Mt. Ida

An 1828 mansion built for William Ellicott's grandson, now the visitor center for Patapsco Female Institute Historic Park, haunted by the ghost of Miss Ida Tyson.

Mt. Ida stands as a magnificent Greek Revival mansion in Ellicott City, one of the most haunted towns on the East Coast. Built between 1828 and 1836 for William Ellicott—grandson of Andrew Ellicott, one of the city's founding brothers—it was the last home constructed for an Ellicott family member in the historic district. The mansion was built by Charles Timanus, who also constructed the neighboring Patapsco Female Institute and Howard County Courthouse, and may have been designed by the eminent Baltimore architect Robert Cary Long Jr.

The stately home features yellow stucco over rubble stone, expressing Greek Revival elegance blended with Quaker simplicity. Inside, a large center hall runs from front to back, with a double parlor featuring fireplaces and folding doors. Original architectural elements include doors, ceiling medallions, and elaborate plaster cornices. Tragically, William Ellicott died in 1836 at just 43 years old, never fully enjoying his grand home.

In the 1850s, Judge John Snowden Tyson—from one of Maryland's most prominent families—purchased the estate with his wife Rachel P. Snowden. The mansion saw significant use during the Civil War, serving as a hospital for wounded soldiers. It later functioned as a Town Hall during courthouse renovations and housed the Howard County Times newspaper offices.

The Tyson family's story is marked by tragedy. Judge Tyson died in 1864, followed by Rachel in 1889. The following year, their only son John, an attorney, died in a devastating boating accident. This left three maiden sisters—Cornelia, Anna, and Ida—alone in the vast mansion. Cornelia passed in 1893, Anna in 1895, leaving Miss Ida Tyson as the sole occupant of her beloved home.

Miss Ida was a formidable woman who managed the estate well into her nineties despite going deaf and requiring a cane. She was known for carrying a large ring of keys at all times, their distinctive jingling echoing through the mansion's halls as she inspected every room. When she finally passed in 1925, the house was named Mt. Ida in her honor.

The ghost stories began shortly after Miss Ida's death and have persisted for nearly a century. Staff and visitors consistently report hearing the unmistakable sound of keys rattling and jingling throughout the house, particularly in the hallways and on the grand staircase. The phantom sounds suggest Miss Ida continues her eternal rounds, checking on every room of the home she loved.

In November 2019, a visitor on Ellicott City's famous ghost tour photographed the mansion and claimed to clearly see Miss Ida's figure in the right window of the doorway. Such visual sightings are rare, but the auditory phenomena remain the most commonly reported paranormal activity.

Ghost hunters theorize that Ellicott City's unusually high paranormal activity may be connected to the massive granite deposits beneath the town. The granite is believed to conduct and store spiritual energy, creating pockets where spirits like Miss Ida can manifest. A Hallowread conference in 2014 featured a public paranormal investigation at the mansion.

Those who encounter Miss Ida's spirit describe her as a benevolent presence—the "cleaning ghost of Mt. Ida"—who remains protective of her beloved home. She seems to have never truly left, continuing to watch over the mansion where she spent nearly her entire life and witnessed such profound family loss.

Today, Mt. Ida operates as The Inn at Mt. Ida, opened in 2023 after extensive restoration by new owners who purchased the property in 2019. Guests can now spend the night in this historic mansion, perhaps hearing the ghostly jingle of Miss Ida's keys as she makes her eternal rounds through the halls she will never abandon.