Poplar Hill Mansion

This Federal-style mansion was built between 1795 and 1805 and is now operated as a house museum. The elegant home retains its period furnishings along with the spirit of a servant who died a tragic death.

Poplar Hill Mansion, the oldest building in Salisbury and one of the finest Federal-style homes on Maryland's Eastern Shore, harbors at least five permanent spirits from its two centuries of tragedy and service. The 1795-1805 mansion served as Dr. John Huston's medical practice—Salisbury's first hospital—where the surgeon treated wounded soldiers during the War of 1812. The British spared the house during their Chesapeake Bay raids specifically because they knew wounded enemies could receive care here.

The most tragic haunting belongs to Sara, an enslaved woman who died at age 19 while tending to the Huston children in the second-floor nursery. Her long, full skirt caught fire as she stepped too close to the fireplace. The children watched helplessly as Sara struggled against her burning clothing, ultimately perishing from severe burns. The scorch marks remain visible on the wide wooden floor planks to this day. Sara's spirit still serves the house—opening dresser drawers, arranging clothing in cabinets, and pulling apart bed linens as if still caring for her charges.

Samuel (Sam), an enslaved man listed in Dr. Huston's 1828 inventory as valued at $250, presents a more complicated presence. Board Chairman Aleta Davis notes, "Many of the ghosts here are quite happy and pleasant, except for Samuel." Sam considers himself the estate's keeper and hums while tending the home. Mediums report he alerts them to visitors, saying "Ma'am, there are people here." His spirit was trapped in the basement for years before recently being released, though he still dislikes strangers while accepting family members.

Two young girls—believed to be Dr. Huston's daughters Sally (Sarah) and Elizabeth—appear throughout the house, having "reverted back to their childhood which was their happy time." Paranormal investigators captured remarkable EVP recordings of a child's voice saying "Mama, mama, are you there, mama can you hear me?" A small rocking chair in the children's room repeatedly turns to face the wall, and toys rearrange themselves without explanation.

Dr. Huston himself appears as an apparition on the main stairs, holding what appears to be his medical bag. His wife Sarah Huston has recently made herself known—visitors sense a stern (not angry) woman watching everyone carefully, overseeing household operations as she did in life. Staff have heard women talking and laughing in the basement.

The mansion also serves as a spiritual portal. Curators report hearing what sounds like a sonic boom emanating from the dining room—a "rapport" that occurs when the doorway between realms opens. Transient spirits pass through before departing elsewhere. Museum curator Sarah Myers experienced this firsthand: after decorating the Christmas tree alone and jokingly asking "What do you think, guys?" a grandfather clock that "doesn't work, never worked, but chimed" responded. The basement holds additional spirits—individuals who traveled the Underground Railroad but died before reaching the Pocomoke River, their freedom journey ending at this final stop.

Mediums from around the world, including one from Portugal, have investigated Poplar Hill. All see remarkably consistent phenomena. The museum now hosts paranormal investigations with strict protocols—no antagonization, no profanity, respect for the spirits as "you are a guest in their home." As Davis emphasizes, "There is a positive energy in the house. There is nothing malicious about the spirits who dwell at Poplar Hill."