The Headless Ghost of Cornhill Street

Posted: 01.03.2025 | Updated: 01.03.2025

One of the nation’s oldest cities and briefly the capital of the United States, Annapolis, Maryland, is brimming with history and echoes of the past. One of the echoes is a ghost who has wandered the city’s waterfront for centuries. The Headless Ghost of Cornhill Street has frightened and fascinated generations of Annapolis residents with his imposing figure. This ghost is said to have suffered a gruesome demise, and hundreds of years later, the ghost is still determined to be reunited with his lost head. 

If this ghost story piques your interest, there are countless more to hear during a getaway to Annapolis. Book a tour with Annapolis Ghosts today to learn about the city’s haunting past.

What Is The Story Behind the Headless Ghost of Cornhill Street?

Located near Annapolis’ waterfront along Spa Creek, Cornhill Street is a quaint road lined with houses dating back to Colonial times. It’s the kind of street that seems picturesque during the day but takes on an eerie ambiance at night. It’s said that after midnight, you might spot the Headless Ghost of Cornhill Street making his way to the waterfront, which is the final resting place for his skull.

The History of Annapolis and Cornhill Street

Founded in 1649, Annapolis is the capital of Maryland and one of its oldest cities. Originally known as “Providence,” the city was later renamed “Anne Arundel’s Towne” before becoming Annapolis. The city has also acquired many nicknames over the years, including the “Athens of America,” “America’s Sailing Capital,” “Naptown,” and “Crabtown.” Located on the Chesapeake Bay, the city was originally settled by Puritans seeking religious freedom.

Annapolis evolved as a city under the direction of Royal Governor Sir Francis Nicholson. One decision that made an everlasting impression on the town was Sir Francis’ street design, which used a European-style circular pattern rather than a grid pattern similar to the one implemented by cities.

Annapolis would go on to become a city of historical significance. As the nation’s capital from 1783 to 1784, it is where the Treaty of Paris was signed, ending the Revolutionary War. Annapolis is also where George Washington resigned as General of the Continental Army. 

Cornhill Street is among the earliest streets constructed in Annapolis and dates back to the Colonial era. Cornhill Street’s primary function was to connect East Street to the city’s thriving harbor area and fish markets. As a result, many fishermen, sailors, and other watermen lived in the Colonial homes that lined Cornhill Street. Today, many of the original colonial structures that lined Cornhill Street are still standing, and Annapolis itself has more colonial structures than any city in the United States.

The Haunting of Cornhill Street

The story of the Headless Ghost of Cornhill Street dates back hundreds of years to the 1770s, as Annapolis found itself in the thick of the Revolutionary War. As noted before, Cornhill Street was home to a number of fishermen, including one who rented a house with his wife and two sons who were five years apart in age. The fisherman and his sons worked closely together until one fateful summer in the 1770s.  

In the summer months, Annapolis’ humid weather proved deadly to the local residents. Mosquitos spread disease, and many people died from fever and smallpox. Those who survived smallpox were often badly disfigured. It was during one of these particularly lethal summers that the fisherman and his wife fell ill and died, leaving the two boys to fend for themselves. The older brother was made guardian of the younger brother, and the two continued to rent the house on Cornhill Street.

Accident or Murder?

The story goes that the young brothers burned through their inheritance, spending it on drinking, gambling, and frequenting brothels. The brothers were also known to host drunken parties that kept their neighbors on Cornhill Street up until all hours. Sometimes, these parties devolved into the brothers engaging in alcohol-fueled fights, one of which turned out to be deadly.

One night, neighbors heard the brothers drunkenly fighting, but it abruptly stopped. Despite the instant quiet, neighbors gathered in the early afternoon to confront the brothers about the ongoing disturbances. When they knocked on the door, the younger brother answered, looking exhausted and disheveled. When the neighbors requested they speak to the older brother as well, the younger insisted that his brother had gone to Baltimore following their argument but promised there would be no more commotion. And he was right, but that wasn’t the last of the brother’s story.

Under the baking, humid heat of an Annapolis summer, a rancid smell started wafting through Cornhill Street. The neighbors eventually traced the odor to the brothers’ house and demanded an explanation. They eventually found the body of the older brother buried in a shallow grave in the basement. To add to this gruesome discovery, the older brother had been decapitated.

The younger brother claimed that the older brother accidentally died during their brawl, but most suspected murder. The younger brother had planned to dismember his sibling and take parts of him to Spa Creek to be thrown into the water. However, the younger brother lost his nerve after severing the older brother’s head and tossing it into Spa Creek. The younger brother was eventually sentenced to life in prison for murder.

The Headless Ghost of Cornhill Street

Not long after the death of the older brother, a headless apparition began to appear on Cornhill Street. This ghost has been seen for centuries walking towards the waterfront, likely in an attempt to retrieve his head. Some variations of the story claim that this specter is searching for a living accomplice to help him find his head. Whichever version you believe, the sight of this decapitated entity is thoroughly unsettling. Locals advise not to walk down Cornhill Street after midnight, lest you cross paths with the ghost and are forced to do his bidding.

Haunted Annapolis

Perhaps it’s the air of mystery surrounding the Headless Ghost of Cornhill Street that makes it such an enduring legend. Much of the story has been lost to time, including the very name of the spirit who wanders Cornhill Street or even which house the brothers lived in. It’s stories like these that capture our imagination and, as a result, allow them to live on forever much like ghosts themselves.

The story of the Headless Ghost of Cornhill Street is just one of many haunting tales that the city of Annapolis has to offer. Be sure to book a tour with Annapolis Ghosts today to hear more spooky legends! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, and keep reading our blog for more real Maryland hauntings.

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