Haunted America: The Ghosts of Westminster Hall in Baltimore, Maryland

There is absolutely no question that you have just wandered into a place where nothing living could possibly exist in a natural state, and you realize that if the forbidden eeriness of the dark shadows doesn't chill your bones, then the raunchy stench quite possibly will. Your deepest recesses of your rational mind are sending you clear and precise messages that this is merely a cemetery where lifeless souls are placed for an eternity of rest, but your overly active imagination screams out at you with your deepest fears, and reminds you that nothing in this place is at rest, nor will they ever be.

It has been considered one of the most haunted cemeteries in the United States, and it is occupied with famous and restless walking corpses from generals and mayors to influential businessmen and writers. Depending on whom you are and your thought process over haunted destinations and active dark spirits, the Western Burial Ground of the Westminster Presbyterian Church yard in Baltimore, Maryland could be considered one of the best cemeteries to visit or it could be on your list of worst nightmare vacation destinations.

Ghostly tales filled with shocking truths have permanently scarred the Westminster Presbyterian Western Burial Ground in Baltimore, Maryland since it was originally constructed in 1786. The church was built directly over the burial grounds, and finally completed in 1852, but the structures original massive arches created underground catacombs that have been a constant source of ghostly occurrences both below and above ground.

Over time bodies were constantly disarranged and even removed from their original resting place in an effort to accommodate the strict policies that city officials once enforced in the mid 1800's. Medical students also took part in these disturbances as dissecting bodies was a common practice in gaining medical knowledge. Soldiers from the civil war took refuge within the catacombs and stored weapons and other gear within the tombs.

Safety and health concerns that loomed within Baltimore's city limits soon became apparent, and cemeteries were to be accompanied by a church. This posed a slight problem as the burial grounds already existed. Underground pathways ran amuck underneath the busy city streets, but these passageways were often times the only access to buried loved ones.

If visiting with Edgar Allan Poe intrigues you, then this is the place to be. He has been spotted on various accounts, but most sightings are around his birth date of January 19th. He is completely dressed in a black wool waistcoat and trousers, donning a wide brimmed black hat, and a dark scarf wrapped around his face, possibly to hide it from the view of curious gawkers. His solid cat's head walking stick can be heard tapping against the hard ground of the earth as he strolls through the cemetery.

Ghostly tales that have sustained surround the fact that many of these restless souls wandering the burial grounds were buried in the cemetery alive. Once they passed over to the spiritual side, their spirit began to wander the grounds while seeking out the person or group of people that buried them alive in order to get revenge for putting them through such a savage death. There are quite a few unsettled spirits at this haunted graveyard who seem to be forever looking for something that they just cannot find, and they often frighten the individuals that stumble upon them during their search.

Many ghost hunters believe that the problem exists within the original construction and lay-out of the burial grounds and the church. Not all of the deceased can be properly visited due to bad planning. Some of the headstones are unreadable due to their age, and visitors to the cemetery are unaware of the hard to find parts of the graveyard that have been partially covered by the massive Gothic Revival- style Westminster Church. The hidden underground catacombs are the only access to some of the most restless souls on the planet.

Muffled screams from a seemingly bottomless dark pit from an unknown destination found deep below the earth can be heard and compared to as a personal human hell simply from the depth of the anguish felt by the living when hearing their tortured screams. Ghosts and restless spirits aimlessly roam the dark underground passageways of the catacombs that are encompassed by a foul stench, and a white haired entity is often seen walking slowly through the grave markers in apparent search of something.

Rumors, legends and ghost stories have remained a part of the cemeteries rich history due to actual communication and ghost sightings by living beings visiting the burial grounds. Amateur ghost hunters, paranormal investigators, physics and thrill seekers quite often experience paranormal activity by talking and communicating almost telepathically with those who have crossed over and are now part of the spirit world just by visiting the massive grounds that holds them prisoner. These lonely spirits appear to be anxious to tell their story and visit with the living souls that may finally accomplish putting them to rest at last.

The Western Burial Ground of the Westminster Presbyterian Church yard in Baltimore, Maryland has had its share of paranormal investigators, and Edgar Allan Poe's birthday seems to be one of the hottest peaks for communicating with the dead. Curator Jeff Jerome invited 70 guests and one photographer to gather at the grave site of the famous poet on his birthday. They celebrated by reading his works, and drank dark amontillado sherry to emulate a featured drink from one of Poe's many horror stories.

The photographer waited patiently for the moment that a ghostly encounter would occur, and before he could say cheese, the entire group witnessed the spirit of a light haired man dressed in black running through the cemetery carrying a cane. He kneeled down at the poet's grave; then quietly vanished into the dark night air. They later reported that the ghost wore a period frock coat, and they found that flowers had been placed on his grave. Life magazine featured the haunting picture that was captured by infrared night-vision equipment, and the experts deemed the photo of the entity as a real spirit.

Several other encounters with ghosts have been reported by ghost hunters and paranormal investigators looking for proof that the dead walk among us, but many visitors of the burial grounds are there to pay their respects. It would appear however that the spirit world has repugnance for living souls as they are often taunted by the spirits living there. The casualties of war included Generals Samuel Smith and John Stricker, who were both laid to rest at the Westminster Presbyterian Western Burial Ground.

Sixteen year old Lucia Watson Taylor is a frequent visitor of the cemetery, especially if it is dark and misty. Her white flowing dress is hard to miss, as is her beautiful head of long hair. The problem with this vision is that she crossed over in late 1816, but she has been seen praying within the burial grounds on many an occasion. Dark figures, hazy spirits, ghostly sightings, footsteps, screams, laughing, and indescribable rancid odors are all a part of these older then dirt resting grounds that never rests.

Over time bodies have been disturbed from their original resting place in an effort to accommodate the strict policies that city officials once enforced in the mid 1800's. Safety and health concerns that loomed within Baltimore's city limits soon became apparent, and cemeteries were to be accompanied by a church. This posed a slight problem as the burial grounds already existed.

The grandfather of President James Buchanan attempts to rest in the confines of this highly spirited playground for ghosts, and several unsavory spirits roam the grounds in an effort to chase off disrespectful thrill seekers that refuse to keep the noise at a level that allows the spirits to sleep. Generals, soldiers, statesmen, politicians and crazed lunatic, Leona Wellesley are all buried deep within the deep rich soils of the 18th-century style burial grounds; however they have undoubtedly left the confines of their wooden boxes that housed them upon final viewing, and are now walking among the many visitors that have come to see them.

Location: 519 West Fayette Street, Baltimore, Maryland. The cemetery is open to the public. For more information, Call: 410-706-2072

Sources:

http://www.law.umaryland.edu/westminster/index.htm

http://www.mdhs.org/library/Image28.html

http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/baltimore/b15.htm

http://usgwarchives.net/md/baltimorecity/tsimages/westminster/west.html

http://theshadowlands.net/famous/westminster.htm

http://poestories.com/view.php?photo=4379843b80d23

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catacombs

http://www.prairieghosts.com/eapoe.html

http://www.haunted-places-to-go.com/haunted-graveyard.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westminster_Hall_and_Burying_Ground

http://necro.com/the-best-cemeteries-to-visit-in-america.html

http://www.hauntedamericatours.com/toptenhaunted/toptenhauntedcemeteries/