THE STORY
Reported Haunting
Built by first Secretary of the Navy Benjamin Stoddert in 1787, Halcyon House was sold in 1900 to Albert Clemens, a nephew of Mark Twain.
Built by first Secretary of the Navy Benjamin Stoddert in 1787, Halcyon House was sold in 1900 to Albert Clemens, a nephew of Mark Twain. Clemens, who died in 1938, believed that perpetually altering the house would extend his life, so it changed quite a bit over the decades in which he owned it. One of the changes was a small crypt that was added to one room. The house is said to be haunted by Benjamin Stoddard, whose apparition has been seen walking through the house, sitting in chairs, or whispering. In the basement, the ghosts of numerous runaway slaves are said to moan and cry. As well, the apparition of an unknown woman has been seen through an upstairs window. A 6-year-old boy who was visiting said the ghostly woman rearranged his bedcovers several times in the night. Some folks claim to have been levitated and turned around during the night, so their feet were on the pillow, and some say the attic is haunted by noises and odd lights.