One of the most haunted places along the Route 1 corridor to visit is the Bladensburg Dueling Grounds, also known as “The Dark and Bloody Grounds,” located in what was formerly Bladensburg, now part of Colmar Manor, at 3505 38th Avenue. The area runs along the Dueling Creek, a tributary of the Anacostia River, once known as “Blood Run.”
This small piece of land was a popular spot for settling personal and political differences in the 19th century, because of its close proximity to Washington, D.C., and more than 50 duels between military officers, everyday citizens and politicians occurred between 1808-1850 on these grounds.
Some even say a ghost-like figure of Commodore Stephen Decatur, who was killed here in 1820, has been spotted as well other shadowy figures. While Congress passed an anti-dueling legislation in 1839, reports document duels took place here until just before the Civil War.
The Dueling Grounds is even listed in the book “Haunted Places: The National Directory: Ghostly Abodes, Sacred Sites, UFO Landings and Other Supernatural Locations.“
Other haunted places along the Route 1 corridor include a Revolutionary War-era cemetery hidden on 41st Avenue in University Park where the Deakins family has tombstones for 19 of its members, including Revolutionary war leader Leonard Deakins, who was born in 1746.
There is also the legendary story of the Mount Rainier exorcism incident, which took place at several locations in Mount Rainier in 1949 including the St. James Catholic Church.
And several historical sites in Bladensburg that date back to 1743, carry a long history of their own and seem haunted to some.
There are also sites on the University of Maryland campus said to be haunted, including legends about fraternities and sororities witnessing paranormal activity. You can read more about this in the Big Book of Maryland Ghost Stories. There’s even a UMD ghost tour with an official map of all the haunted and spooky places on campus.
