Happy Halloween!

The Archer House on Rock Run Road is thought by many to be haunted!

Did you live in this house?

This recording was made last week in a private residence in Havre de Grace. I simply ask: Did you live in this house?

There seems to be a mechanical sound which could be a man saying something that's hard to make out.

The word "no" follows, in a masculine voice, and can be heard clearly.

Is the "no" a response to my question or is it a response to whatever the other voice is saying?

A Havre de Grace EVP

This brief audio clip contains an EVP that is fairly typical of others that I've recorded. It was captured last week at a private residence in the center of Havre de Grace. We were asking general probing questions hoping to receive responses that would tell us more about any spirits present.

The question heard in the recording asks if there was once a pharmacy where La Cucina is now located on Washington Street. These types of questions are commonly used while doing EVP work to presumably determine the time period during which a spirit lived. The question also anticipates that the entity would know that the building that was once a pharmacy in town now houses an Italian Eatery. That's asking for much!

More important than the question asked is the apparent direct response that's heard. The answer is simply "yeah." First, it needs to be understood that every precaution was taken to control any noise contamination of the room we were in. Any outside sounds, or sounds made by us, were immediately noted verbally on the recording.

Is this recording, and many others like it, evidence that ghosts exist? Is it even a response to the question asked? Does it prove that the dead are attempting to communicate with the living? Is it proof positive that the house is haunted? Could it be the result of a stray radio transmission from a boat, a plane, a truck passing by on I-95? As with all things associated with the paranormal, this short audio clip raises an endless stream of questions.

I know for certain that the voice doesn't belong to anyone in the room at the time. I also know that the voice wasn't audible to the human ear at the time the recording was made. Beyond these couple of talking points, I can't make any conclusive claims about the recording, except that I find it fascinating.

EVP recorded at the Rodgers' House Tavern

This video clip was recorded on the third floor of the Rodgers' House Tavern back in July. Robbin and I heard sounds that led us to believe that someone had opened and closed a door beneath us and was climbing the stairs. The masculine voice saying "they're white" came as quite a surprise. We've tried unsuccessfully to disqualify the EVP by duplicating it.

A brief history of the Rodgers' House Tavern

A historical perspective of the Rodgers' House Tavern, unedited draft, that was prepared for the benefit of those participating in the Sept 18 paranormal investigation of the building:

Sep 16, 2010

The Rodgers’ House Tavern
formerly The Elizabeth Rodgers’ House
226 N. Washington Street
Havre de Grace, Md

Simply put: the Rodgers’ House Tavern is one of Havre de Grace’s oldest and most historically significant structures. Built during the late 1700s, it and a handful of other buildings were spared while British troops burned the town during the War of 1812. The reason some houses, and a church, avoided the British torch during the invasion, while most did not, is purely a matter of speculation. In keeping with many aspects of the town’s ostensibly documented past, it doesn't make sense that some buildings were destroyed while others were not. It could be said that much of the town’s history has been presented incorrectly or avoided entirely by local historians to portray a certain image.

We do know that the building was purchased by a Scottish immigrant named John Rodgers and his wife Elizabeth not long after it was built. Elizabeth Rodgers, nee Reynolds, was the daughter of a prominent Presbyterian minister who resided in White Clay Creek, DE. John Rodgers was commonly known as Col. John Rodgers due to his military service during the Revolutionary War. It’s generally accepted by townsfolk that the building was used as a tavern and inn during its long and prolific tenure. This statement is clearly couched more in folklore than in fact. It’s likely that the Rodgers used the building as a residence even though they had substantial land holdings in Harford County and at least some property in Cecil County.

Col. John Rodger was entrepreneurial to say the least. He not only licensed a tavern somewhere in town, the exact location of the site is unknown, but he also established a lucrative ferry business with buildings on both sides of the formidable Susquehanna River. The Rodgers had nine children, five boys and 4 girls. All the children married, and married well, except for the youngest daughter who was named Elizabeth after her mother. Very little is known about the younger Elizabeth, she may have been an isolated spinster with emotional attachments to her home and may be responsible for some of the paranormal activity in the building. The family prospered financially, and by reputation, becoming quite prominent in colonial American social circles. The sons of John and Elizabeth Rodgers did remarkable things during their lifetimes. Books are written about one of them, also named John, who was instrumental in the founding of the US Navy. He captained the USS Constellation, among other sailing warships, and was the strategic architect of the naval victory at Ft. McHenry. Nine decedents of John and Elizabeth went on to become admirals in the navy. Any number of their decedents went on to achieve fame in the annals of aviation history. This clan was full of “piss and vinegar.”

