10/28/2026
Next up in our Local Haunts series...👻
The Emmanual Episcopal Church sits high up on a bluff that was originally the site of Fort Cumberland, a French & Indian War outpost where a young George Washington began his military career.
Constructed in 1851, the early Gothic Revival parish was built directly over the earthwork tunnels, magazines (secure underground storage rooms for gunpowder and am******on) and cellars of Fort Cumberland. These subterranean pathways were used by British troops to safely retrieve water from nearby Wills Creek. The church was designed by Philadelphia architect John Notman. The main structure is modeled after St. Paul’s Church in Brighton, England, featured in this post.
In the years leading up to the Civil War, escaping enslaved people used the church’s basement and fort tunnels as a vital sanctuary network. Allegedly, when church bells were rung, it was a signal that it was safe to move.
It is rumored that the church’s storied past has given way to paranormal activity. According to local historical lore, the phantom of a Revolutionary-era soldier is said to haunt the underground fort tunnels. Legend says he died on the site while the fort was still active and is occasionally seen near the subterranean passages.
Over the decades, people have reported hearing unexplained footsteps, faint whispers, and sudden disembodied sounds echoing through the old stone foundations.
We're fascinated by the history of this historic structure and the possibility of paranormal activity existing deep within its underground passages.
Emmanual Episcopal Church images provided by Allegany County, the Mountain Side of Maryland. Map image provided by Passages of the Western Potomac Heritage Area.
Stay tuned for one more feature leading up to Halloween 🎃
