The Ghosts of Gettysburg

This past Wednesday, we headed off on a more ambitious trip than our usual paranormal jaunts, and moseyed on up to Gettysburg, PA.  We got up early, packed our lunches, got our mandatory iced coffee drinks, and set out on the open road.  Before our trip, we had done a little bit of research on the battlefield deemed "most haunted" in America, and we found out that the two most haunted locations were fairly close to one another.  The most paranormal activity has been reported at Devil's Den and Little Big Horn, both of which finally visited after a bit of stressful navigation problems.  Unfortunately our trip was relatively inconclusive paranormally (unless the ghosts were the ones messing with our GPS...) and we got drenched by a rainstorm, but we managed to snap a few photos along the way, and find out a little about the ghosts of Gettysburg.

Me, hopefully not being too disrespectful.

1. Devil's Den - The area of Gettysburg named Devil's Den earned it's name for a reason. Tumbling down a large hill, Devil's Den is a rocky collection of giant boulders, undoubtedly difficult to climb up, especially during a battle.  It is here that Confederate sharpshooters camped out at the top of the den, systematically shooting at all who passed underneath them, and unseen by anyone unfortunate enough to be beneath them. As the battle raged on, Union soldiers eventually figured out where exactly these sharpshooters were and managed to take them out. After the fighting had ceased in this particular area, Civil War photographers came in and started snapping photos of the day's carnage.  One such photographer, Alexander Gardner, felt that his photos might evoke stronger emotion if the bodies were more strategically placed.  He ordered his assistants to move some of them men around, snapped some photos of his newly arranged scenes, and continued on his way. Some people believe that the souls of the men whose bodies were moved around for the photos haunt this spot in particular because they were not treated justly so soon after their demise.  Many people have reported having technological difficulties while at Devil's Den, like camera photos coming up blank, or batteries going completely dead within moments.  Perhaps these men. who were mistreated by photography during the dawn of it's usage, hope to ensure that in their afterlife it is difficult to use the devices that disrespected them so? 

No ghosts here today, though we did capture many spectral orbs on camera.

2. Little Round Top - Not to be confused with the site known as for the battle of Little Big Horn out west - (trust us, our GPS tried to take us there) - Little Round Top is at the top of a hill overlooking a section of the battlefield. A short hike from Devil's Den, we had grand plans to climb to the top before a monsoon hit the National Park and we decided driving would be more prudent. Little Round Top was used by the 20th Maine division of the Union Army to successfully repel a particularly nasty assault from the Confederacy.  Even after the day was over and the blood had been shed, the battle never ceased.  The most notable report  of a haunted experience at Little Round Top comes all the way from the big screen - when the film "Gettysburg" was being made, some of the cast, dressed up as Union soldiers took a break and sat down at the top of the hill. Suddenly they heard a rustling in the trees, and out popped an old, grungy looking old man, who approached them and said "rough one today, ay boys?" while handing the extras some musket rounds.  Confused, they took the rounds back to the props department and asked why they were given them.  Equally perplexed, the props department told them these were not the rounds they were using in the film.  Still curious, the extras took their rounds to one of the park's historians, who told the shocked group that these rounds were legitimate rounds, made around the 1860's.  Was the haggard old man simply a kook visiting the park that day? Or was he perhaps a battle weary soldier, mistaking the man in costume for actual men in uniform? No one can really say, but still, where did he get the bullets and why was he on set? 

3. Bonus! - the rain stopped us from making the rounds to the final place we wanted to visit at Gettysburg - triangular field - so we won't say too much about it except that it, like Devil's Den and Little Round Top, was the site of many deaths over the course of one day. Many people have reported seeing things in the distance while viewing the field, and others have reported the same technical difficulties experienced at Devil's Den. Still, why should we tell you about the supposed hauntings when we can show you what prompted us to consider this locale as a possible stop on our tour? Here is a video (unfortunately not filmed by us) which supposedly captures a ghost on film.  If you watch closely you can see it, but ultimately its up to your own judgement whether or not this is real or not. 