When crafting possible questions for EVP sessions, keep in mind : the Rodgers boys were “river rats” while growing up; it’s known that they took full advantage of the abundant outdoor opportunities available at the time by hunting, fishing, etc., it’s also known that George Washington stayed in the house a number of times, including visits after Col. Rodgers died in 1791; and, it’s not unlikely that the Rodgers family owned slaves. Elizabeth Rodgers, the mother, was a strong-willed, intelligent woman who possibly made important historical contributions that have been ignored by historians or conveniently, and improperly, attributed to her husband or others.

The Rodgers’ House Tavern is a massive 3 story structure, that is currently used as a bar (first floor) and a residence (second and third floors). There is no accessible or functional basement to speak of. A single, open staircase climbs along an interior wall making the building an amazing acoustic chamber. Sounds travel great distances while possibly distorting along the way. There is an apparent rear addition that was added to the original structure. As a result there’s sort of a strange, hidden area that’s accessible only from the second floor. There’s no proof, but is it possible that the building was a stop on the Underground Railroad?

Robbin and I have conducted regular EVP sessions on the second and third floors of the building since the beginning of July. We have captured numerous EVP, some of them clear, robust responses to questions asked. There are credible reports of shadow figures being seen in, or near, the bathroom on the third floor. The resident tenant, has a strong sense that a paranormal conflict of some type is playing out in a little area in front of the bathroom.

There’s a room on the second floor that’s reportedly active as well. The voices of men have purportedly originated from the room. We have captured the EVP of male voices in that room. The tenant senses the presence of a strong, protective woman there. We have a remarkable, crisp, clear EVP captured in that room of two woman talking. We also have several recordings from that room, during different sessions, where a disembodied voice imitates one of us talking. Again, a remarkable phenomena. Robbin and I will share more of our investigative experiences on Saturday night as the list is too long to share in this forum. There are also claims of activity on the first floor, in the bar, that need to be discussed as well.

Saturday night’s investigation should prove an interesting and positive experience for all involved. Based on our work in the Rodgers' House Tavern, Robbin and I are thoroughly convinced that the place is active, in a paranormal sense, and that old energy resides there.

I’m truly excited about the prospects for personal growth that this investigation offers and I look forward to working closely with each of you. - Ed

The ghost of Dr. Frank Wolbert

On August 15, 1967 the body of Dr. Frank Wolbert was found at his home at 200 North Union Avenue. He had been strangled with the cord of an electric razor. There are claims of paranormal activity in the building.

Just Pick It

This EVP was recorded at Moore's Seafood in Norrisville ... rural Harford County. At the time, I was alone in the building with BJ Moylan from PHPRS. There was no noise contamination other than the chirping of a cricket and an occasional passing vehicle.

BJ, who had previously investigated the site a number of times, made a game of asking a resident ghost, named "Harry," to move things or make sounds.

In this recording, BJ asks permission to play a game. The whispered response is direct, intelligent and nothing short of astounding.

A ghost who likes to repeat

This is one of my favorite EVP and, like the others, it was recorded at the Rodger's House Tavern. Some readers may not know that the Rodger's House Tavern survived the British attack of the town in 1813 making it one of the oldest surviving buildings in Havre de Grace.

Robbin and I were interviewing a young man who had witnessed an apparition in the building. I record all interviews because it's easier and more reliable than taking notes. The conversation changed topics to an experience the young man had elsewhere involving a big mirror which he describes as 8 foot tall by 8 foot wide.

Towards the end of the audio clip you can hear a disembodied voice repeating the words " 8 foot wide" in a whisper. It's almost playful.

Big Bertha

This EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomena) was recorded at the Rodger's House Tavern. Only Robbin, another lady I'll call anonymous, and myself were in the room at the time.

Robbin was telling us about a notorious Havre de Grace madam named Big Bertha.

Robbin can be heard saying: "they arrested her several times, it was Big ... Big Bertha."

The two feminine voices that follow don't belong to anyone in the room at the time.

Note added Aug. 8, 2010: There's a second EVP on this audio clip. Robbin says "big" ... pause ... "big Bertha." During Robbin's pause, a disembodied voice repeats the word "big."

I'll bet it's fun to fish on the river?

This EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomena) was captured a couple of weeks ago at the Rodger's House Tavern. Only myself and Robbin Van Pelt were present at the time. We were asking probing questions in hopes of receiving a direct response from a disembodied voice. This EVP corresponds with a spike on a meter that measures electromagnetic fields and a personal experience by Robbin. She heard a man speaking behind her.

In the recording, I ask the question: "I'll bet it's fun to fish on the river, isn't it?" You then hear a man say something that sounds like a response to my question and then you hear Robbin's voice.

Again, there were just the two of us present when the recording was made and the man's voice responding to the question is not mine.

A Place Forgotten: Johnson-Hill Cemetery

Click here to read an article I came across a while back.

