Episode 607: Creepy Cemeteries: Volume 1

Westminster Burying Grounds in Baltimore, Maryland, is notorious not just for its rich history but also for the eerie tales and legends that tie it to the paranormal world.

The history and layout of Westminster Burying Grounds

The cemetery was established in 1786, predating the construction of the Westminster Presbyterian Church

Alaina Urquhart shares that the Westminster Burying Grounds were created in 1786, with the Westminster Presbyterian Church built atop the graves later, resulting in the formation of catacombs beneath.

The cemetery contains the remains of prominent figures, including the famous writer Edgar Allan Poe.

Edgar Allan Poe is among the famous interred at Westminster Burying Grounds. Initially buried in an unmarked grave due to the peculiar circumstances of his death, he was reinterred multiple times within the cemetery. A fundraiser by local school children, "Pennies for Poe," eventually secured a marked grave for Poe with a stolen and later recovered medallion at the entrance.

Poe's wife, Virginia Clem Poe, and his mother-in-law, Maria Clem, are also laid to rest nearby.

Notable paranormal phenomena reported at the cemetery

Sightings of a "screaming skull" of a murdered local minister

A local minister who was murdered close to the cemetery is the center of a disturbing tale. His skull, it is said, screamed incessantly from his grave, driving locals mad until they exhumed it. The skull was gagged, encased in concrete, severed, and is now resting next to his grave, silent.

Apparitions of a young woman named Lucia Watson Taylor

Visitors have claimed sightings of Lucia Watson Taylor, a young woman who passed away in 1816 at sixteen. She is often seen in a flowing dress with long dark hair, kneeling and praying over her own grave during dark, foggy evenin ...

Bachelor's Grove Cemetery, established in 1834 and nestled in Illinois, has become notorious for its unsettling aura and paranormal activity, which includes various ghostly apparitions and unexplained phenomena attracting both thrill-seekers and investigators.

The history and reputation of Bachelor's Grove Cemetery

Ash Kelley explains that Bachelor's Grove is not only one of the most haunted places in the world but also a site with a troubled past. The cemetery has been desecrated, vandalized, and used for illicit activities like occult rituals and drug use. Its seclusion, following the rerouting of the Midlothian Turnpike, made it ideal for miscreants. By the 1970s, the destruction was so severe that police patrols increased to combat grave diggers and vandals. The cemetery's history of satanic worship has only added to its dark lore, especially with findings of chicken heads and dead dogs, enhancing its sinister reputation.

Commonly reported paranormal phenomena

Sightings of a mysterious "woman in white" or "Madonna" apparition, possibly the spirit of a former resident.

The hosts discuss the infamous ghost known as the Madonna of Bachelor's Grove, often seen as a woman in white wandering through the cemetery. Captured in a famous photograph, she appears in a long white dress, sitting on a checkered tomb, part of her form translucent. Initially reported to carry a baby in early sightings, recent accounts note her alone. A connection is made to an "infant daughter" headstone in the cemetery, leading visitors to leave baby toys at the grave. Speculations about her identity vary but include residents Catherine Fulton and Luella Fulton, both of whom had family buried at Bachelor's Grove.

Accounts of a flickering blue light that behaves erratically and sometimes chases or approaches witnesses.

The phenomenon of an erratic blue light that chases or surprises visitors is also reported by Kelley. It appears both during the day and on moonlit nights, and witnesses claim to have been pushed or felt a compulsion to follow it.

Descriptions of a "yellow man" apparition seen by multiple paranormal investigators.

In 1984, an apparition known as the yellow man was first recorded by a paranormal investigator. Described as a man in his forties with a hat, this spectral figure was seen amongst other unusual occurrences like trembling trees and red streaking lights, alarming the witnesses.

Reports of a disappearing, spectral farmhouse that materializes and vanishes along the cemetery's roads.

A spectral farmhouse that appears and vanishes is a repeated tale from Bachelor's Grove. Descriptions of this ghostly structure, a white Victorian house with a porch, remain consistent even from unrelated witnesses. The house, sometimes appearing solid or translucent, never stays when observers draw near, shrinking or disappearing entirely. No physical house exists on the property, yet sketches from diff ...