Some of Cumberland’s long-time residents are said to be ghosts. As the story goes…one of the ghosts is a Civil War soldier that appears on occasion near the library. The library was a hospital during the Civil War and our ghost soldier died there, but hasn’t completed his journey to the hereafter.

Another ghost appears near the underground tunnel, and is a Revolutionary War soldier who died there. The tunnel runs from Fort Cumberland, now the location of Emmanuel Episcopal Church, to the Potomac River. The tunnel provided protection from the British and their Indian allies, who policed the overland route from the Fort to the river, and allowed the residents of the Fort to safely retrieve water and other supplies.

There is also a child ghost story about a boy who fell on the steps, broke his neck and died at the Walsh home, now the site of the Allegany County Board of Education. He may just be looking for a playmate.
You might get a chance to see these ghosts for yourself, if not you will at least hear their story and see where they died and the area they now haunt…

“The Cumberland Ghost Tour” is being offered as a walking tour of Cumberland’s Historic District during the CanalFest and RailFest. The tours may be expanded to every Saturday evening during ghostly hours, throughout the summer.

For more information contact:
Allegany County Visitors Bureau
(301) 777-5132 extension 102