Gettysburg was the last real trip we're taking, as senior projects are coming to an end. Still, we hope to have one more entry about the supposed witch of Truxton park before we present, plus later today we will add a little post regarding the interviews we had with our tour guides about their opinions on the supernatural world - we promise it's a scream!

Side note - since we live in Maryland, we had trouble finding books on Gettysburg hauntings, so we mainly used websites for our information.  You can find more detailed accounts of the Gettysburg ghosts on America's Most Haunted, HyperBear.com, and The Gothic Curiosity Cabinet

Ooh La La!

So you may remember that little tour we did in Ellicott City, where mentioned the old mechanic - Al - and the Union soldiers haunting the local hair haven Ooh La La! Well we recently skirted back up to the salon, to follow up with the ladies of the joint. When we asked the receptionist if she'd had any encounters with Al, she immediately recommended us to one of the other ladies, Shelly. While we waited, the receptionist explained to us her own encounter with Al. While opening the salon alone one morning, she smelled cigarette smoke. Only one of the employees smoked, so the receptionist walked around the entire salon looking for her coworker - but there was no one else in the building. Then while standing at the front desk, she heard shuffling on the floor boards in the back but again, no one was there. Another time, this same receptionist was manning her front desk when the hairs on her arm stood up, almost as though there was someone behind her.... but, of course, no one was there. When Shelly came out, she explained her phantasmagorical phenomenon: on the day of her Ooh La La! interview, the owner invited her in, locked the front door, and asked Shelly to wait in the lobby as she tended to something in the back. While Shelly sat waiting, she saw an older man, wearing brown steel-toed boots and blue gas station attendant's pants, shuffle through the lobby, and then disappear into an office door. Shocked, and really rather concerned, she described to the owner what she'd seen. The owner, a little surprised but not alarmed, simply informed her, "That's Al." Shelly still works there today, and claims to be sensitive to the goings-on of spirits. Once, when the power went out, the only lights left on were Shelly's, for no apparent reason, according to the Ooh La La! staff. In Shelly's words, "Al knows I need to make money!"

Annapolis

For our last official tour of haunted Maryland, we took an easy trip right down the road to downtown Annapolis.  Since we had already gone on the Annapolis ghost tour last November, we revisited the most haunted sites on the tour and re-familiarized ourselves with the stories we heard on the tour.  We even bravely topped our night off with Reilly bravely climbing the Brice house steps in hot pursuit of it's resident ghost.  Unfortunately, we didn't not meet any spooky specters, but we have, once again compiled our top three stories for your viewing pleasure!

1. Maryland State House: Construction on the State House began in 1772, but the Revolutionary War delayed further work for a few years.  After the war was over, the powers that be resumed work on the building. The exterior was finished in 1788, but the interior still needed a little TLC. To help finish the inside of the building, a plasterer named Thomas Dance was hired to sculpt the inner dome. Thomas took his job VERY seriously, and was quite arrogant about his skill as a master plasterer. One fateful day, after Dance had finished up his work for the day, he leaned back on his later to admire his work.  Unfortunately, he either leaned back to far or lost his footing, and he plunged to his death.  Thomas was never able to finish his work, and his unsatisfied spirit has remained at the State House ever since, roaming around the dome forever.  Visitors have reported seeing a figure overlooking the city in the top windows of the State House, and some have reported feeling a chill while inside the building.  An instance that is particularly noteworthy involves an irate tourist, who upon seeing the inner dome during a tour, voiced his dissatisfaction with its design.  He complained loudly that it "wasn't so special" and that he'd seen more impressive things elsewhere.  This apparently didn't sit too well with Thomas and suddenly the grand doors of the State House were blown open, and the dissatisfied tourist got the brunt of the forceful wind.  Needless to say, he kept mum for the rest of the tour.  Apparently Thomas doesn't take too kindly to people insulting the masterpiece he died for.

