Did You Know?

Did you know that a nearby Whites Ferry residence may be haunted by more than one ghost?

In search of Montgomery County ghosts, Karen Yaffe Lottes and Dorothy Pugh are co-authoring a book about our area’s very ghostly past. They have collected so many ghost stories, they may start on volume two before volume one hits the bookstore. Here is one of the stories.

Not far from historic Whites Ferry, is one of Montgomery County’s oldest houses.

Built in the early 19th century, this stately, plantation-style home was built by the Trundle family and named Annington for their daughter, Ann.

Annington’s huge parcel of farm land borders the Potomac River and C&O Canal and was the site of Union troop encampments during the Civil War.

In 1823, Ann Trundle married Dr. Stephen White. She died in 1833, and the estate eventually went to their daughter, Ann Margaret White Smoot. Dr. White, who remarried in 1837, had life tenancy at Annington.

Perhaps the doctor is in? The area of the house where his home office was located still experiences activity, doors opening and closing, noises and footsteps of people walking in and out.

In October of 1861, Colonel Edward Baker dined at Annington. Union troops were encamped in the area preparing to cross into Virginia.

That fateful Autumn night Baker said, “Tomorrow I will die either in Leesburg or in hell.”

He died the next day in the Battle of Balls Bluff. 

Col. Baker was Oregon’s first U.S. senator, a close friend to Abraham Lincoln, and the only sitting senator killed in battle.

According to commentary in loudonhistory.org, “President Lincoln, who had known Baker since 1835 and had named his second son, Edward, in Baker’s honor, had picnicked with Baker on Oct. 20, the day before the battle. Now on Oct. 22, the president was in mourning and received no White House visitors.”

Baker’s body was taken in state to Washington D.C., later transported by train across the country and eventually buried in California.

A man in a Civil War uniform, believed to be Colonel Baker, has been seen on a number of occasions riding his black horse across the lawns of Annington.

And there are more stories of Annington. It was customary in those days to have traveler’s room reserved for people passing through who needed a night’s provision. Annington’s third floor attic room saw its share of travelers… and, a lucky onlooker could still catch a glimpse of one of them in the attic window.

After the many Maryland ghost stories and tales of the paranormal uncovered by Lottes in her research, Annington has distinguished itself.

“Annington seems to be haunted by a lot of people who didn’t die there,” said Lottes.

Our local ghosthunters expect the book, unofficially titled “In Search of Maryland Ghosts- Montgomery County”, to be released next Fall…in time to give Montgomery County a local fright for next Halloween.