Terrifying Rumors Swirl Around 'Hell House College'

It was originally established as a Roman Catholic seminary in the 19th century. St. Mary's College in Ilchester, Maryland, has become better known by its infamous nicknames - Hell House College or 'Creepy College.’ The school was founded in 1868 by the Redemptorist order on a sprawling 110-acre tract of land previously owned by George Ellicott. With its majestic location on a granite cliff overlooking the Patapsco River, the campus presented breathtaking views. Its main edifice, a five-story Italian Renaissance-style brick building, housed a chapel, library, and several classrooms.

St. Mary's College flourished in the initial years, boasting nearly 150 students at its peak. However, by the early 20th century, the college's fortunes started to wane. In the 1970s, only a handful of students graduated each year. The decline led to the college's closure in 1972, and the property was subsequently sold to a developer.

The shuttered college had been left to the elements, and it soon attracted all sorts of explorers and thrill-seekers, including my friend Donna and I, but more on that later. With its legacy as a former learning and spirituality hub, the eerie building, or what was left, became fertile ground for those tales of the supernatural. Ghost stories involving former students and faculty began circulating, along with accounts of strange lights and noises emanating from the property. A substantial fire in 1997 enhanced the mystery and allure surrounding the college.

Now part of the Patapsco Valley State Park, the 'Hell House College ruins are open to the public. Visitors are cautioned to stay on the trails and respect the property, which serves as a popular spot for photography and hiking while simultaneously standing as a testament to its enigmatic history.

Supplementing the tales of satanic worship and spectral inhabitants are additional narratives about the property. Some assert the college was built on an ancient Native American burial ground. Others speculate it was once a sanatorium for those with mental illnesses. Reports of animal sacrifices and occult rituals further punctuate the folklore surrounding the site.

Whilst the dwindling number of students resulted in the college's closure, by the late 1980s, rumors about the ‘real’ reason for the closing down of the college began to spread. One of these, for instance, is that an insane priest had slaughtered several female students. This rumor may have spread due to confusion with the Patapsco Female Institute. Another rumor is that a priest raped nuns in the college and was eventually found out. The ending of this story varies from one version to another.

One, for instance, claims that when the priest was caught, he managed to escape, whilst the nuns became possessed by demonic forces and murdered everyone in the college. In another version, the nuns were found hanged, with a pentagram drawn in blood on the floor below, and the priest dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

It may be noted that St. Mary’s College was a seminary for men and not a nunnery. Nevertheless, such tales, as well as many others, were circulating and resulted in St. Mary’s College being nicknamed ‘Hell House College.

’While the veracity of these tales remains unconfirmed, there's no denying that 'Hell House College' holds a certain allure for those drawn to places of mystery and intrigue. Its abandoned ruins continue to attract those seeking a brush with the eerie and unexplained; the stories that swirl around it only intensify its eerie appeal.

A few years ago, my friend Donna, in Maryland for a conference, decided to take a quick little side trip to the college, even though it was technically closed for the season. We went when it was cold, and it got really cold in Maryland. Nonetheless, we had been to a party, and the booze flowed, filling us with false courage and alcohol antifreeze. Donna believed in the supernatural, whereas I did not. I was a true skeptic until that cold night in Maryland when something happened, something I couldn’t explain, nor would I try.

Donna died suddenly a few days later, an embolus, they say, but it was just a guess. As to the real reason, well, I think I know why, but never again will I speak of that night, and never again will I deny the existence of things heretofore unseen. I don’t dare, and I don’t drink either. Not since that night. No. Never since that night.

Featured image: Hellhousehauntedleaf