Reilly attempts to coax Joe into a photo

2. Joe Morgue: Around the end of the 18th century, Annapolis was the home of a particularly quirky grave digger named Joseph Simmons (1736-1836) - nicknamed Joe Morgue because of his obsession with death.  He worked in the cemetery around St. Anne's Church, which, back in the day was much bigger than it appear now (that's right, when you're driving around church circle there are bodies beneath you!).  For a while, it seemed as if Joe Morgue would bury everyone in Annapolis at one point or another.  He would often threaten children who ridiculed him "I'll have you one day!", as if he was promising to bury them.  Since Joe Morgue lived to be about 100, it's likely he made good on this threat once or twice.  A strange recluse, Joe Morgue attempted to bury a man alive once.  The man in question, Jeffery Jig, was most likely a narcoleptic and fell into a coma-like state occasionally.  On one particular instance, his stupor lasted longer than usual and his family believed him to be dead.  As they were burying him, the funereal goers started to here thumps coming from inside the coffin. Realizing their grave error (hah), they immediately told Joe to stop burying the coffin.  Joe ignored their pleas, saying that if the man was not dead yet, he soon would be.  Only when he was forcefully restrained were the able to prevent him from burying poor Jig alive.  When Joe finally passed on in 1836, he was buried in the new St. Anne's Cemetery just between Northwest Street and College Creek, but dead didn't necessarily mean gone for old Joe Morgue.  His spirit has been seen in many places throughout Annapolis, from the cemetery he is buried in, to the one he worked at for his entire life, and unexplained electrical problems have been known to happen in the churchyard.  He is even sometimes seen inside the church, sitting at his regular pew in the back, before disappearing in to the church yard to carry on his eternal duty as grave master.

3. Brice House - Deemed the most haunted house in all of Annapolis, Brice House holds a true horror story quite literally behind it's walls. Built in 1766 by James Brice, this Georgian-style mansion served as the Brice family home for over a century. Now the headquarters of the International Masonry Institute, much has been unearthed about Brice House's dark past over the years.  First and foremost, while undergoing some renovations, hoodoo spiritual offerings were found under floorboards in the kitchen, most likely put their by slaves of the past to ward off evil spirits.  But what, you might ask, was so evil about Brice House that slaves felt the need to protect themselves?  Perhaps the girl in the wall can answer that question.  It was long rumored that one of the Brice men had hidden a treasure somewhere in the house's walls, so when renovators discovered a hollow wall in a closet, they became very excited.  Much to their surprise however, hidden treasure was not what they found.  Behind the wall was the body of a woman, curled up and dressed in 19th century clothing.  Most disturbing was the fact that there were scratch marks on the inner wall of the secret hideout - suggesting that whoever the girl was wasn't dead when the wall trapped her in.  It is speculated that the woman was mentally ill, and, back in those days this would be seen a shameful for the family.  In order to avoid the shame of a  mentally ill family member they hid her from the world, and walled her up, believing that it was up to God if she lived or died or not.  Since the Brice's did not actively kill her, they believed they were not responsible for her death.  Her ghost seems to think differently however.  Locals have reported hearing the sounds of panicked screams and sobs around the mansion at night - police have even been called numerous times to investigate the area, as many people have been convinced the screams are the sounds of someone being assaulted.  Each time the police investigate however, they find nothing.  Thumps have been heard on the walls, and many have reported feeling a sense of horrible dread in the house, as if something is not quite right.  While we were on the tour, we heard of a local legend which claims if you go up and knock on the door at night, a ghost will appear in the doorway.  Though our own experiment in this regard failed, some people have posted photos on the Ghost Tours Facebook Page of their own supernatural encounters at Brice House.  Don't believe in the legend? Head on down East Street and try it yourself, you might just be surprised at what you find.

