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!
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!
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