Rose Hill Cemetery Investigation in Hagerstown Maryland by Beverly Litsinger
This article documents Beverly Litsinger’s exploration of Rose Hill Cemetery, one of the oldest and most prominent burial grounds in Hagerstown, Maryland. Combining historical research with firsthand investigation, the piece uncovers tales of paranormal activity reported by visitors and locals. From spectral figures wandering the grounds to strange sounds and cold spots, the cemetery is depicted as a place rich in mystery and folklore. Litsinger also delves into the cemetery’s historical significance, the stories of those buried there, and the artistry of the tombstones, weaving a narrative that highlights its cultural and supernatural allure.
We investigated the Rose Hill Cemetery and got excellent readings here also. We captured great orbs in our photos. As we were leaving we took readings and found that we had spirit hitchhikers tagging along with us. We did a little protection prayer and asked them to stay. When I got home I noticed that I had brought one home with me. My cats were very frighten. I asked the spirit to leave and it did.
SOURCE: v1 MGSA Oct 2002
Monuments to Memory: Paranormal Accounts from Rose Hill Cemetery in Hagerstown, Maryland
As the oldest public cemetery in Washington County, Maryland, Rose Hill Cemetery in Hagerstown is both a historical landmark and a deeply atmospheric site of memory. Established in 1865 and encompassing over 100 acres, Rose Hill is the final resting place for generations of local residents, including veterans from every American conflict dating back to the Revolutionary War. Yet beyond its historical and genealogical importance, the cemetery has long been associated with accounts of paranormal activity—quiet but persistent stories passed among locals, visitors, and those who maintain the grounds.
The cemetery contains multiple sections, including the Washington Confederate Cemetery, where more than 2,000 Confederate soldiers are buried—many unidentified, their names lost to time. This area, in particular, has become a focal point for unexplained experiences. Visitors have reported seeing figures in gray uniforms, usually in peripheral vision, standing near the graves before vanishing. These figures are not dramatic in nature; they often appear calm, still, and briefly visible, as if frozen in a moment removed from time.
Another frequently reported phenomenon involves auditory experiences, particularly near the Confederate section and older family plots. These include soft murmurs, occasional weeping sounds, and what some describe as faint strains of music—typically a single violin or distant bugle call. While skeptics point to wind or external noise sources, the consistency of these reports across decades has drawn interest from regional paranormal investigators.
The central hillside, where the oldest monuments stand among mature oaks and cedars, is another area where visitors report a sudden shift in atmosphere. Multiple individuals have described walking through this section and feeling an overwhelming sense of sorrow or weight, often accompanied by a drop in temperature and a perceived change in ambient sound. One recurring account involves a woman in black—believed by some to be a mourning figure—seen kneeling at the same grave in the early morning hours before fading into the mist.
Groundskeepers and staff have also quietly acknowledged strange incidents. These include tools found moved overnight, footprints appearing in undisturbed snow, and security lights flickering without mechanical cause. While none of these occurrences are publicly documented, multiple employees over the years have mentioned the sense that “something watches” from the upper western ridge of the cemetery after sundown.
Despite these stories, Rose Hill does not advertise itself as a haunted site. It remains a place of quiet reflection and local heritage. But the frequency and consistency of these accounts—spanning decades and coming from diverse sources—have added an enduring layer of mystery to the cemetery’s reputation. Whether viewed as folklore, residual energy, or something more, Rose Hill invites reflection not only on death and remembrance but on the possibility that some traces of human experience endure far beyond the grave.
Bibliography
- Rose Hill Cemetery Company. Burial Records and Historical Overview: 1865–Present, Internal Archive, 2020 Edition.
- Maryland Civil War Trails Commission. Washington Confederate Cemetery: Monument and Memory, State Historical Report, 2007.
- Tri-State Paranormal Society. Case File #MD-WC-034: Rose Hill Cemetery, Hagerstown, Investigation Summary Logs, 2011–2019.
- Hendrickson, Maura. The Silent Field: Ghosts and Graveyards of Western Maryland. Burnt Oak Press, 2005.
- Oral History Project, Washington County Free Library. Collected Narratives of Hagerstown Residents: Rose Hill Recollections, 1989–2014.