It raises the possibility that there are one or more abandoned cemeteries on the hill above Havre de Grace. It seems hard to believe considering the saturation of residential development in the area. A friend who grew up in town convinced me that there could be any number of lost burial grounds from the Civil War era located between Havre de Grace and Darlington.

In a little patch of brush on the side of Chapel Road, in the comfort provided by some old trees, sits the place I believe to be Johnson-Hill Cemetery. Some of you are familiar with it, possibly from your youths. Others would be as surprised as I was to learn that abandoned burial sites lie, hidden from view, in the shadows cast by one of the county's most prized communities.

The burial ground is marred by the eerie depressions formed when wooden caskets decay. Some of the grave sites are marked by etched tombstones, some are proudly distinguished by natural stones of varying sizes, most are recognizable only by sunken earth. A fair number of people are buried there.

A tall tree, possibly a source of shade and peacefulness in the past, now encroaches upon the grave of Civil War soldier Luis Hill. Luis rests next to his father James. Josephine, the young bride of Freeborn Curtis, was barely 21 years old when laid to rest in the little cemetery on Chapel Hill. She died in the year after the Civil War ended. We can only imagine the dignity felt by a black man named Freeborn during that ugly time. It says much about the people who lived here then.

The Ghosts of Havre de Grace began as a project to collect haunted stories about the area. It still is with one important distinction: I've leaned that the real ghosts of Havre de Grace are the remarkable people and places whose memories have regrettably faded in time, but are not entirely forgotten.

The Most Gruesome Night

Gravediggers working with shovels in darkness to unearth caskets, disrupting the sleep of the dead: Could it be the faint memory of a distant childhood nightmare? Could it be the faded recollection of a horrific tale heard long ago?

It happened during the early morning hours of June 25, 1929 at Angel Hill Cemetery in the quiet town of Havre de Grace.

In the dim light cast by a full moon behind low clouds, M. H. Andrews, superintendent of Angel Hill Cemetery, his son, Clifford and two laborers carried out the grisly task at hand. To avoid frenzied crowds of townsfolk, 3 AM was the designated hour to exhume the bodies of Edward Stone and Edgar Stone, the deceased husband and son of Hattie Stone.

Hattie, in the custody of authorities at the time, was the target of a murder investigation that pointed to the intentional poisoning of her 15 year old son, George, who had died a couple of weeks earlier. Edgar had passed away two years before his brother; Edward had been dead just a year and a half. All three, at the time of their deaths, presented symptoms suggesting they had been poisoned with strychnine. The authorities wanted to know if the rumors circulating around town were true: Did Hattie Stone murder her family?

As might be expected, the bizarre case drew the intense focus of media attention.

The caskets were taken by undertakers George and Robert Pennington, father and son, to their funeral parlor in town. George Pennington was then the mayor of Havre de Grace. The viscera (internal organs) were removed from the corpses to be delivered to Baltimore for chemical analysis.

The caskets were swiftly returned to Angel Hill where they were placed back in the earth, next to George's grave, while the town still slept.

The Lady in Blue

The old house sits on Market Street, its view of the river stolen by development. Bonnie, not her real name , used to live there with her husband and children. Odd things happened. Household items would move while no one was around. Laundry left in a pile would be found neatly folded. Sounds were heard in the attic, like the sounds made by wood being moved around.

At first, the couple assumed that their young sons were to blame for the strange occurrences.

In time, Bonnie came to sense the presence of a woman in the house. Her encounters with the paranormal heightened. While going down the stairs, she would catch fleeting glimpses of the backs of someone's feet descending the stairs in front of her. Her husband remained skeptical even though Bonnie once saw the full bodied apparition of a woman wearing a blue dress. Bonnie used the word "blue" repeatedly and definitively to describe not only the ghostly dress, but the entire room where she encountered the spirit.

While sitting on the first floor with her husband and 3 dogs, something happened to convert her husband into a believer. The dogs suddenly cowered together for no apparent reason. The couple smelled a musty odor, like seaweed. Then a coldness descend upon them only to disappear suddenly along with the inexplicable smell. The dogs' demeanor then returned to normal.

Bonnie and her family eventually moved from the house on Market Street, but not because of the paranormal activity. After coming to terms with the nature of the encounters, Bonnie wasn't threatened by the ghost.

It should be noted: the family came to completely avoid the attic.

Bonnie believes that the spirit belonged to a woman who reportedly hung herself in the house.

The events shared here took place roughly 50 years ago.

The Lost Promise of Annie McMaster

Young, popular, and beautiful, Annie McMaster's future was full of promise. She was, after all, engaged to marry Daniel Kenley, 14 years older than her and well respected in the town of Havre de Grace. Daniel once worked as a bridge builder, but had landed an enviable position with the federal fish commission.

