and visitors dressed in a gray gown wandering through the mansion. One descendant of the Ridgely family who lived there heard some soft knocking at the front door.  Upon answering, she saw a frail looking woman staring inside. She invited the haggard looking woman inside to warm herself in front of the fire whereupon which the visitor simply vanished from sight. The young daughter of Governor Swann named Cygnet suffered from an illness and came to Hampton to convalesce. One morning, Cygnet told her mother Eliza about a dream where she was chased through a field by a man with a scythe who vowed  kill her. That same night a party was held for her to lift her spirits, but a butler found her upstairs sitting dead at a table with a hairbrush in her hand. Since then she has been seen in the room, slowly brushing her hair dressed in a ball gown with the sound of harpsichord music sometimes emanating from the room. The family butler through the 1800s named Tom is said to still be performing his duties here and at one point was said to have given a visitor a tour of the home - well after his death. Tom also likes to open and close doors throughput the house. HORSE YOU CAME IN ON SALOON (BALTIMORE) BACKGROUND: The Horse You Came in On Saloon, known by locals simply as "The Horse", was established in 1775 and over the next two centuries became a Fell's Point institution. The Horse was the last destination before the mysterious death of the great American writer Edgar Allan Poe. In addition to being Baltimore's oldest saloon, it is the only bar in Maryland to exist before, during and after prohibition. It operates as America's oldest continually operated saloon. The Fell's Point Historic District, bound by Aliceanna Street on the north, Wolfe Street in the east, Dallas Street on the west, and Baltimore Harbor on the south, is part of the Fell's Point neighborhood which was founded in 1730 by William Fell. In 1763, William's son Edward Fell laid out streets and began selling plots. The town grew quickly, and eventually incorporated with Baltimore Town and Jones Town in 1797 to form the city of Baltimore. The area grew wealthy on the tobacco, flour and coffee trades through the 18th and 19th centuries. PHENOMENA: It’s believed that Edgar Allen Poe’s ghost resides in the pub he often frequented and is supposedly the last stop he made before his death. The chandelier has been known to swing on its own, and the cash register has been known to open itself even after many closings by a frustrated bartender. So certain are the staff that Poe is among them that they often will speak to him at night just before closing. His ghost has been seen walking down the street and it’s been said he will drink, clean and put away a glass of cognac when bartenders leave it out for him. JERICHO COVERED BRIDGE (BALTIMORE) BACKGROUND: A Burr arch through truss wooden covered bridge near historic Jerusalem Mill Village. The bridge was constructed in 1865 across the Little Gunpowder Falls. This bridge is 88 feet long and 14.7 feet wide and is open to traffic. Renovations were made to the original bridge in 1937 and 1982. The bridge also underwent renovations during the summer of 2015. PHENOMENA: Urban legend alert >> People driving across the bridge claim their cars suddenly stall out right in the middle of the bridge covering. There are also reports of witnesses seeing feet dangling from the trusses that are said to be the spirits of slaves who were hung there. Another version has it being Civil War soldiers even though the bridge was built after the war had ended. Another version has a teen- aged couple who were forbidden to be together conspiring in a suicide pact. Locals claim to sometimes spot a ghostly woman crossing the bridge carrying a basket of freshly picked flowers. The spirit of a young woman with a badly burned face has also been seen by paranormal investigators as well as curious nighttime visitors. Another legend is that of a mother who threw her infant from the bridge and its cries can still be heard by those crossing the bridge. The are even reports of cryptids lurking here from a gray ape-like creature with a long tail to a red-eyed demon who protects the bridge and frightens trespassers with blood-curdling screams. JONATHAN HAGER HOUSE MUSEUM (HAGERSTOWN) BACKGROUND: The house was built in 1740 by Jonathan Hager, a German immigrant from Westphalia, who founded Hagerstown.  Hager sold the property, then known as Hager's Fancy to Jacob Rohrer. The house remained in the Rohrer family until 1944, when it was acquired by the Washington County Historical Society. The restored house was given to the City of Hagerstown in 1954 and opened to the public in 1962 as a historic house museum. PHENOMENA: At least 13 people are reputed to have died in the home, some of natural causes, some by accident and others of amore sinister nature. Disembodied voices are heard through the house and objects are said to move by unseen forces. Footsteps and the sounds of objects being dragged are often heard in the basement. There is reportedly a ghostly woman in green who peers out the windows and visitors claim to have the sensation they are being observed. In the nursery, a cradle and a rocking chair are said to move by themselves and there are extreme temperature changes. In on case, a woman on a tour