We used more outside sources for this tour than usual, you can find our information about the State House and St. Anne's through the attached links, and the story's of Joe Morgue and Brice House in the following books:
Lake, Matt (2006) Weird Maryland. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc
Okonowicz, Ed (2010) The Big Book of Maryland Ghost Stories. Pennsylvania: Stackpole Books

Now we're off to north of the Mason-Dixon Line to the bloodiest battlefield of the Civil War: Gettysburg!

Old Town Alexandria

Welcome back ghost lovers! Recently we went to Old Town Alexandria, VA for a colonial ghost tour of what used to be one of he nation's most major ports. A little history: the city was originally founded by John Alexander in 1669. In 1732 it became known as Hunting Creek Warehouse, and wasn't actually called Alexandria until 1749, when a gaggle of Scots moved there and named the land after - you guessed it! - John Alexander. The city was actually part of the District of Columbia from 1801 - 1847.
Now, as per usual, our favorite three haunted tales, plus a little bonus story:

1. The Bride of Alexandria: In 1865, the town of Alexandria saw the local beauty - Miss Laura Schaeffer - become engaged to the charming and successful Charles Tennyson, undoubtedly a perfect match. On the day of the affair, while guests mingled downstairs, Laura's bridesmaids buttoned up the pearl buttons running up the back of her dress, and tended to her 45 foot train. Laura asked her girlfriends to give her a moment, to calm her nerves. She built a little fire on this unusually cool June day, and almost immediately smelled something burning - her train. She tried to fan it out with he skirts, but it only grew. She raced to the bedroom door, but it was jammed shut. She screamed, but no one could hear her down below in the garden. Finally she wrenched the door open and was able to scream loud enough for her beloved Charles to come racing the bottom of the steps - just as a burning Laura came tumbling down. Laura would died due to the severity of her burns, and within the year Charles would die of a broken heart. The building would later become a real estate office, where an employee would claim to hear a noise coming from an upstairs bedroom. When the woman went to open the door to the bedroom from which the noise was coming, it was jammed shut. When  - after many attempts - she finally got it open, she was knocked down by a large gust of wind, but there was no one inside. At the bottom of the stairs, though, she could hear the sighs of relief coming from Laura's ghost. Later, the building would go on to become what it is today - a candy store. It seems that children see Laura more than adults, as more than one child has asked, "Why is that lady crying?" presumably referring to the ghost of Laura Schaeffer, crying over her severe burns and ruined wedding.

The candy store where Laura Schaeffer died. 

2. The Couple Who Cried Ghost: Dr. James Craik was a revolutionary was surgeon, as well as best friend and personal physician of George Washington. His home in Alexandria (on Duke St.) is known to be one of the most haunted properties in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Many years after his death, a young couple was renting the property when - on a cold, rainy night - they heard a knock at the door. The wife opened it to find a tall, gaunt man dressed in a sailor's raincoat. "Can I help you?" she asked politely. The sailor gruffly responded, "I want to see James." Coincidentally enough, the woman's husband shared the same name as Dr. James Craik. So she invited the sailor in and told her husband he had a visitor. "You're not James!" he  cried, and he stormed not back out, but to the second floor bedroom! The couple became even more confused when they heard him muttering to himself - and then heard someone muttering back! Suddenly they heard fighting, so - huddling by the front door - they called the police. As soon as the officer arrived at the front door, the noise upstairs ceased. The officer is getting suspicious of the couple now, but the wife pipes up, "I think they killed each other," so the officer gets out his gun and begins to make his way to the second floor, where he finds... nothing. After scolding the couple, he leaves, but so do they - to a local hotel, where they spend the night before packing up and leaving town the next morning!

