Hauntings begin with tour
of Annapolis’ oldest house
Halloween is weeks away, but it’s never too soon to get a good fright.
One of the first attractions to open for the spooky season is a Special Historic Haunting put on by Watermark and Historic Annapolis.
This year, Watermark’s regular ghost tours will expand to include a tour of the
The Sands House was built around 1700 by an unknown builder. During a 1988 renovation, archaeologists working beneath the house found signs of another house, built by English settlers sometime in the 1600s, and under a few more layers of earth were marks of a structure put up by Native Americans about 1,600 years ago.
As the volunteers with Archaeology in Annapolis dug deeper and deeper, the earth yielded Colonial artifacts, pipe stems, thimbles, pins, a flintlock, a coin, a toothbrush and even bits of ancient Native American pottery.
The house is named for John Sands, who purchased the home in 1771; it was passed down through seven generations of John Sands' descendants.
Located at 130 Prince George St., the house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was recently purchased and given to Historic Annapolis by the Chambliss family.
Special Historic Hauntings begin Friday, and continue Fridays and Saturdays through Oct. 28. They last 90 minutes and begin with a walk through the Historic District led by costumed guides who share stories. The tour culminates with a visit inside the darkened Sands House.
Tickets are $22/adults, $14/children 3 to11, free for children 2 and under. Tickets may be purchased in advance at
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