Fort Howard Veteran Medical Center
An Endicott period fort named in honor of Colonel John Eager Howard, a distinguished officer of the Maryland Line during the Revolution. It is located on North Point at the Patapsco River entrance. Batteries here are Battery Key (1900 – 1927), Battery Stricker (1899 – 1918), Battery Nicholson (1900 – 1927), Battery Harris (1900 – 1917), Battery Clagett (1901 – 1920), and Battery Lazear (1900 – 1920), which was destroyed. A Veterans Affairs hospital has occupied the post garrison area of the fort since 1940. This was the chief defense and harbor headquarters for Baltimore during this time. Remnants of two mine towers still remain, and two fire-control towers still existed until 1980.
Abandoned veterans’ hospital, soon to be veterans’ retirement community. Right on the water. Gun batteries. Long history. Oddly spooky.
AKA North Point Hospital
GOOGLE MAP
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Fort+Howard,+Edgemere,+MD/@39.2022328,-76.4507092,1686m
Here’s a blog post on Fort Howard, covering its history, hauntings, and ghostly activity.
The Haunted History of Fort Howard: Ghosts of a Forgotten Fortress
Perched along the shores of the Patapsco River in Maryland, Fort Howard is a site steeped in military history and shrouded in ghostly legends. Once a crucial defense post protecting Baltimore from enemy attacks, today it stands as an eerie remnant of the past, attracting paranormal investigators, history buffs, and thrill-seekers alike. From spectral soldiers to chilling EVPs (Electronic Voice Phenomena), Fort Howard is regarded as one of Maryland’s most haunted locations.
A Brief History of Fort Howard
Originally the site of Todd’s Inheritance, a colonial estate used as a lookout during the War of 1812, Fort Howard later became a crucial defense installation. During the war, British forces attempted to invade Baltimore through North Point, a battle that contributed to the inspiration for The Star-Spangled Banner.
By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Fort Howard evolved into a coastal artillery battery, part of the larger “Endicott System” designed to fortify America’s eastern seaboard. During World War I and World War II, it was an active military base, eventually decommissioned and partially abandoned.
Today, much of the fort is part of Fort Howard Park, open to visitors who wish to explore its decaying gun batteries, tunnels, and overgrown ruins.
Ghost Stories and Paranormal Activity
Fort Howard has gained a sinister reputation for paranormal encounters—from disembodied voices to full-bodied apparitions. Whether it’s the residual energy of fallen soldiers or something more sinister, many visitors and investigators report unsettling encounters.
1. Shadowy Soldier Apparitions
The spirits of long-dead soldiers seem to roam the abandoned fortifications. People have reported seeing full-bodied apparitions dressed in old military uniforms, standing guard or walking through the dark passageways of the old bunkers before vanishing into thin air. Some believe they are the ghosts of War of 1812 soldiers, while others claim they are from the fort’s later military years.
2. Spooky EVPs and Unexplained Voices
Paranormal investigators frequently capture chilling EVPs (electronic voice phenomena) throughout the fort. These recordings have picked up whispers, commands like “halt,” and even distressed voices saying, “Help me” or “I was shot.” Some believe these are echoes from the battles fought on the grounds centuries ago.
3. Phantom Footsteps and Unseen Forces
Many visitors walking the trails around the fort have reported heavy bootsteps following them, only to turn and find no one there. Others claim to feel sudden cold spots or even an invisible presence brushing against them in the tunnels and abandoned bunkers.
4. The Haunted Bunkers
The decaying artillery bunkers of Fort Howard are hotspots for ghostly activity. People report hearing muffled voices, metallic clanking sounds, and even seeing shadow figures darting between openings. Some who enter the bunkers alone claim to feel an oppressive energy, as if something unseen is watching them.
5. Ghostly Lights and Orbs
Late at night, strange lights have been seen moving around the fort’s old gun emplacements. Paranormal photographers have also captured floating orbs and mysterious mists in their pictures—some believe these are signs of spirits manifesting.
6. The Lady in White
While most hauntings involve soldier spirits, there are also reports of a mysterious woman in white seen near the water’s edge. Some speculate she could be the ghost of a woman who lost a loved one in battle, doomed to wander the fort in search of him.
Is Fort Howard Truly Haunted?
While skeptics may dismiss the eerie occurrences as tricks of the mind, the sheer number of eyewitness accounts and documented paranormal evidence suggest otherwise. Fort Howard remains a hotspot for ghost hunters, drawing those eager to experience its haunted history firsthand.
Whether you’re a believer or a skeptic, the chilling air of Fort Howard after dark is enough to make anyone’s skin crawl.
The Dark Past of Fort Howard Medical Center: Military Experiments, Abandoned Wards, and Secret Research
A Forgotten Military Medical Hub
Nestled along the shores of the Chesapeake Bay, Fort Howard Medical Center was once a crucial site for treating wounded soldiers, rehabilitating war veterans, and conducting military medical research. Initially part of Fort Howard, a strategic military installation, the medical center became a key facility for the treatment of returning service members, psychiatric evaluations, and experimental procedures.