3. Short(er) Jack: At the turn of the 20th century, Alexandria was frequented by a short man with long, crazy red hair and a matching beard named Jack, but (not so) affectionately referred to by all as Short Jack. Short Jack worked on a ship, and whenever that ship came to Alexandria's harbor he would make his way to the local bar. Frequently Jack would take his drinks to go, and whenever he was halfway done his bottle he would fall asleep. This was never a problem for Jack before - until he fell asleep on the trolley tracks. One foggy night, as the trolly conductor was making his way through the streets, he hit a bump. He stopped and got out to see the bloodied body of Short Jack - but no head. Panicked, he calls the police and they searched for Short Jack's head for hours before giving up, and ultimately decided to bury the little sailor headless. Several weeks later, as the conductor was on his route again, he saw several children and dog playing with something - a red, hairy something. As he approached them he saw Short Jack's head in the clamped-shut jaws of the dog. He tried to pry it out, but to no avail. The dog sprinted away with the head, and it was never seen again. Now, on dark, foggy nights, one may see Short (now shorter) Jack, stumbling around and looking for his lost head through the streets of Old Town Alexandria.

Bonus!: The Story of Pink Lemonade: Back in the colonial period, ice was a little harder to come by than today: it would be sent on barges down the Potomac River, and then kept in an ice house where the locals would come buy it by the pound. Ice was also used to preserve dead bodies: one could rent a slab of it to "put that stiff on ice" - i.e. keep the body from decomposing too badly - and then return it. When the owner of the local tavern bought some ice for his bar, he didn't realize he was getting the used stuff. One night, he sent his tavern servant down to their ice well to fetch the recently purchased ice. Well, the boy wasn't the brightest of the bunch, and he brought up some not-so-clean ice. Soon customers started commenting on the unusual taste and pinkish hue of the drinks that evening. The tavern owner quickly realized what was happening - they were drinking the ice that once held a dead body! Cleverly thinking on his feet, he added a little sugar and lemon and voila - pink lemonade!

What used to be the ice house of Alexandria. 

Washington DC: Lafayette Square

Surrounded by historic buildings, covered in the shadows of ancient trees, and marked with statues memorializing some of our nation's greatest heroes, it's no surprise that Lafayette Square - sitting directly in front of the White House - is ripe with the history of our nation.  However, this DC tourist hot spot hides many dark secrets which have earned it the nickname "Tragedy Square" over the years.  Once again, we have chosen the top three haunts for your reading pleasure: 

1. Dolley Madison, the friendly ghost: As the wife of the fourth president James Madison, Dolley Madison was the hostess of all White House soirees and functions for his eight years in office.  In face, the previous president, Thomas Jefferson was a widower, so Dolley (as wife of the Vice President James Madison) served as White House hostess during Jefferson's terms as well.  Dolley held her position as ultimate society hostess in Washington DC for almost sixteen years before she and her husband retired to Montpelier, Virginia in 1817.  Dolley never quite liked the country life after her years in DC, and after James died in 1836, she moved back to DC and lived with her niece in a house on the corner of Lafayette Square. It was here that Dolley lived out the rest of her life, enjoying her favorite past time of people watching.  Dolley would often sit out in her favorite rocking chair at all hours of the day and night, waving to whomever passed by her house.  Her death in 1849 by no means stopped her from enjoying the hustle and bustle of the city however.  Ever since her passing people have reported seeing a ghostly apparition rocking back and forth on the porch of her former home - sometimes even waving at them as they pass by, just like Dolley used to. Her rocking chair, which is currently on display inside the house, has been known to rock back and forth unprovoked, and many who work in her ormer home have reported that the chairs rocking is often accompanied by the smell of lilacs - Dolley's favorite perfume.  Dolley Madison is not a hostile ghost, and it would seem that she simply wishes to remain in the place where she was most happy, and to enjoy the life of the city.