Annie's family rented a comfortable frame cottage on Stokes Street near the center of town. She lived with her mother Susanna, her brother William, and her sister Alice. Her father had passed away after moving the family to town from Cecil County somewhere near Elkton.

Annie McMaster, described as cheerful and bright, did the unthinkable during the early morning hours of June 4, 1889.

Holding her brother's revolver so near her chest that her clothing was burned, Annie ended the promise of her very bright future. The report of the revolver echoed through the quiet streets of Havre de Grace alerting the town that something fatal had happened. A neighbor, Mrs. James Hand, rushed into the house to find Annie's mother, Susanna, leaning over her dying daughter. The sight had to be gruesome. Annie lied on her family's sofa for an hour, blood flowing freely, before she passed away.

The suicide of a young lady, known to be likable and pleasant, shocked the town of Havre de Grace. Hundreds came to the family's house on Stoke's Street to pay their respect and view Annie's body lying in a casket. Remember, Annie lived during a time when corpses were laid out and viewed in the homes of the deceased.

Annie McMaster's body was buried in a family plot at Angel Hill Cemetery in a peaceful setting near the hill's crest. She was just 21 years old.

The source of Annie's desperation followed her to the grave. One account tells of a disagreement between Annie and Daniel the night before Annie committed suicide. The couple had paid a social visit to the house of one of Annie's sisters who lived nearby.

What was said between the Annie and Daniel? Did Daniel break the engagement? We will never know.

The story of Annie McMaster, like the story of Hattie Stone, has long faded from the memory of townsfolk. Then again, there are always those distant memories of the tales told to us during our childhoods. The fear evoked by those stories seems to stay with us always though the details somehow became vague.

While growing up in Havre de Grace, is it possible the someone told you a ghostly story about a young lady, possibly nameless, that haunts a house on Stokes Street?

Murder by poison in Havre de Grace

In 1929, Havre de Grace took the national spotlight as the gruesome details of a series of murders were revealed. A town resident, Hattie Stone, was convicted for the death of her 15 year old son George - Strychnine poisoning was thought to be the cause - who died in the midst of convulsions following a "hearty meal prepared by his mother." ( Miami News - June 20, 1929 ) .

At the time, Hattie's highly publicized prosecution was referred to as the "Poison Trial."

Authorities suspected that Hattie was also responsible for the deaths of other family members including her husband George Stone, her father-in-law John Stone, her mother-in-law Emma Stone, and another son Edgar. Upon examination, the exhumed corpses of Hattie Stone's family indicated deaths due to unnatural causes.

Her family members lie now, as they did then, in Angel Hill Cemetery in the town of Havre de Grace. All reportedly died under similar circumstances, namely stomach trouble..

Insurance proceeds were allegedly the motive for Hattie's brutal acts. Newspaper articles from the time indicate that insurance policies named Hattie as beneficiary.

Prosecutors painted the picture of a woman with a scandalous lifestyle who may have considered her sole surviving son George as a hindrance. In the words of State's Attorney, W. Worthington Hopkins: "She was the kind of a woman who wanted to be running around all the time with the men."

Keep in mind, the Havre de Grace that Hattie Stone might have enjoyed during the 1920's was a much different place than the quiet tourist town it is today. Home to "The Graw," a prominent thorough-bred racetrack, the town embraced illegal drinking, prostitution and, of course, gambling as part of it's notorious sub-culture. If Hattie was looking for a good time, assuming she had the cash to fund her antics, Havre de Grace was the place to be.

What happened to Hattie Stone? One elderly town resident recalls that Hattie worked as a waitress in Baltimore after serving her prison sentence. Has anyone heard a different ending to Hattie's story?

What about the tortured souls of Hattie's murder victims?
Are they at rest or do they linger in Havre de Grace as a paranormal reminder of a horrible, yet forgotten, secret from the town's past?

Havre de Grace Folklore

Let's start with a promise: this site isn't about ghost hunting techniques or the high tech equipment used by popular paranormal investigators. I'm just hoping to spark a little discussion about the folklore and legends of the unusual and historic town known as Havre de Grace, Maryland and other interesting places in Harford County and nearby Cecil County.

As a relative newcomer to town, I'm surprised at the absence of rumor and small talk concerning haunted sites or just tales about local ghosts. It seems strange that the long, sometimes traumatic, history of Havre de Grace isn't interwoven with the whispers of paranormal activity that distinguish other towns with similar pasts.

I suspect that others have searched for the ghosts of Havre de Grace and came back nearly empty handed as well.

Or maybe not.

Please leave a comment, or send an email to hdg.ghosthunter@ gmail.com, if you've heard tales of a Havre de Grace haunting or if you've had a personal experience with the ghosts that surely reside here.