fainted inside the room, but whether that has anything to do with the spirits there is up to debate. at least 13. Some died naturally, some died by accident and some, perhaps, not by accident. Both male and female apparitions have been witnessed along with that of a young girl. LILBURN HOUSE (ENDICOTT CITY) BACKGROUND: The site of the structure is on an original 2,500-acre land grant named the Valley of Owen. The gothic revival mansion was built on College avenue for Baltimore foundry owner Henry Richard Hazlehurst in 1857. A 1923 fire destroyed the front parlor and interior. The original 20 acres site has been subdivided down to 8 acres with the guest house and carport outbuildings demolished. Lilburn Cottages are a group of historic cottages part of Liburn Mansion. In 2013, owners Ronald and Gail Spahn allowed the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services to burn the historic structures, including the adjacent Lilburn (Hammond) Cottage and Grimes house, before to subdividing the property. PHENOMENA: There is said to be a small child who resides in an upstairs bedroom. The sound of its cries are often heard in that room. Housekeeping staff report seeing the apparition of a young girl in a chiffon dress playing in multiple areas inside the mansion. Furthermore, she has also been in the company of an adult spirit male who is thought to be her father. A male apparition has been seen right in front of a witness and the small of cigar smoke sometimes permeates the air. A large chandelier in the dining room has been seen swinging in the past and at one point, a vase full of flowers lifted up and spilled all its contents onto the floor. On the tower stairway, the sound of heavy footsteps have been heard on occasion and windows open by themselves, despite efforts to keep them open. One owner went so far as to use a rope to tie them shut, but when he left the tower to go outside, he looked up to see them open again. LORD BALTIMORE HOTEL (BALTIMORE) BACKGROUND: The hotel was designed by William Lee Stoddart and opened on December 30, 1928.  It replaced the smaller but substantial Hotel Carswell, built shortly after the Great Baltimore Fire of 1904. In 1958, after the Baltimore City Council considered but failed to pass an ordinance prohibiting racial segregation in public accommodations, the Lord Baltimore Hotel voluntarily ended its restrictive guest policies. The hotel was sold to Rubell Hotels of Miami, Florida for $10 million in August 2013. It dropped the Radisson flag and reopened in 2014 as an independent hotel after undergoing a total remodeling of guest rooms, and restoration of the building's public spaces. PHENOMENA: There is a legend attached to the hotel that a family jumped (or fell) to their deaths in the 1930s. A father, mother and their 7 year old daughter. The little girl’s spirit, named “Molly” remains in the hotel and is seen roaming the hallways and playing with a red ball. In some cases, guests have called the front desk to complain about the racket she makes in the wee hours. Two housekeepers actually quit their jobs after constantly encountering her. Her parents have been seen dancing in the main ballroom. Other housekeepers refuse to go into certain rooms. TV sets in the rooms will turn on and off by themselves and an elevator will be called to the 19th floor only to find no one there. MARYLAND STATE HOUSE (ANNAPOLIS) BACKGROUND: The oldest U.S. state capitol in continuous legislative use, dating to 1772. It houses the Maryland General Assembly, plus the offices of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor. The capitol has the distinction of being topped by the largest wooden dome in the United States constructed without nails. Construction began in 1772, but was not completed until 1797 due to the ongoing Revolutionary War. Located on the lawn of the State House is a statue of Roger B. Taney, Chief Justice of the United States. The statue was erected in 1872. The statue of Taney, a Marylander, is controversial because of Taney's support for slavery and his authorship of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857), which upheld the denial of citizenship to African Americans. As a result, a movement in support of removing the statue as emerged. PHENOMENA: The chief legend surrounding the state house concerns a plasterer named Thomas Dence who fell to his death while working on the dome and still wanders the building and grounds to this day. The old Senate chamber is also said to be haunted an unidentified male spirit. It’s further said that the ghost of a Revolutionary War soldier also haunts the grounds. TRIVIA: From November 26, 1783 to August 13, 1784, Annapolis was the capital of the United States. The Congress of the Confederation met in the Maryland State House. Subsequently, Annapolis was a candidate to become the new permanent national capital before Washington, D.C. was built. MIDDLETON TAVERN (ANNAPOLIS) BACKGROUND: Middleton Tavern was host to a galaxy of the nation's most revered leaders during the period following the American Revolution. