Ghostly Happenings in Maryland

Paranormal Activity

When the Baltimore County Almshouse opened in 1874, it was intended to house children, the elderly, the mentally ill, and the impoverished. Claims of paranormal activity have been made by people who have visited the Almhouse. Within the house, the sounds of children playing could be heard. On the third floor the sounds of women’s voices and children’s faces can be seen looking out the windows. Today the home is used by the Historical Society of Baltimore County.

Beware the Goat Man

An urban legend seems to reside on Fletchertown Road. It is the fearsome Goat Man who is said to have once fled from the Department of Agriculture Research Center. He is noted as being half animal and half human. The frightening Goat Man used an ax to kill people who traveled this route in the 1950s and 1960s. After killing his victims, he would eat them. Today there are still people who say they’ve seen a man in ragged clothing or with the head of a goat in this area.

The House of 13 Ghosts

Situated in Hagerstown, the Jonathan Hager House Museum is called “Hager’s Fancy." It is a historical landmark dating back to the mid-18th century. The house was built by Jonathan Hager, the German immigrant who founded Hagerstown. Over the years the residence has also been a trading post and a frontier fort.

There are 13 ghostly residents in the house. Tour guides have experienced paranormal activity like the sound of footsteps and heavy objects dragged across the stone floor in the cellar and have heard disembodied voices.

The nursery is particularly active, with a rocking chair and cradle moving on their own and temperature fluctuations.

Ghostly apparitions seen have included a little girl who appears fond of women, a lady in green looking out a window or a flash of green in the hall, and a man in black seen both inside and outside the house.

Ghostly Hotel Residents

The Lord Baltimore Hotel in Baltimore caters to both the living and the dead. Visitors claim to be watched while sleeping. Others have felt ghostly hands touch them.

The elevator seems to be controlled by the paranormal and randomly visits the 19th floor while no one has pushed the button for that floor. On the 19th floor the ghostly apparition of a little girl with a red ball, black shoes, and a long cream-colored dress has been seen. Perhaps she is waiting for her parents to come up in the elevator. Also two adult ghosts appear on this floor.

It all might seem rather unbelievable unless you have heard local stories that say a married couple committed suicide by jumping off the roof of the hotel after the stock market crash of 1929 leaving behind a little girl.

The Ghost of Dr. Mudd

Dr. Samuel A. Mudd treated John Wilkes Booth for a broken leg at his home after he assassinated President Abraham Lincoln. It was thought that the doctor was a conspirator in the assassination and was found guilty and imprisoned. Thanks to his wife’s tenacious efforts, President Andrew Johnson pardoned Dr. Mudd and permitted him to return home. His house is now a museum and historical monument. The ghostly spirit of the doctor roams his home and grounds.

Civil War Spirits

Situated in Scotland, Maryland, one of the most haunted locations is Point Lookout Lighthouse. This particular area served as a prisoner war camp, a hospital during the Civil War era, a hotel that was destroyed by fire, and a lookout point during the Revolutionary War. The lighthouse became functional in 1830.

A man dressed in a Civil War uniform is frequently seen. He look horrific, smells of gunpowder and mildew and appears to be trying to free himself from the smallpox unit that once stood in the area.

The ghostly apparition of an elderly woman seems to be searching for something on the beach.

Inside the lighthouse, visitors have captured voices on recorders, seen the apparitions of Union soldiers, and felt cold spots.

The Ghostly Spirit of Tench Tilghman

The old St. Paul’s Cemetery in Chestertown dates back to the 1700s. Among the paranormal activity here are the casualties from the Battle of Chaulk’s Field during the War of 1812. There are also graves of Union and Confederate soldiers that are not at rest.

The ghostly apparition of Tench Tilghman can be see at the bridge at the edge of the cemetery. He might be looking for his fellow soldiers since he was an officer during the Revolutionary War.

The cemetery also has a famous grave, that of American actress Tallulah Bankhead. Supposedly if you lay down on the slab that covers her grave, you’ll hear her raspy voice. As much as I admired the films in which she starred and would not mind a conversation, I would not lie down on any grave.