2. Hay-Adams Hotel: The present day hotel used to be the Washington home of president John Adams' grandson and his wife, Clover.  Henry and Clover lived in the mansion after meeting in London, and quickly became a part of the city's high society.  Clover loved to host intellectual salons and parties, and Henry was happy to oblige her.  Unfortunately, Clover's happiness was marred by her depression: a condition known to affect the women in her family greatly (two relatives committed suicide during her lifetime).  Henry was often away for business, leaving Clover alone in the mansion.  On one such occasion in 1885, Henry returned home from a business trip, and found the house eerily silent.  After calling his wife's name produced no response, her came to her bedroom and discovered her dead on the floor, a bottle of cyanide next to her lifeless body.  It is widely accepted that Clover committed suicide, and after her death Henry did his best to avoid discussing his former wife at all, but it would seem as if Clover isn't quite ready to be forgotten.  Ever since her death, especially during the two weeks leading up to the anniversary of her dear, visitors to the mansion have reported feeling an unexplained chill on the buildings fourth floor (where Clover's bedroom was), or an inexplicable feeling of sadness or despair.  Even more disturbing, some hotel employees have been spooked by the sound of a disembodied female voice calling their name in the night, or the sharp smell of the mimosa flower appearing out of nowhere. The most active case of Clover's ghost reported would be that some people have actually felt a some unseen force embrace them when they are alone - always accompanied by the smell of the mimosa flower, Clover's favorite scent. 

3. 708 Jackson Place: This modest townhouse on the square may look innocent on the outside, but behind its' doors lies a true American horror story.  Former home of Union officer Henry Rathbone, 708 Jackson Place has seen its fair share of tragedy over time. Rathbone lived here with his fiance (who, oddly enough, was his step-sister) Clara during the later half of the Civil War.  Once the war had ended and the North emerged victorious, Henry and his young wife were offered the prestigious opportunity to attend the theater with the President and his wife.  On April 14th, 1865, the Lincolns and the Rathbones set off to see a show, but got more than they could ever have bargained for.  As we all know, on the night of April 14th, President Lincoln was shot in the head and killed by assassin John Wilkes Booth.  However, a lesser known fact is that while attempting to help the president, Rathbone was stabbed in the arm and slashed in the head by Booth. Although he survived the encounter physically unharmed, his mental state began to deteriorate after this night.  Although he suffered from severe depression, Clara and Henry had three children before leaving DC for a government job in Germany.  Despite this change in location, Henry never recovered from the trauma he experienced on April 14th, and on December 23rd 1883, he shot Clara in the head and attempted to kill his children.  After household servants prevented him from harming the children, he pulled a dagger on himself, stabbing his head and slashing his arm, in the same place where Booth had assaulted him 23 years prior.  Perhaps not coincidentally, Clara's head wound was in the same place as Lincoln's.  Although Henry survived again, he blamed his murderous rampage on the advice of "the people behind the pictures". Needless to say, he spent the rest of his life in an insane asylum. Ever since then, people have reported strange happenings in the house Clara and Henry once shared.  Most popularly heard haunts are the sounds of moaning and weeping throughout the night, perhaps the ghost of Henry's depression getting the best of him.  Others have reported bumping noises heard in the walls, as if someone is angrily hitting a wall.  The most confrontational encounters include people feelings as if someone has bumped their shoulder - followed by a feeling of cold dread.  Although the horror of the Rathbone murder may not have happened inside the house itself, it seems as if the unhappy ghosts of Henry and Clara chose to live out their eternal misery in the place where it all started; Lafayette Square.

Next stop, Alexandria! 

The Hauntings in Fells Point

Nestled beside the inner harbor of Baltimore, Fells Point is one of America's oldest port towns. Founded in 1730 by a ship builder named William Fell, Fells point quickly became a shipbuilding and commercial center for colonial Marylanders. By the end of the 18th century, Fells Point was densely populated: from the crooked pirates who docked their ships in its' harbor, to the wealthy elite whose word was law, the little town played host to all walks of life.  In a town swarming with scandal, it's no surprise that some of its most notorious inhabitants have decided to take up a permanent residence among the town's streets and buildings, forever telling the tale of their woeful demise.