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin were numbered among its prominent patrons. The Tavern was frequented by members of the Continental Congress meeting in the State House on such historic occasions as the resignation of General Washington's commission, December 23, 1783, the ratification of the Treaty of Paris ending the Revolutionary War in January 1784, and the Annapolis Convention which laid the groundwork for the Federal Constitution Convention held the following year in Philadelphia. It is also probable that James Monroe, who knew Middleton as a Virginia delegate to the Continental Congress, visited the Tavern after his election to the Presidency. When President Monroe was received in Annapolis for his stay from May 28-30, 1818, he was greeted by Annapolis Mayor John Randal, who, at the time, was the owner of the Tavern. The building was probably occupied as early as 1740. In 1750, Elizabeth Bennett sold the property to Horatio Middleton who operated the building as an "Inn for Seafaring Men." The nautical oriented Middleton also owned a ferry that linked Annapolis to the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. http://www.middletontavern.com/history.html PHENOMENA: There is a spirit here whom staff refers to as, “Roland” who is seen dressed in 1700s clothing peering out of a dining room window toward the water where ferries used to dock. Often his presence is announced by the smell of cigar smoke. He is a bit mischievous and is known to throw glasses and plates off shelves or knocks over tables that bear dirty dishes. Shadowy figures have been seen roaming inside the dining rooms, old style lanterns hung on walls are sometimes seen hanging upside down and tables and chairs have been reported out of place for no known reason. MOUNT AIRY PLANTATION (UPPER MARLBORO) BACKGROUND: Some historians speculate that parts of the building may date from the 1670s and served as a hunting lodge for the Lords Baltimore. However, a 1752 edition of the Maryland Gazette makes clear that whatever was there burned to the ground in that year. Benedict Swingate Calvert, the property owner at the time, probably built the east wing of the present structure shortly thereafter to replace the lost structure. Over the years, as the property descended through the Calvert family. George Washington attended the 1774 marriage of his adopted son, John Park Custis, to Eleanor Calvert at Mount Airy. In 1902, the property left the Calvert family, being purchased by Matilda ("Tilly") Duvall, who renamed it Dower House and operated a country inn here. Another fire in 1931 left only the masonry walls standing. Eleanor Medill ("Cissy") Patterson, publisher of the Washington Times-Herald and a prominent hostess of the era, purchased the ruins and restored them to their former glory. Ms. Patterson entertained presidents, ambassadors, authors and other prominent guests at Mt. Airy. https://dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/Pages/southern/Rosaryville/Mount-Airy-Mansion.aspx PHENOMENA: Elizabeth Bresco Calver is said to haunt the mansion, ostensibly in search of family heirlooms. There are also reports of a young girl in a white dress, a man seen on the premises in horseback riding clothing and an old woman who wanders the halls at night. Contractors working on the house refused to do so at night after encountering weird sounds and strange apparitions. Then there is the ghost of Eleanor Calvert who lived there until she was 81 years old in 1902. She was a bit of cranky woman who did not allow people to go into the front parlor for some reason. When she died due to a fall down some stairs, her body was placed in that room before her funeral. The next day the key to the room could not be found and when finally they had to break into it, they found the key on a table next to her coffin. NATIONAL MUSEUM OF CIVIL WAR MEDICINE (FREDERICK) BACKGROUND: The museum, which was originally proposed by Dr. Gordon E. Damman, a private collector of Civil War-era medical artifacts, was incorporated in 1990 and first opened to the public in 1996.[1]The museum moved into its current location – a three-story 19th century brick building that was home to a furniture maker/undertaker operation during the Civil War – in October 2000. Its focus involves the medical, surgical and nursing practices during the American Civil War. PHENOMENA: It’s said  the sound of children playing has been heard late at night followed by an adult telling them to settle down which then results in silence. A white figure has been seen on surveillance cameras on multiple occasions heading to a specific doorway but when it reaches that spot, it is nowhere to be found. Office supplies have been known to move on their own and in one frightening incident, a curator had a ladder knocked out from under her while changing a light bulb and held onto an overhead to stop herself from crashing to the floor. POINT LOOKOUT STATE PARK (SCOTLAND) BACKGROUND: The state park preserves the site of an American Civil War prisoner of war camp and the Point Lookout Light, which was built in 1830. Captain John Smith, the famed explorer who surveyed the Mid-Atlantic region for the British Crown, came ashore at Point Lookout in 1608.