Schifferstadt Architectural Museum

This German Colonial house dates to the 1750s and is one of Frederick's oldest buildings. A testament to the town's deep-rooted German heritage, the stone structure is celebrated for both its architectural significance and supernatural residents.

Schifferstadt Architectural Museum, one of the oldest surviving structures in Frederick, Maryland, has been home to the same family for nearly 270 years—even though the original owners died centuries ago. Built in 1756 by German immigrant Joseph Brunner, this stone German Colonial house still echoes with voices speaking in the old tongue and footsteps of residents who never left.

Joseph Brunner emigrated from Schifferstadt, Germany, and built this fortified home during the dangerous years of the French and Indian War. The massive stone walls, small windows, and heavy construction suggest it was designed to withstand attack. For generations, the Brunner family lived, worked, and died within these walls. By 1972, the building had deteriorated so badly it was nearly demolished to make room for a gas station. The Frederick County Landmarks Foundation, with help from a $60,000 loan from the Maryland Historical Trust, rescued the property and began a careful restoration.

That's when the hauntings began—or perhaps resumed.

According to local accounts, the spirits of Joseph and Elias Brunner, the original owners, awakened during the renovation. Rather than resenting the intrusion, they seemed pleased with the careful restoration of their beloved home. Staff members began hearing voices speaking in a mixture of German and English throughout the house. Footsteps echo through both floors as the Brunners putter about, going about their eternal daily routines. Investigators describe them as "happy and content, willing to share their home with the living."

But the Brunners are not alone. Psychics investigating the property have identified at least two additional spirits with tragic connections to the house. Wilhelmina was a young midwife who died in the kitchen when her clothing caught fire—a common and horrific fate in an era of open hearths and long dresses. Her presence is especially strong in that room, and one staff member was allegedly physically hugged by an unseen presence there, an embrace attributed to Wilhelmina's grateful spirit.

The other identified ghost is a young boy named Christian, believed to be three-year-old Christian Brunner, who died of a fever in the house. His spirit has been seen hiding in the shadows of the attic, a small figure watching from the darkness. More remarkably, neighborhood children have reportedly spent time playing with a little boy at Schifferstadt—a playmate their parents never see.

Docents have had their own encounters with the residents. The first reports involved hearing voices when alone in the building. One staff member heard a door slam after checking that all doors were secure. She quickly left, but found the next morning that every door was exactly as she had left them—whatever slammed had come from somewhere beyond the physical world.

The Mason Dixon Paranormal Society investigated in 2008 and captured enough evidence to officially declare the house haunted. Investigator Michael Varhola documented the findings in "Ghosthunting Maryland."

Today, Schifferstadt offers evening "Spirits" tours that explore the evidence of hauntings alongside the personal experiences of docents and visitors. For those who attend, the museum offers a rare opportunity: a chance to meet a family that has called this place home for nearly three centuries, and shows no intention of ever leaving.