The REAL Haunted Houses of Ellicott City, MD
Haunted houses, horror flicks or scary stuff of any kind has never been my cup of tea. I’m what you would call a true Chicken Sh*! I think it’s because I have that natural sixth sense that if I tapped in to it, I would probably be able to connect with the other side. I actually have it in my blood. My great grandmother was the town fortune teller and medium. She read people’s fortunes and connected folks with loved ones who had crossed over. I felt this firsthand interestingly enough while showing a house right off Main Street, Ellicott City. It was a neat little house built sometime in the late 1800s and as we walked upstairs I shared with my clients that I knew we were not alone. It wasn’t a scary or dark feeling, it was just a chilling change in atmospheric pressure that made me feel like we were being checked out just as much as we were checking out their house.
So, when Tracey, our new Client Care & Marketing Specialist, said, “hey, I have an idea for Halloween…” I was like OK here we go! Turns out, one of the most haunted little cities of America is right here in Historic Ellicott City. Houses I’ve passed by and a road that I’ve driven on over and over come with spooky, and sometimes funny, stories of their own. Join us as we explore the REAL Haunted Houses of Ellicott City.
Our journey begins on the lawn of a completely restored, 9th century gothic, 7,000 sq. ft. 20-room castle on nearly 7 acres off College Avenue (which has its own ghost story). Lilburn Mansion (pictured above) is said to be one of the most famous haunted house in Maryland much less Ellicott City. The home, which remains a private residence today, has been through numerous renovations and even more owners. It was one renovation after a disastrous fire including a minor design change to the tower that is said to be the catalyst for a marked increase in paranormal activity.
Lilburn was built in 1857 by a wealthy businessman in the iron trade during the Civil War, Henry Richard Hazelhurst. Over the years, many tragedies plagued the Hazelhurst family including the death of his wife, several children and the death of one baby girl during childbirth in the home. Hazelhurst outlived his family, having died in the mansion at the age of 85. Manifestations of paranormal entities have included such stories as the heavy chandelier in the dining room swinging during a family event in 1960 as well as in front of a prospective buyer looking at the home decades later. The daughter who died in childbirth is said to be heard crying in an upstairs bedroom and peering out an upstairs window. Cigar smoke has been seen and smelled in the library. And perhaps my favorite… one previous owner reported windows in the tower that refused to stay closed at which point they tied the windows shut with rope but by the time he finished, walked outside to look at his work, the ropes had been untied leaving the windows open yet again.
Next, all three of us walked up and down the streets of EC near the courthouse looking for The Hayden House, also known as Oak Lawn, said to
be haunted by the “Cooking Ghost!” Now this guy is a ghost I wouldn’t mind meeting. As the story goes, the house was built in the early 1800’s by Edwin Parson Hayden, the first county clerk in Ellicott City. The majority of paranormal activity in this home was said to take place in the 1970’s when occupied by the district court and the county office of parole and probation. There were reports of the standard visions of a man, moving rocking chairs, lights turning on and off, but the reports of an unplugged coffee pot heating up and smells of bacon, eggs and soup are the most comical. The Hayden House is nestled among the court buildings, additions and the like making it very hard to find. We think we may have found it (see picture) on our self-guided tour. While we didn’t smell bacon, a gray cat appeared out of nowhere AND when we were standing in front of the building discussing whether we thought it was the right house the street light turned off! We politely said goodnight to the “Cooking Ghost” and went on our merry way.
Lastly, we drove the twists and turns of College Avenue, also known as Seven Hills Road. Legend states that if you drive over the crest of the seventh hill at midnight the Demon Truck, a black vehicle driven by a faceless entity, appears out of nowhere driving dangerously fast and close to your rear bumper. This is one I, especially, was not willing to test at midnight, however, we did drive it by dark. Perhaps the spookiest of our stories, this road said to have claimed the lives of many young drivers and injured countless more, has been tested numerous times by cars full of dare devil kids attempting to summon the Demon Truck over the years. The road itself has been altered by guard rails and adjusted speed limits. Beautiful homes stand now where it was once just woods. Reports of the truck have morphed over time into sightings of a cloaked woman in the middle of the road who disappears right before would-be impact.
If you’re interested in learning more or experiencing the REAL Haunted Houses of Ellicott City we encourage you to seek the guidance of professionals and take a guided ghost tour through Howard County Historical Society.
If you’re interested in selling or buying a REAL Haunted House give the Property Mamas a call. We’ll go and do just about anything for our clients. Until then have a SAFE and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!