Saint Mary’s College was founded as a seminary in the nineteenth century, but it was abandoned a century later when enrolment declined. Today, St. Mary’s has a terrifying reputation as Maryland’s “Hell House,” a gathering spot for Satan worshipers to execute horrific rites. What deadly secrets does the abandoned college conceal, and what distinguishes mythology from fact?
The grand seminary was once a tavern
The Redemptorist Order, a Catholic missionary organization, founded St. Mary’s in 1868 atop a cliff overlooking the Patapsco River near Ilchester, Maryland. The location was formerly a hotel and bar operated by the Ellicott brothers, whose surname was the same as that of the adjacent city. As the school expanded into the huge historic edifice that now lays in ruin, the students moved into the old bar and hotel structures.
The seminary was built in the Italian Renaissance style and had classrooms, bedrooms, a gorgeous church, and beautifully manicured gardens with meandering pavilions setting out the 14 Stations of the Cross. The library had as many relics as there were books, including antique coins, religious documents, and even fossils.
For the first few decades, the institution had a tiny student body, but enrollment peaked at around 150 students. Students would attend the institution for six years before becoming ordained priests. St. Mary’s College also served as a training ground for nuns. The Our Lady of Perpetual Help congregation was founded in 1893 to assist the underprivileged in the town, and it still exists today.
The decline of St. Mary’s
The Repemtorists departed St. Mary’s and moved to a new headquarters in 1972. A major portion of the seminary’s grounds was donated to the Patapsco Valley State Park. An attempt to convert the main structure into upmarket flats failed in the early 1980s. Someone else attempted to construct a non-denominational monastery and spiritual community in 1983, but it too failed.
The once-historic structure eventually fell into decay. Arsonists set fire to the historic structure on Halloween night in 1996, reducing everything to ruins save for one significant monument. Graffiti now covers the walls of what is left. One particular gazebo is the site of local ghost stories and occult meetings. The deteriorating home is adorned with a metal cross, earning it the moniker “Hell House Altar,” which stands out against the gloomy backdrop of woodland and ruins.
Legends of the Hell House in Maryland
Residents have heard tales of satanic groups, ghosts, and animal sacrifices. One tale has it that a crazy priest murdered numerous female pupils at the institution, while another has it that a priest raped several nuns. The priest escaped, and the nuns were possessed by evil spirits, who slaughtered everyone in the college. According to another version of the event, the nuns were discovered hanging with a pentagram made in their blood on the ground beneath them.
As previously stated, the school was built on land that was previously home to a hotel and tavern, which may have contributed to the ghostly sightings in the area.