Home to The
Graham family of Maryland’s Eastern Shore and a handful ghosts from
the eighteenth century, Cellar House Plantation stands to tell the
tales of folklore and legends of days past.
Located on the
banks of the Pocomoke river of Maryland’s lower Eastern Shore, this
modest plantation house dates back to the early 1730’s. Oriented
toward the water, Cellar House was built on a former Indian burial
site. Furthermore, there lies a tunnel which extends from the swamp
to a trapdoor beneath the house where goods were smuggled and pirated
in the 1700’s. The Graham’s believe that it is the tunnel which
gave Cellar house it’s name.
The Pocomoke
River is the southernmost of the nineteen navigable rivers on the
lower Eastern Shore. It is said to be the deepest river for
it’s width in the United States. The swamp Cypress trees which line
this fresh water river are unusual for this area. Cypress trees
are typically found much further south in the Carolina's. The town
of Snow Hill upriver from Cellar House was an early shipbuilding
site. The local Cypress, a strong and very hard wood, was used to
build the ships. Cypress planks were used in the construction of
Cellar House.
The original
Cellar House dates back to a land grant from Lord Baltimore in 1666.
It is said to have been built by a French sea captain for his bride.
The captain incorporated uncommon refinements for the area such
as full paneling in the great room and great room chamber, and elaborate
cornices and chair rails throughout the house.
As
the story goes, this sea captain returned early from one of his
expeditions to find his new bride pregnant with a local
man from Pocomoke City. Outraged, he banished her from the
house. Months later, she returned by raft with her baby
to beg her husband for forgiveness. The raft overturned
near Cellar House and the baby drowned. She swam to shore
and when her husband saw her, he dragged her up to the master
bedroom and stabbed her to death. Knowing that he would
be hung for this macabre crime, he fled.
It
is believed that when her body was found a few months later, there
was an imprint of her body left on the floor caused by her decomposing
body. Newer floorboard in that particular room attest to the attempt
to cover up the horrid stain. It is said that on cold rainy nights
you can hear the wails of a baby on the docks crying for his adulterous
murdered mother.
During
its history, Cellar House has stood empty several times. By
the mid-twentieth century, the house was dilapidated and in serious
need of repairs. In the mid-sixties, Jack Graham, an architect
from Salisbury, acquired the property and began a major restoration,
securing the house against the elements and redefining the spaces.
In the seventies, Martha and Jack made more changes for their large
family and restored the rooms closer to their original function.
In 1987, they reworked the kitchen, enclosed the screen porch, and
changed the rooms further and added more period furniture to the
house.
