UPDATE: We’ve launched a project to collect mysterious folklore and legends from the Ag Reserve for a future book. Click here to join our FB group, Mysteries and Legends of the Ag Reserve, complete our survey of spooky local spots, or email us directly with your story at MLARcontactus@gmail.com. (7/29/2021)
Back in 2018, while during research for my Monsters and Mysteries of Maryland bonfire storytelling events at Soleado Lavender Farm and my Historic Medley District Haunted History walking tour, I discovered that the Poolesville area has a ton of haunted history that is interesting but didn’t fit with my storytelling plan.
Poolesville and its surrounding areas are rich in layers of history and form a significant portion of Montgomery County’s Agricultural Reserve. Folklore is a fantastic way to learn more about history and the world around us and this part of Maryland is a beautiful area to explore.
Planning the Haunted Poolesville Podcast
I was grateful to the people in and around Poolesville who told me local ghost stories via Facebook and I wanted to share what I discovered with the community. Of course I could have done a blog post to share this info. but I’d been wanting to try podcasting for a while and thought this would be a great opportunity to do a trial podcast. Additionally many people said they were interested in a Poolesville ghost tour so I thought it’d be cool to set up the podcast as a driving tour.
Back in 2018, on a sunny Friday morning, fueled with a delicious iced latte from Watershed Cafe, I took my typed notes from my research, did my best to find addresses for all the properties, and headed off into the wilds of Poolesville (and beyond!) with my friend Amity serving as navigator and voice of reason.
Making the Haunted Poolesville Podcast
At home, I tweaked my notes to include what we discovered on our drive and then put the sites in order to make a rough loop so listeners could download the podcast and use it as an audio tour. I used my notes as a rough script and did it all in one take, though I had to split it into two parts in order to pick my kids up from the bus.
It’s not perfect by any means, but it was fun. Anchor.fm was super easy to use on my laptop and my smart phone and I’d recommend it to anyone who wants to give podcasting a try.
How to Enjoy the Haunted Poolesville Podcast
1. Click on the download button below to access the resource PDF with names of properties, addresses, and images of each. You may like to download or print the PDF out if you plan to make it a driving tour–WiFi coverage can be spotty in the Ag Reserve.
2. Click here to access the podcast itself. It’s about 40 minutes long total. You can stream it on your computer/device or download it and listen later.
3. If you choose to make the drive while listening to the podcast, please be respectful of people’s private property and be mindful of the road. Many of the roads are winding and rustic and some of the properties are not easily seen driving by (at least one can’t be seen at all but it’s on a beautiful road). Be respectful, be safe, and enjoy!
NOTE: In Part Two of the podcast, I mention that the final house is on Darnesville Road–I meant Darnestown Road, of course. Things like that happen when you do something in one take. 🙂
EDIT (06/13/2018): I was contacted by the current owner of the John Hall House who kindly shared some clarification with me. My timeline for that site is garbled; the home has had 7 owners and the current owners purchased from the Nessul family, who lived there for 25 years. She also shared that since moving in, there has been no ghostly activity. I appreciate her reaching out!
A big thanks to everyone who shared their stories with me on the Town of Poolesville Facebook page, Amity for coming along on my adventure, and the staff at my local library for being helpful with my endless curiosity and never-ending library holds.
And, as always, thank you to my readers! Please share and feel free to leave a comment here.
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