1. Fell Family Cemetery: Easily missed when walking down the street, the old Fell Family Cemetery was the final resting place of brothers William and Edward, and their sons Edward and William respectively.  Rumor has it, an attractive, well dressed man appears in the middle of the road around two in the morning.  Witnesses report that he is dressed in formal period costume, and stands in the middle of the street, looking forlornly between the old Fell family mansion and the graveyard, before he sadly walks towards the cemetery and disappears into the night.  This dapper spirit is believed to be the ghost of the young Will Fell, the only son and heir of Edward Fell. Will Fell was said to be quite the playboy during his time, loitering around the town's bars and brothels, and giving the family a bad reputation.  The influential Fell family was displeased with how their young heir was misrepresenting them, and warned Will that if he did not quit his antics, their would be serious consequences.  Will ignored his family's warning, and at the age of 27, died under mysterious circumstances.  Did the Fell family put out a hit on one of their own? They certainly had enough influence and power to, but the truth will forever remain a mystery, and the ghost of Will Fell will continue to haunt the streets, forever living with his family's betrayal.

2. Ledbetter's Bar: During the days of pirates and unruly ship captains, affording a crew to man a ship was a costly enterprise.  In order to make ends meet, shanghaiing became a cheap way to put a crew on your ship.  Simply find a big strong man ambling around time, buy him a few drinks, knock him out, and when he finally comes to in the middle of the Atlantic, he can work his way back to shore, guaranteeing a captain a few years of relatively free labor. Unfortunately even the best laid plans could go awry, and the ghost who haunts Ledbetter's bar knows that all too well.  While the restaurant was expanding in order to build a women's restroom, they unearthed a shocking discovery: a body buried deep in the back alley of the restaurant.  Medical examiners determined the man died due to a shattered skull, and he is believed to be the victim of a botched shanghaiing: hit a little too hard with a blunt object then hastily stashed away from prying eyes.  Today, women using the restroom have reported that as they are washing their hands, a man with long brown hair and tattered clothing has appeared in the mirror standing right behind them, a few have even said that the man reached out to touch their hair.  Upon seeing him, the witnesses spun around in shock only to discover no one was there.  Needless to say, the buddy system is popular among women using the bathroom at this bar.

3. Bertha's Mussels:  Employee's at Bertha's Mussels are required to sign a waiver stipulating that they will not force the restaurant to pay for any therapy they may need after working at Bertha's.  Needless to say, the hauntings at Bertha's are no joke. Staff are warned before their employment that the restaurant is haunted and that, most importantly, no one is to go up to the fourth floor alone. Why are they so adamant about this? Probably because the last man that went up alone received a nasty shock when he reached the top.  As the story goes, the man was an employee at the restaurant, and could not find someone to accompany him upstairs when he needed to get more utensils on a particularly busy night.  Shrugging off the warnings of his employers, he ventured upstairs alone.  As he was climbing the stairs, he was struck by the powerful feeling that he was not wanted.  Ignoring this feeling, he continued upstairs.  When he reached the landing, he opened the door, and was struck by the sunlight pouring into the room - curious, because it was late at night.  According to his report, the room was much transformed from its current state as a storage room, and was filled with bedroom furnishings.  A rocking chair and a rusty bed occupied the room, along with one other, rather peculiar entity; a small girl playing in the corner.  Confused, the man looked over at the little girl and made a shocking discovery: the child had no face.  Panicking, the man flung himself down the stairs and out of the restaurant, shouting his terrifying tale to confused onlookers.  Those who know the history of Fells Point believe that this child was most like the victim of one of the typhus or yellow fever epidemics which devastated the area in the late 18th and early 19th century, when the dead were buried in mass graves in the town square which Bertha's overlooks.  The restaurant used to be an Inn, and during the epidemics, many of the sick and dying spent their final days in its' rooms, watching the dead being buried in the square, knowing that soon, they could be next.

Much more to Fells Point than we can write here, but next stop is our nation's capitol: Washington DC!