However, its later history took a darker turn, with whispers of classified experiments, hallucinogenic drug testing, and experimental surgeries conducted on soldiers. After decades of operation, the VA hospital was decommissioned and left abandoned, giving rise to eerie stories of its past. The presence of nearby military research facilities, including Aberdeen Proving Grounds, further fuels speculation about what really happened behind the closed doors of Fort Howard Medical Center.
The Role of Fort Howard VA Medical Center
Established as part of the Veterans Administration (VA) hospital network, Fort Howard Medical Center was designed to serve military personnel recovering from physical injuries and psychological trauma. Given its proximity to major military research sites, it also became a hub for various psychological assessments, neurological treatments, and experimental medicine.
1. Psychological Testing and Soldier Rehabilitation
During the Korean War and Vietnam War, thousands of American soldiers returned with battlefield trauma, PTSD, and mental disorders. Fort Howard became a major facility for psychological testing, employing experimental techniques, including:
- Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for severe PTSD cases
- Sensory deprivation experiments to study the mind under stress
- Early forms of behavior modification treatments
Many veterans claim they underwent unusual psychological evaluations that left lasting effects, leading some to suspect that the medical center was involved in clandestine military psychology programs.
2. Experimental Surgery and Military Medicine
The Cold War era saw an explosion of medical experiments aimed at enhancing human endurance, recovery rates, and battlefield survivability. Fort Howard Medical Center was rumored to be involved in:
- Advanced prosthetic limb attachment experiments for wounded soldiers
- Neural stimulation research to accelerate healing
- Covert medical procedures that were never publicly disclosed
Declassified documents reveal that the Department of Defense and VA hospitals experimented with unconventional treatments, and Fort Howard was well-positioned to be part of these trials.
3. Hallucinogenic Drug Testing on Soldiers
By the 1950s and 1960s, military scientists explored the potential of hallucinogens for psychological warfare and mind control. Many soldiers unknowingly became test subjects for substances such as:
- LSD and mescaline – studied for their potential to manipulate perception
- Benzodiazepines and other tranquilizers – tested for interrogation resistance
- Experimental psychedelics – linked to the CIA’s MKUltra program
While most documented experiments occurred at sites like Edgewood Arsenal (near Aberdeen Proving Grounds), Fort Howard’s psychiatric wards and convalescent units were likely used for drug-based behavioral studies.
Secret Military Research at Fort Howard
Fort Howard’s location, close to Aberdeen Proving Grounds (APG) and Edgewood Chemical Biological Center, raises questions about whether the medical center played a role in classified research projects.
1. The Presence of a Linear Particle Accelerator
In the 1960s and 1970s, reports surfaced that a linear particle accelerator was installed at or near Fort Howard. The purpose of this technology remains speculative, but possibilities include:
- Radiation therapy research for battlefield injuries
- Military-grade radiation exposure studies
- Classified experiments in particle physics for advanced weaponry
Given its connection to military medical research, Fort Howard may have been involved in high-energy physics studies under the guise of medical innovation.
2. Proximity to Aberdeen Proving Grounds
Aberdeen Proving Grounds, just north of Fort Howard, is one of the most well-known military research facilities in the U.S. It has been linked to:
- Biological and chemical weapons testing
- Advanced materials research for body armor and weaponry
- Experimental medicine and battlefield treatments
It is plausible that Fort Howard Medical Center served as a post-experimentation recovery unit, treating soldiers who participated in classified research at Aberdeen Proving Grounds.
The Abandonment and Paranormal Legacy
By the late 1990s and early 2000s, the VA began closing Fort Howard Medical Center, leaving behind a massive, crumbling complex with empty wards, decaying medical equipment, and an unsettling silence. Urban explorers, ghost hunters, and conspiracy theorists quickly took an interest in the abandoned facility, believing that its dark past still lingers.
Paranormal Claims at the Abandoned VA Hospital
- Disembodied screams and whispers in empty hallways
- Apparitions of soldiers in hospital gowns wandering the ruins
- Unexplained electromagnetic disturbances and EVP recordings
- Shadows seen moving in patient rooms and surgical areas
Some believe the spirits of traumatized soldiers and test subjects remain trapped, forever tied to the facility where they suffered.
What Really Happened at Fort Howard?
Though much of its history remains classified, Fort Howard Medical Center was undoubtedly a site of cutting-edge—and possibly unethical—military medical research. Whether it was testing new battlefield treatments or engaging in Cold War-era experiments with psychology and drugs, the truth about Fort Howard may never be fully uncovered.
But one thing is certain—its abandoned halls continue to whisper secrets of the past, waiting for those brave enough to seek them.