[6][7][8] He surveyed the lands and waters of the area, including the mouth of the Potomac River on the south side of Point Lookout and its small nearby tributary, the St. Mary's River. Smith gave very favorable reports on the area to the king of England, remarking on the abundant game and fishing opportunities, the fertile soil and the strategic military value of the area, overlooking the confluence of the Potomac River, Patuxent River and the St. Mary's River, along with its key vantage point on the Chesapeake Bay itself. All of these factors led him to describe it as a prime spot for a potential British colony. In 1862, during the American Civil War, much of the land around Point Lookout was transformed into a bustling port and temporary city of civilians and military personnel and numerous buildings, including a large Union Army hospital, a United States Army garrison at Fort Lincoln, and a Union prisoner of war camp to hold Confederate States Army soldier captives. PHENOMENA: Its said the ghost of a Civil War soldier walks the road as though leaving the the smallpox unit. Other soldiers have been seen walking in front of visitor’s vehicles. A hagged-looking man wearing ragged clothes runs across that same road as though escaping that same building. The apparition of a prisoner has been reported running away from those who notice his presence as if not wanting to be recaptured. There are smells of gunpowder, especially when apparitions are sighted. The daughter of a ranger living there years ago became ill and her malady lingered. Each time her parents went into her room, they noticed a cold spot, the sign of a spirit, so they were told. They demanded whoever was there to leave and the daughter suddenly became well again. In the 1970's, a park manager saw the ghost of a young man outside the window of his residence and watched him vanish and another staff member witnessed a ghostly woman standing at the top of a stairway. RAM’S HEAD TAVERN (ANNAPOLIS) BACKGROUND: During the 1700s, the property where Rams Head is currently located, was owned by the St. Anne’s Parish, but it was leased to William Reynolds- a hatter, dry goods salesmen, and venture capitalist who also owned a number of other properties in the downtown area.  In 1769, Reynolds subleased the building to Samuel Chase- an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court who served 20 years on the Maryland General Assembly and was one of the Maryland representatives to sign the United States Constitution. Chase was also a close friend and confidant of another famous Annapolis figure, William Paca. Paca, a lawyer turned Declaration of Independence signer turned governor, is perhaps best known for his five-part Georgian style mansion in Downtown Annapolis that is now a registered national landmark. After Chase’s lease, 33 West Street was taken over by William Faris and turned into a clock and silversmith shop called the ‘Crown and Dial.’ Ironically, Faris’ gardens at the Crown and Dial are said to have been a big inspiration on William Paca and heavily influenced his design and construction of the Paca House property. Fast forward to December 1989 when Bill and Paula Muehlhauser bought the Rams Head Tavern from previous owners. PHENOMENA: There is a ghost named “Amy” who haunts the tavern. She was said to be a prostitute who died when a bed being used by she and one of her customers fell through the second floor. Servers have witnessed Amy’s apparition and her photo is thought to have been captured in a photograph. Another spirit mentioned as residing in the tavern is that of an elderly woman while a third is said to rattle the chain-link of the bar’s liquor cage. The staff will find silverware turned upside down and have drinks turned over. REYNOLDS TAVERN (ANNAPOLIS) BACKGROUND: Reynolds Tavern and its sister restaurant 1747 Pub have a diverse history that consistently circled back to its roots as an “ordinary,” a place serving hot and cold food and liquor to visitors. In 1747, William Reynolds leased the land from St. Anne’s Parish, and by 1755 he had built his home and was conducting his hat business there. Encouraged by the potential profits of tavern-keeping, Reynolds applied for his license to keep an ordinary in 1757. He named his tavern “The Beaver and Lac’d Hat,” a nod to his other line of business. A hub of activity for locals, Reynolds also sold theater tickets and lottery subscriptions. https://annapolisdiscovered.com/bite-into-annapolis- history/ PHENOMENA:  On of the the upstairs beds, indentations have been found suggesting someone was lying there when no one was responsible for it. Objects will move on their own and disembodied voices are heard including one in particular singing Christmas carols. The spirit spirit responsible is thought to be that of Mary Reynolds, who ran the tavern after her husband’s death. At one point, it’s said that she caused an employee’s backpack strap to break, upon which a bunch of filet mignons spilled out when it hit the floor. Patrons who have had too much to drink might find their drinks spilled onto their laps, locking you in a bathroom or spilling another guest’s food on you. SAMUEL A. MUDD HOUSE (WALDORF) BACKGROUND: St. Catharine, also known as Dr. Samuel A. Mudd House, is a historic house near Waldorf. "St. Catharine" has been in the Mudd family since the 1690s and is operated as a historic house museum. Dr. Mudd was born December 20, 1833, the fourth of the ten children of Henry Lowe Mudd and his wife, Sarah Ann Reeves. Young Sam was raised on the family plantation "Oak Hill," approximately 30 miles from downtown Washington, D.C., and received his early education