Haunted Old Ellicott City

The first tour we went on took place in the Ellicott City Historic District. Founded in 1772, Ellicott City is rich with paranormal activity.  Led by the knowledgeable Paula Huber, we explored the downtown area and learned about the city's most notorious haunted inhabitants. Although we cannot describe each and every stop on our tour, we have chosen our to blog about out top three favorite haunts and their back-stories.

1. Livery Stable: What was once a livery stable turned speakeasy is now a popular restaurant, but that doesn't stop the ghost from reliving the past.  Employees of the restaurant have reported many curious incidents over the years: a woman's footprints have reportedly appeared on the kitchen floor when no one is around, glasses have been thrown off walls and shattered on carpet floors, tables have been flipped, and once, a disembodied woman's voice was heard late at night.  Some people have reported seeing a woman, with long hair in a knee-length shift dress, gliding around the restaurant in the wee hours of the night.  Her clothing looks as if it is from the 1920's.  Reportedly during the 1920's Ellicott City was big on prohibiting prohibition, and speakeasy's were rampant throughout the town.  The Livery Stable was reportedly the sight of a nasty gang fight in the 20's, and a woman died. Could the woman seen in the restaurant today be the victim of a past crime?

2. Ooh La La and Union Soldiers: A man climbs up a ladder to tend to the renovations in his new boutique, and hears footsteps behind him. He looks down and sees an older gentleman milling about the place and asks the man if he can help him. No reply. So he makes his way to the bottom of the ladder to ask this elderly man again - but no one is there. Unsurprisingly, the new proprietor fled town as quickly as possible, but locals just shake their heads and chuckle. The older man was just Al, the previous owner. The building had before been Al's mechanics shop, and he'd had a heart attack while repairing an engine. Al was just popping by to see how the place was coming along without him. Customers have oft-reported seeing Al ambling about the place, and - allegedly - dogs have been observed trotting around the store as if following someone, and sometimes curl as though they're being petted - but there's no one there. Al's not the first ghost to hang around the building though. One of the girls who works in the salon that occupies the space now - called Ooh La La - claims to have seen a man in black boots and blue pants while she was leaving work one night. She called to him, asking if he needed any help, but he simply turned away and walked into the hill next to the building. Since then, none of the employees close alone. According to local legend, this is the most haunted place in town - it's where Union soldiers were wrapped in blankets and buried. Rumor has it that if you look up the little hill at night, you can see a floating orb of light - a ghost caught on camera, perhaps.

3. The Old Hotel: Down by the old B&O Railroad station sits a hotel built to house the city's visitors, some of which have never checked out.  During the Civil War, the hotel was occupied by Union soldiers transporting Confederate prisoners to Baltimore.  The prisoners, who were held in town hall, were put on the train to Baltimore and sent on their way.  However, one such soldier decided he wasn't going to go without a fight.  Escaping from the train en route, the soldier, disoriented and lost, tried to make his way to the nearest town and escape his captors, who by now were pursuing him through the countryside.  Unfortunately, the nearest city the soldier came across was the very one he had been trying to escape: Ellicott City.  In an act of desperation as his Union captors closed in on him, he ran through the old hotel and tried to escape through a back alley staircase.  As he was making his descent, he was shot killed in the alley.  Today, the hotel is now a apartment complex, and residents have reported that the events of that night have been replayed over the years.  A struggle is heard on the street, followed by frantic footsteps, and finally silenced by the distant sound of an ethereal gunshot.

Next stop, Fell's Point!

When there is something strange in your neighborhood...

Hello fellow ghost busters, welcome to Caroline and Reilly's blog: Phantastic Phantoms! Hailing from Maryland, one of our nation's original thirteen colonies, we've always been fascinated with the country's history, particularly its haunted history.  During the next two weeks we will go on historical ghost walks, visit popular haunted sites, and explore local legends.  We will update this blog after each paranormal prowl, and provide background information for each site.

Happy hauntings!
Reilly and Caroline.