Rodgers House

The oldest building in Havre de Grace and the only 18th-century structure to survive the British burning of the town in 1813, when 400 troops tried to torch it three times and failed. Paranormal investigators have captured EVPs of two women talking on the second floor, and tenants describe a protective female presence they believe is the youngest Elizabeth Rodgers, who never married and lived in the house her entire life.

The British burned Havre de Grace on May 3, 1813. Up to 40 buildings went up in flames while 400 troops marched through town. They tried to burn the Rodgers House three times. It survived every attempt.

A contemporary account described the attacks: "The enemy set fire three times to Mrs. Rodgers' house...but it fortunately each time was extinguished, though they defaced and mutilated much." Elizabeth Rodgers, the colonel's widow, was running the tavern alone by then. Her husband, Colonel John Rodgers, a Scottish immigrant and Revolutionary War veteran, had died in 1791, leaving her with nine children and a three-story building on North Washington Street.

The family's military legacy is staggering. One of their sons, also named John, helped found the U.S. Navy, captained the USS Constellation, and was the strategic architect behind the naval victory at Fort McHenry. Nine descendants became Navy admirals.

Elizabeth held the property together through her husband's death, the British attack, and the aftermath. She died in 1816. The youngest daughter, also named Elizabeth, never married and stayed in the house for the rest of her life. Paranormal investigators think she might be the one still there.

The building at 226 North Washington Street is the oldest structure in Havre de Grace and the only 18th-century building to survive the British burning. It operates as a bar on the first floor with a residence on the upper floors. The layout is unusual: a single open staircase runs through the center, and a rear addition creates a hidden area accessible only from the second floor that functions as an acoustic chamber, distorting sound in ways that confuse everyone who hears it.

Paranormal teams led by investigators Ed and Robbin have been recording there since July 2010. They've captured EVPs of two women talking on the second floor, male voices in empty rooms, and what they describe as "mimicry phenomena," voices that imitate the investigators themselves. Shadow figures have been seen near the third-floor bathroom.

Tenants on the upper floors describe a strong protective female presence on the second floor. The third floor feels different, more charged, especially near the bathroom. Whatever is in the building seems to come in layers: a woman on the second floor who feels like she belongs there, and something on the third that feels less welcoming.

The Rodgers House is the oldest surviving piece of Havre de Grace. Elizabeth Rodgers kept it standing through a war, and something in that building seems intent on keeping watch over it still.