Haunting at The Admiral Fell Inn
The haunting at The Admiral Fell Inn is a compilation of lives lost throughout the history of the seven buildings it is comprised of. Known as one of the two most haunted hotels in Baltimore, it is also considered one of the most haunted hotels in the country.
Located in the historic waterfront neighborhood of Fell’s Point in Baltimore, the hotel is rich with the haunted history of many who stick around in the afterlife.
The Beginning of Fell’s Point
William Fell was attracted to the point off of the Baltimore Harbor for its deep water and proximity to agriculture and thick forests. William Fell’s son Edward laid out streets around 1763 and began to sell plots of land for homes. The waterfront village port snowballed, eventually incorporating Baltimore Town and Jones Town to form a new town of Baltimore.
The point became a shipbuilding and commercial center. The shipyards became best known for producing topsail schooners, often called “Baltimore clippers,” known for their incredible speed and handling.
Fell’s Point shipyards built and supported dozens of privateers during the war of 1812. The pirates preyed on British shipping vessels, consequently making Baltimore a principal target during the war. This eventually led to the attack on the city and the bombardment in 1914 of Fort McHenry. Another part of the haunted history behind Baltimore, Maryland.
When the Civil War started, the shipyards were moved further away to support the larger vessels coming into play. The point became a manufacturing center with advancements in canning.
History of The Anchorage
In the early 1900s, the Port Mission Woman’s Auxiliary established a Christian boarding house to home and care for wounded and ill seamen. The Mercy Nuns cared for the seamen to the best of their abilities. However, many didn’t make it home.
Although The Anchorage was a safe house for the sailors who came to rest or recuperate, the world took on a rougher demeanor outside its walls. It was filled with saloons, brothels, mob activity, and the harsh life accompanying seafaring sailors.
The YMCA steps in
In 1929 the YMCA took over The Anchorage, and it was expanded into a 105 room Seaman’s YMCA. The size of the rooms being negligible, it was often referred to as “the doghouse.” Over thirty-some years, the YMCA housed and provided lodging for over 50,000 sailors.
It was in operation until 1955 when its doors closed. The building was leased to Vinegar Works, a vinegar bottling factory. The bottling factory closed in the 1970s.
Haunting at The Admiral Fell Inn
Renovation of the building in 1985 led to its renaming and opening as The Admiral Fell Inn. The 80 room Inn was created out of the seven historic buildings, including the central building, and is no stranger to strange happenings.
Part of the haunted feeling of the hotel is the narrow, winding hallways and a plethora of nooks and crannies – the perfect spots for a paranormal playground.
Ghost hunters that have visited the hotel have been able to pick up substantial EVP recordings and even some photographs of what appears to be a ghostly woman.
The Haunting of Room 413
One of the most haunted hot spots in the hotel is room 413. Not that long ago in 1999, Gary Mick, a murdering homophobe, stalked Christopher Jones, a guest he suspected as being gay. Jones was an out-of-town attendee of a pharmaceutical convention. Mick cornered Jones in the room where he was staying and bashed his head in with a hammer. It’s reported that Mick hit Jones 9 times and then walked away.
Eventually, Mick was caught after an attempt on another gay man’s life who survived and called the police. The information he provided led police to Mick, whose fingerprints were found at the murder scene in room 413.
Staff report the feeling of cool air washing past their face or arms when cleaning the room. Some reported the feeling of a hand on their shoulder, and some even refuse to go into the room.
Christopher Jone’s ghostly presence is felt in the room where his life was tragically ended. He has on occasion responded to paranormal investigators via EVP calling out the words “murder” and “head.”
The Sailor Suicide
With all of the sailors that lost their lives within the walls of the hotel when it was a recovery hospital during the 1800s, you can only imagine how many may be stuck in the earthly realm in their afterlife.
There are reports of the ghosts of sailors seen floating in areas where there used to be fire escapes. A German sailor, terrified of going blind from a disease he contracted in North Africa, felt death was a better alternative and committed suicide in the hotel. It’s believed that his spirit can be seen throughout the halls wandering aimlessly as if he doesn’t know where he is or why he is there.
Other Hauntings of the Hotel
In-room 218, guests have been woken up from the sound of footsteps to see a figure of a woman dressed in old-fashioned clothing walk through the wall. Urging the guest to go back to sleep, she walks away to check on another guest. Guests believe this is a nurse who tended to the ill sailors during the war. Many of these nurses died of the plague themselves.
The hotel even has a canine ghost. However, no one knows the story behind the dog seen playing and romping in the halls.
Don’t be surprised if you wake up to an old lady apparition sitting on your bed watching you sleep if you visit the Inn. Close your eyes and reopen them, and she disappears into thin air!
Other accounts are lights turning on and off with no explanation and alarm clocks going off in the middle of the night.
Late at night, guests have called the front desk to complain about a party in the room next to them. You can only imagine how the staff feels trying to explain away the fact that there is no one checked into that room!
After a hurricane forced an evacuation of the hotel, a loud party was heard carrying on upstairs. However, the hotel was empty. The same occurrence happened in 2003 after hurricane Isabel. Again, the hotel was evacuated, and the manager was stumped.
Apparently, those seafaring sailors partied on into the afterlife with their women and booze! Some of those ladies of the night have reportedly stuck around as well.
Reports from guests see a woman sitting in a room, perhaps waiting for her next John to come. Others say they have seen a woman standing at the foot of the bed.
Ghost Hunt Findings
Ghost N’at is a paranormal investigating team based out of Pittsburgh, PA, who investigates the most haunted sites around the country. The name Ghost N’at is a pun for the Pittsburghese language “and that.”
One of the team’s sites investigated is The Admiral Fell Inn. They had some phenomenal results with their EVP devices. In the basement, a question was asked- “Do you like to play cards?” the response was “my whole life.”
In one of the rooms, the question was asked, “Are there any ladies of the night here?” and the response was, “My name is Emma.” Right after that, a creepy ghostly man’s voice said, “That whore!”. Not very friendly, and it indeed makes you wonder what took place for such afterlife hostility!
A prominent EVP recording the team captured was in room 413, where Christopher Jones was beaten in the head with a hammer by Gary Mick. When the group asked the question “Is Chris Jones here?” there was a loud and clear response “MURDER!” and then, less emphatically, the word “head.” This definitely relates to the documented tragic events in that room.
Read more about the 10 top haunted places in Baltimore, or check out one of our ghost tours in cities across the country. You can even take a virtual ghost tour from the comfort of your own home!
Sources:
https://www.hauntedrooms.com/maryland/baltimore/haunted-places
https://www.admiralfell.com/about-us/our-history.html
https://www.hauntedjourneys.com/haunted-inns/1577-admiral-fell-inn
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fell%27s_Point,_Baltimore
http://www.midatlanticdaytrips.com/2020/09/whats-lurking-in-halls-of-admiral-fell.html
https://www.ghostsnat.com/about-ghosts-nat