Welcome To Frederick Ghosts
Sounds of war echo through time on the quietest of nights, and spirits serve as an ethereal link between the past and the present to ensure Frederick’s stories are never forgotten.
The Embalmer, the Undertaker, and the Ghosts of the Civil War
Just south of Frederick, flanked on three corners by Ballenger Creek, Urbana, and Bartsonville, sits a large plot of greenery where, in July 1864, Union and Confederate soldiers lined up in opposition to one another on the grassy grounds. Within hours, more than a thousand were dead and injured, calling into action doctors who struggled to keep the wounded alive.
Join Frederick Ghosts at the National Museum of Civil War Medicine and learn about a peculiar character named Richard Burr. An embalmer during the Civil War, Burr’s questionable ethics earned him notoriety and left a stain on the otherwise positive work medical professionals did to help soldiers and their families.
Go one spooky step beyond the museum and take a peek into the horrors of the Carty Building, where death was a regular and the ghosts left behind manifest in unusual ways. Frederick’s role in the Civil War created an eerie atmosphere fueled by tragedy and brought to life by the spirits of its gruesome past. Their stories and more await on a heart-pounding ghost tour with Frederick Ghosts.
What Will I See?
Visit Frederick’s Most Haunted Locations, Including:
- Gaslight House – A staple of Frederick for two centuries, the Gaslight House has passed from owner to owner, eventually becoming the renovated space it’s known for today. One family in particular, the Bopsts, left a particularly strong presence behind after taking in an unwed, pregnant woman. The events that subsequently unfolded marked the Gaslight House with a darkness that still lingers today, its energy a strong residual that only the pain and suffering of an anguished mother could leave.
- Winchester Hall – Not to be confused with the mysterious house on the West Coast, Frederick’s Winchester Hall experiences activity like no other building in the historical Maryland town. With roots dating back to the Civil War, Winchester Hall emanates death and suffering despite its later conversion into a women’s college and, years later, a county government building. Its manifestations are a stark reminder of the horrors of war.
- Tyler Spite House – Malice and negativity are breeding grounds for unsettled or malignant spirits. In life, John Tyler was nothing short of curmudgeonly, and centuries after his passing, his overt antagonistic nature is still felt in Frederick. The Tyler Spite House may never feel welcoming as the spirit of the wretch continues to watch over the home built merely out of spite of his politically-opposed neighbor.
No Rest for the Spiteful
Try not to lose your cool as Frederick Ghosts introduces you to the town’s resident antagonist. A man with an agenda, Dr. Tyler constructed his beautiful home simply to spite his neighbor, a Tory, and prevent the development of a road that could benefit the town.
Today, his pettiness manifests throughout the building, continuing to stake his claim to the property. Feel the cold chill of the doctor’s hateful presence as it seeps from the foundation and into Frederick. Snap photos of the building’s exterior and try to capture proof of Dr. Tyler’s menacing apparition as it watches on from one of the many windows.
Though far from dangerous, the doctor’s ghost is not shy about being seen or heard. Find out how else he lets residents know what’s rightfully his on a thrilling nighttime ghost tour of Frederick.
The Feistiest Spirit in Frederick
A quaint red brick home on the edge of Mullinix Park, the building’s small size is not indicative of the prominence held by the 95-year-old woman who once called it home. Barbara Fritchie was an unlikely hero, let alone one who would become known for standing up to Confederate troops as they marched through her peaceful slice of Frederick.
Marvel at the tale of the “Bravest of All in Frederick Town” as Frederick Ghosts recounts a Civil War legend that’s since morphed into a ghostly tale of mischief and harmless impishness. Standing outside Barbara’s former residence, her unwavering presence can still be felt and seen via inexplicable flickering lights.
Laugh along with Frederick Ghosts as they recall some of Barbara’s most memorable afterlife antics, including dropping buckets of water onto unsuspecting passersby whose only crime was dressing in the same color as Confederates. Barbara’s feisty spirit is a welcome addition to the many apparitions that still call Frederick home.
Why is Frederick so Haunted?
The Treacherous Await Their Grim End
A stately structure on the corner of West Church and Record streets, Frederick City Hall has a pristine red-bricked exterior that covers its ominous past. Follow Frederick Ghosts more than 200 years into the area’s history to when the city hall building was a small wooden courthouse. Prepare yourself for a horrific story of condemned British loyalists who were sentenced to a grizzly and brutal execution.
Whether it’s the spirits of the loyalists themselves or a residual haunting manifested from the collective negative energy built up as they awaited their fate, Frederick City Hall’s visitors often talk of seeing three ghostly men chained together moving about the grounds, as if walking to their sentencing as they did many years prior.
One can feel the emotional charge still present after all these years. Considering the grotesque end the court served in unsettling detail, it’s no surprise. Learn more about their unsettling fates on a ghost tour with Frederick Ghosts.
The Most Haunted Hall in Frederick
War changed Frederick a lot, leaving little scars for every life lost and every bit of innocence corrupted. In 1845, Winchester Hall had a bright future as a school for female students. By 1862, the school wasn’t recognizable, its halls and rooms repurposed to accommodate the fallen soldiers of the Civil War.
Follow Winchester Hall’s erratic history as Frederick Ghosts chronicles its years, navigating its timeline to today. Now a county government building, the tragedies of yesterday remain imprinted on its foundation, resulting in a building that could very well be Frederick’s most haunted.
Join Frederick Ghosts to uncover the fallen soldiers carted back to the former women’s school. Imagine their pained screams echoing in the night air despite being separated by more than 150 years. The anguish experienced by the Union’s bravest remains a part of Winchester Hall and manifests in the former of ethereal figures and wandering souls.
What’s so Special About the Frederick Ghosts Tour?
See A Different Side of The City of Clustered Spires
With such a big focus on the Civil War and the town’s 19th-century history, it can be easy to forget some of its more contemporary spaces. Locations like the Weinberg Center for the Arts, formerly the Tivoli Theatre when it opened in the early 1900s. Haunts don’t have to be tied to the growth of a nation or some grand event, as evidenced by poor Jimmy the Projectionist, the resident spirit of the arts center.
Witness what dedication to one’s trade means in the afterlife, as not even Jimmy’s untimely death could tear him from the theater. Is there heaviness in the air, common among older buildings, or has Jimmy returned to continue his work in the projectionist booth?
A Once in a Lifetime Opportunity to Hear the History of the Blair Witch
You’ve seen the movie; now you know what it’s like to be within driving distance of the iconic town said to border the woods that house the frightening Blair Witch. Of course, it’s all a work of fiction that utilized the early Internet to mastermind viral marketing that led many to believe the dense forestry was home to a deadly witch.
Skirt the hauntings for a spell and discover how the theatrical sensation completely changed Burkittsville. It’s not only a fascinating case study on the effectiveness of virality but also a brilliant gauge for how much people love a scary story.
Be a Part of a Growing Ghostly Community
A town so heavily steeped in history, especially one with close ties to devastating events like the Civil War, is bound to attract a lover of the otherworldly or two. If the spirit world fascinates you, chances are your people are already here within Frederick, soaking up tales of the undead and ghostly encounters.
Frederick Ghosts offers a chance to connect with these parties and engage in discussions on the many haunts of the Maryland town. Embark on a search for the unexplained with like-minded people and book your ghost tour of Frederick today.
* This is a walking tour and we do not enter privately-owned buildings or private property *
