Washington County Fringes

[BridgetBrown]

***Disclaimer**** Please do not bother the residents of this house, it is a private residence and inquiries or trespassing are not allowed!

This house, on the National Register of Historic Places, is reputed to be haunted by a former resident. The daughter of a wealthy banker who was a socialite supposedly haunts the upper stories. It is on Rte. 491 right before you get to Cascade coming from Smithsburg.

I guess Antietam Cable did a story on this and interviewed the owners, did anybody ever see it?



http://www.marylandhistoricaltrust.net/nr/NRDetail.asp?HDID=1271&FROM=NRMapFR.html

[drastic]

Hi,
It's nice to see this interest in my house. I would like to exchange information from anyone who may have known or known about the original owner. First, an introduction.

My wife Karen and I bought this house in December 1996, a few years after she was diagnosed with cancer, so that we could work together from home and spend more time together. Karen was lost in April 2004, but I remain here. We quickly grew to love the house and made it our second job and hobby to restore it to as close to the original condition as we could determine.

The excellent summary found at the URL in the previous message was prepared by Paula Reed, who we hired to research the house's architectural history and apply for the National Register status. Two interior rooms that had been remodeled beyond recognition were gutted, and rebuilt in the original Arts and Crafts style, imitating materials and style found elsewhere in the house (e.g. baseboards, picture rails were exactly copies). Lots of structural renovation, rehab of all windows and most storm windows, complete repainting of the exterior, roof and chimney repair, repointing stone, etc. was also done in the last 8 years.

A few minor corrections to the post: It was built between 1902 and 1904 for Katherine Taylor of Baltimore. She was indeed wealthy, as this was her summer home only. Her architect was J.W. Woltz, whose office was in Waynesboro. However, I didn't know that she was married to a banker; can you confirm this, or provide any other information about him?

Katherine so liked it here, that she eventually added heat to the house and lived here year-round with her sister, who was said to be disabled. There are remnants of an elevator shaft still in the house, installed for her sister. Katherine died in 1940 and is buried in the cemetery just up the hill from the house. Unlike other graves that face the road, hers faces the house.

Reportedly, the ghost is of Katherine. I was told a fourth-hand story of a sighting in the 70's, when the house was probably in a state of decline, having been divided into apartments. The owner at that time kept his family on the first floor, and renters on the second. One of the renters (a soldier based at Ft. Ritchie) stepped out of his bathtub and felt a hand on his shoulder, turned around to see a woman, who then disappeared.

I've wanted to meet Katherine's ghost since then. I'm neither a believer nor a disbeliever, but as a scientist I'd love to encounter a spirit like that. But, I may not, because one of the principles of ghostly sightings I've heard is that they appear only when unhappy. Katherine may well have been unhappy to see her home in decline. If so, she should now be at peace, because its current resident is committed to bringing it back to its original condition and keeping it that way.

I did hear about the TV program that mentioned this house, and I wrote to both WETA and MPT. Both public TV stations had no record of such a program. However, if it was produced by Antietam Cable, I will ask them if they can sell me a copy of the tape. If anyone has more information about it, that may help me to locate a copy of the program.

Also, any names and dates of past owners would be appreciated. I do know about the long period when the home was operated as a home for boys with special needs or disabilities, but I can't fix the exact dates. Thanks.
_________________
George Drastal
17130 Raven Rock Rd.
Cascade, MD 21719

[BridgetBrown]

Wow! That's so great you found us! It sounds like you have done so much work to the house, and it shows from the outside!

Is Katherine buried at the Germantown Church of God? I have to run right over and take a picture of her grave!

Also, here is a link of the Antietam Cable recap of the show. But I'm afraid it's pretty old, so good luck in getting a copy!
http://www.antietamcable.com/specials/legends/history.htm

I have found some property tax records of previous owners and when they purchased the property.

I will e-mail them to you. Thanks for posting!

[RBegonia]

I've seen that house! It's really nice. Too bad you've never seen her ghost there. Well, at least that's nice that she's at peace.

[drastic]

Yesterday I had a surprise visit from a woman now living in N. Carolina, who has a significant connection to the house, and who remembers some details. Micki Reeder is the daughter of Greg & Elva Byrne. Greg is the son of George Byrne, who bought the house in (or before) 1944. George Byrne (GB) is still remembered in this are as the man who kept two Great Danes in the house (and took then wherever he drove in his big Lincoln Continental). GB lived here and raised 3 sons, Greg being the oldest. Greg moved to the house in 1944 at age 3. GB ran the house as a home for mentally disabled children, and at its operational peak there were 30 children here. Several of the staff who worked here are still living in the area. I'm writing this to dispel the often-repeated belief that the house was a boys' orphanage.

Since I already know that the first owner, Katherine Taylor, passed away in 1940, it is likely that GB was the second owner. However, Micki has promised to look for old family records that may help explain the 4 year gap between Katherine's death and the arrival of GB's son in 1944.
_________________
George Drastal
17130 Raven Rock Rd.
Cascade, MD 21719

[BridgetBrown]

eerie, isn't it?

[kinleyk@comcast.net]

There may be the ghosts of many at Tipahato. Many children died there. But happy ghosts. My brother, Ross, lived at Tipahato with George and Dolly Burns and their two great danes. One of the danes was named Dori. I don't remember the other. Dori and my brother were quite attached.

As a child I spent many hours at Tipahato. My mother and I would travel there once a month, from Baltimore, to visit my brother who at age nineteen was only 6 or 7 psychologically. He and I were great friends. I loved him very much. Ross died at Tipahato. For many many years I would see him in the corner of my bedroom - watching over me. He never spoke to me.

I have some pictures of Ross and I at Tipahato. Mostly I remember the big porch and the parlor. The parlor was furnished with red leather furniture beautiful carpets...Dolly always served ice tea in the summer. It must have been real chinese tea. Oolong.

Somehow, Tipahato is a part of me I can never let go of.

Kinley