Havre de Grace's Past

At the Frank Wolbert grave in Havre de Grace. 

     As reported in a previous blog, I had the honor of leading tours during the autumn months for Havre de Haunts Tours and Paranormal Research.  I found the experience most rewarding and of late I have furthered explored Havre de Grace's past - with a little help from my friends.

     My friend Theresa was raised in Havre de Grace like myself.  On a lovely September day we got together for me to do a practice run through of the tour.  The result was much reminiscing about growing up in Havre de Grace.  She shared with me a tale I had not heard of before concerning a legend of buried loot and gangster hauntings once in the town's old Bayou Hotel.   

     While taking a full weekend to celebrate my birthday at the start of December, I further explored Havre de Grace with my friend Deborah, who was visiting from Virginia.  She had previously come to Havre de Grace for the Halloween Havre de Haunts ghost tour.  In it numerous interesting characters from the town's past are discussed. One of my favorites is Frank Wolbert, and with Deborah I came across his grave in Angel Hill Cemetery outside of Havre de Grace.

     The Wolbert tombstone was large and impressive.  It is shared by both Frank Wolbert and his brother.  Whether Wolbert finds it impressive or not is questionable as there are reports he prefers to remain in the Senecca house where he lived and died.  His death on August 15, 1967 is not in dispute, but many facts about him remain vague or mysterious.  Some legends claim that the eccentric doctor kept a collection of shrunken heads and an alligator in his basement.  Frank Wolbert's death was a violent one - his head was bashed in and he was found hung from a window of the Senecca house.  The Senecca house is currently home to doctor offices whose employees supposedly often deal with objects disappearing or being discovered in odd places.  When such things happen it is suggested that 'Frankie' (AKA Wolbert's ghost) is to blame. 

     Stephen Senecca was responsible for building the Senecca house, and it is an architectural wonder.  It is also supposedly one of the most haunted places in Havre de Grace.  People have reported seeing odd lights occur in the house at night.  Orbs and odd phenomena in the house's windows often appear in photographs of the place.  For an art class at Havre de Grace High School I did a sketch of the place, drawn to its appearance but utterly unfamiliar with its history. Perhaps I should have added something in one of the windows...