This 1700s mansion, now a house museum, is said to be the home of several ghosts including Priscilla Ridgely of the original owners’ family, whose apparition has been seen throughout the house, and Cygnet Swann, an 1800s resident, the daughter of Governor Swann, who died under mysterious circumstances. Her apparition has been seen and harpsichord playing has been heard coming from her room. The ghost of a former butler named Tom also has been seen here as well. There are two more ghosts, both unknown, who also appear here. One likes to rom the house unlocking and unlatching locked doors, and the other makes a noise like beating chains against the walls in the tack room. Some believe this ghost to be original house carpenter Jehu Howell. Other odd happenings here: A spirit once knocked down all the display racks when an exhibition was held in the Great Hall; the sound of a crashing chandelier has foretold the deaths of the house’s ladies; and a phantom coach once arrived carrying the house’s master after his death away from home.
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Geographic Information
- Address:
- 535 Hampton Ln
Towson MD
United States
Get Directions » - GPS:
- 39.41635363469928, -76.5875151157706
- County:
- Baltimore County, Maryland
- Nearest Towns:
- Hampton, MD (0.5 mi.)
Towson, MD (1.3 mi.)
Lutherville, MD (2.1 mi.)
Timonium, MD (2.2 mi.)
Mays Chapel, MD (3.5 mi.)
Parkville, MD (3.7 mi.)
Carney, MD (3.7 mi.)
Overlea, MD (5.1 mi.)
Cockeysville, MD (5.4 mi.)
Hunt Valley, MD (6.4 mi.)
Contact Information
- Web:
- http://www.nps.gov/hamp
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Disclaimer: The stories posted here are user-submitted and are, in the nature of "ghost stories," largely unverifiable. HauntedPlaces.org makes no claims that any of the statements posted here are factually accurate. The vast majority of information provided on this web site is anecdotal, and as such, should be viewed in the same light as local folklore and urban legends.
I Have A Photo Of What Looks Like A Maid Carrying A Milk Jug.. My Parents And I Were Walking The Grounds After The Tour.. We Were Down By The Stables And Slave Quarters.. And I Snapped A Picture.. I Snapped A Lot Pictures That Day..
interesting…….
I went to Hampton Mansion on a field trip in 4th grade. They told the story the young girl who was brushing her long blonde hair and saw a demon. Not long afteward, I had a dream about this same story. Upon awakening, I saw the image of the Devil’s head on the curtains in my bedroom. When I moved the curtains, nothing was there. I went back to bed, turned over and saw a large black column appear next to the curtains. I didn’t hesitate to run to my parent’s room!!
Wow. My daughters and I visited today and my oldest girl said she saw a dark shadow in the room of the young girl where there were dolls and a tea set. She said it had broad shoulders and moved slowly. I wondered why she stared and stood there after everyone left the room. She did not tell us anything until we left the house. Also, as we were all going toward the kitchen, the bells all sounded off. The tour guide told us that only one worked, yet three chimed. She added that they were controlled by strings throughout the house. We were all together, so who pulled them?
Back when I was in either first or second grade (1991/92) at Pleasant Plains Elementary, my class went on a field trip there. We were taken on a tour through the house, and I remember being told that it was haunted right at the beginning. No-one thought anything of it, though; of what I can recall. It just seemed like a cool tidbit.
Anyway, at one point, I was captivated by one of the rooms, looking at the setup that was roped off; straggling behind my class for a moment in distraction. Then.. all of a sudden.. a rocking chair in the room started moving back in forth as if someone were sitting in it. This was not a trick of light. It was the middle of the day- bright and sunny- with the curtains wide open on all of the windows. I didn’t see an actual ghost. I didn’t hear anything crashing. I didn’t hear voices. Nothing like that. But, I DID see that chair moving in an unnatural way, and it freaked me out. All I remember after that is running my butt off to get out of that place. I actually wound up bursting through some door, into the courtyard and straight into a thorn bush, which put a few gnarly gashes across my face; landing me in the nurse’s office when we all got back to school.
No one believed me when I told them what I saw, even though I was legitimately scared to the point where I injured myself. I still wonder what/who made that chair move. After all, it’s not like this was a ‘haunted house’ prank. We were kids exploring a historical house.
I just recently visited the mansion and grounds on 8/6/17. When entering the home the air seemed to be fine and I could feel the air conditioning as we strolled from room to room. By time we made it to the parlor I started feeling weird. We then crossed over into the blue dining room and I announced to my friend that I felt faint. To avoid a disaster I moved into the hall outside of the dining room with the tour guide and a few others. All of a sudden I felt like I was being suffocated, sweat starting pouring from my forehead and on my cheeks. I had to stop the tour guide and ask to leave, simply because they locked us in the house. The park ranger escorted myself and friend to the door we entered. Before the park ranger could help with the locks I was already undoing them. By time I got outside I felt like laying on the ground. When we made it back to the car I burst out into tears. I could only explain my reaction as feeling overwhelmed and feeling sadness in the home. It took me 25 mins to recover to start driving home. That feeling stuck with me the entire evening.
I live in Reisterstown off of Franklin. I don’t believe I’m psychic. I can’t control spiritual contact or my dreams of the future. It’s not like a light switch. I can’t cut it on or off when I want. It comes once in a blue moon. But recently I’ve been visited by this dark spirit like creature. It woke me up and held a small old looking coffin over my head. ( I wasn’t the only one who saw the spirit; my brother also saw it. He said it was dark, had horns, and kept going into my bedroom). The next visitation, the spirit held a glowing picture of an African American woman smiling and brought it to me. Then, the most recent visitation was a little girl in all white, Caucasian,awoke me with the dark spirit behind her. She said she was killed by her father, a pastor of a church. The story on how she died isn’t true. She said she was given permission to bother me and my father (my father was complaining recently of hearing a child who keeps playing with him in his sleep. He said it was a kind spirit that made him wake up in order to breathe because he suffers with sleep apnea). I told her I would try to find the old church and write an anonymous letter. I believe now that the small coffin the dark spirit was holding was that of the little girl. I have no idea who the black woman was. But I need help. I don’t know where to start. I checked for the oldest churches but I can’t find much information. Please help
Hi , I have questions for you regarding your experience! Is the reaction you described as a result of visiting the place commented about ? Did it happen after you were there ? Just trying to put it together ! Plese respond thank you so much !
I went here on a field trip in the fifth grade or 4th I believe, I don’t remember much but I do recall, the group walking off and someone kept asking me to play or something along those words, there was a room we were told not to go in there, the voice kept calling me and I went in there anyways, I remember being spun around numerous times and I couldn’t get the force off me, the door slammed, my teacher came and got me, I laughed the entire time and wouldn’t stop laughing for days, than that night when I got home a black cat kept following me but my parents didn’t see it.