at Frederick, Maryland, where he attended St. John's College for two years. On September 16, 1851, he entered Georgetown College, Washington D.C., and three years later enrolled as a student at the Baltimore Medical College (now part of the University of Maryland) from which he graduated. Returning to Charles County, the young doctor married his childhood sweetheart, Sarah Frances Dyer on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 1857. They became the parents of nine children and grandparents of 33 grandchildren. President Lincoln’s assassin, actor John Wilkes Booth, broke his leg while fleeing the scene and needed medical attention. Accompanied on horseback by David Herold, Booth arrived at Dr. Mudd's home at 4 a.m., April 15th. Sam splinted the broken limb and let the travelers rest for several hours in an upstairs bedroom before they continued their journey later that afternoon. He escaped execution for aiding the killer by one vote at his trial. PHENOMENA: Docents at the museum claim there are multiple ghosts who roam the hallways with one being a little girl who has been known to tug on visitor’s coats. One volunteer felt this sensation and apologized for standing in the way until he realized he was the only person in the area. Other activity at the house includes: strange knocks at the front door, disembodied footsteps and sightings of Civil War soldiers. A doll in the upstairs bedroom was witnessed flying out of the chair it’s placed on. The otherwise empty room in which Booth stayed has had reports of coughing coming from it and at times an impression can be seen in the bed as if someone were lying there. It’s claimed Mrs. Frances Mudd has been seen looking out one of the windows. TRIVIA: The house was the subject of a visit by SyFy network’s Ghost Hunters. USS CONSTELLATION (BALTIMORE) BACKGROUND: The sloop was launched on 26 August 1854 and commissioned on 28 July 1855 with Captain Charles H. Bell in command. She remained in service for close to a century before finally being retired in 1954. From 1816 to the 1830s, the Navy accumulated extensive stocks of live oak timbers for use in new warship construction under the provisions of the Act for the Gradual Increase of the Navy of the United States, passed in 1816. In the early 1850s, the Navy decided to build a new sail-powered ship using these existing stockpiles, calling for a sloop-of-war that would be fast, with a long endurance, and sufficiently armed to be capable of engaging other warships of her type. This would produce a capable warship while keeping costs low since the material used was already on hand and an expensive steam engine would not be required. Chief Constructor John Lenthall prepared the design, along with Edward Delano, the constructor of the Gosport Shipyard. In June 1853, Lenthall completed the hull half model, which was necessary to scale up the design and to prepare the necessary hull timbers. During this period, the new vessel's namesake, Constellation, was in the process of being broken up a short distance away in the Gospart yard. PHENOMENA: Passersby report seeing people walking around the deck, looking out windows and gun ports. Visitors staying on the ship overnight hear the sounds of something akin to pots and pans banging together. One of its ghosts is said to be Neal Harvey, who was court- martialed for leaving his post during a battle with the French in 1799. Commodore Thomas Truxton ordered one of his lieutenants to run his blade through Harvey’s abdomen and then had Harvey tied in front of a cannon and had it fired, blowing his body to pieces. Truxton’s spirit is also said to remain on board and his apparition is accompanied by the smell of gun powder. It’s claimed in 1955 a photo was taken that revealed his ghost. A watchman named Carl Hansen is here in spirit as well, roaming the deck of the ship he loved. Other claims include: the spirit of a sailor who took his own life, a young surgeon’s assistant who was murdered on board and a ghostly sailor seen running across the deck. WESTMINSTER HALL & BURYING GROUND (BALTIMORE) BACKGROUND: The graveyard was established in January 1787 by the First Presbyterian Church of Baltimore, from land on the west side of old Baltimore Town purchased by a committee of noted laymen consisting of William Smith, John Boyd, and William Patterson and father-in- law of Jerome Bonaparte, brother of the French Emperor Napoleon I from Col. John Eager Howard, (1752-1827), former commander of the famous "Maryland Line" regiment of the Continental Army in the American Revolution. Col. Howard owned the estate and mansion of "Belvidere", in what was called "Howard's Woods", north of Baltimore Town. The site is probably most famous as the burial site of Edgar Allan Poe, (1809–1849). PHENOMENA: The Screaming Skull of Cambridge, allegedly belonging to a minister who was murdered is buried here. It’s said to be encased in cement to muffle the screams that emanate from it constantly. Urban legend alert >> Legend has it that some of those exposed to the screams have gone insane. Legend has it that the ghost of Edgar Allan Poe has been seen near his grave and in the catacombs of the church. Footsteps are heard in the underground chambers and the spirit of a little girl is also said to haunt the grounds. RETURN TO PARANORMAL DATABASE