Ramblewood's Tunnel Led to River, Freedom

Tucked away in the small village of Darlington lies what was once a key component of the underground railroad, and considered by regional paranormal investigators as a hot spot for ghostly activity.

Currently known as Ramblewood Campground and historically as the Worthington Plantation, this old mansion was home to the annual paranormal open house, hosted Jan. 7 by The Maryland Paranormal Research Team. Mike Stevenson, a historian and paranormal expert, was kind enough to show me around and share some history and stories of what has taken place on the property.

Concealed in the basement of the house is a secret tunnel used by runaway slaves as part of the underground railroad. According to Stevenson, the seven-tenths of mile long tunnel runs to the river, where the runaways would rendezvous with a barge, which would take them across the Mason Dixon Line.

Slaves would be harbored in the attic, then pass through a number of secret passageways within the house, which would lead them to the basement. During the time I spent with Stevenson, he shared with me how he believes the presence of a ghost named Nathan resides near the entrances of the tunnel. Nathan was traveling with a group of seven slaves that Stevenson has historically traced backed to the diary of Harriet Tubman.

Stevenson has also discovered the location of the Worthington Family Cemetery, where the Darlington Cemetery was built around upon a later date.

According to the paranormal investigators, they have detected numerous Electronic Voice Phenomenon other wise known as E.V.P, inside the home, mainly at the top of the second floor staircase. Paranormal researchers capture E.V.P primarily through the use of voice recorders while asking possible entities questions, hoping the recorder can pick up their responses.

While at the house, I can’t say I had any paranormal experiences, but did find the mansion extremely fascinating. I imagine due to the secret nature of its history, much of what went on at the plantation will never be known, but undoubtedly played an important role in allowing runaway slaves reach freedom. 

Have you been to the Ramblewood House? Do you know of any other homes or buildings with ties to the underground railroad? Tell us in the comments.