Old Brick Inn – Kemp House Bed and Breakfast

The Old Brick Inn, now operating as the Kemp House Bed and Breakfast, stands as one of Maryland's Eastern Shore's most architecturally distinctive colonial structures, erected in 1807 during a period of significant expansion in the Chesapeake Bay region. Located in the historic town of St. Michaels, the inn was originally constructed with local brick and timber, reflecting the vernacular building traditions of early nineteenth-century Maryland tidewater communities. The building's sturdy brick construction and period details have allowed it to survive over two centuries of coastal weather and changing social circumstances, making it a valuable repository of early American architectural heritage. During the American Civil War, the Eastern Shore of Maryland served as a contested region where Union and Confederate sympathies competed for influence, and the inn likely provided shelter to soldiers, officers, and civilians displaced by the conflict. The property's historical significance is deepened by the presence of General Robert E. Lee, whose military campaigns and movements through the Chesapeake region have been extensively documented in Civil War historical records. The inn became a focal point for travel and commerce in St. Michaels, serving as a gathering place where military and civilian populations intersected during the turbulent war years.

Throughout its operational history as a public accommodation, the inn has accumulated a substantial body of paranormal reports from guests, proprietors, and staff members. The most persistently documented phenomena involve the sounds of disembodied voices emanating from the foyer and stairwell areas, described by multiple witnesses as the argumentative tones of two male figures engaged in heated discussion. The voices are frequently heard late in the evening or during quiet periods when the inn is sparsely occupied, suggesting a residual haunting that repeats its pattern independent of current building activity. Guests staying in the upstairs rooms have reported encounters with a distinct male apparition, identified by local paranormal researchers as bearing resemblance to Civil War era military dress, possibly connected to the documented historical presence of high-ranking Confederate or Union officers who lodged at the establishment. Moving objects have been reported in the downstairs rooms, with staff members describing items that shift positions overnight despite being secured or left in known locations. An unusual phenomenon documented on multiple occasions involves an unexplained ball of blue light that manifests in the foyer area, appearing spontaneously and disappearing without rational explanation. Visitors have reported physical sensations including sudden cold spots, feelings of being touched by unseen hands, and inexplicable sensations of presence in otherwise empty rooms. The overall pattern of activity suggests multiple entities inhabiting the space, with the repeated argumentative voices implying some form of unresolved interpersonal conflict or dispute that has become imprinted upon the location.

The contemporary Kemp House Bed and Breakfast operations have integrated the inn's paranormal reputation into its marketing and guest experience, acknowledging the historical and supernatural dimensions of the property while maintaining professional hospitality standards. Staff members remain open to discussing paranormal encounters with interested guests and have developed informal protocols for addressing unusual incidents that arise during occupancy. The property continues to attract paranormal researchers and history enthusiasts who seek documented evidence of ghostly manifestations and historical verification of the spirits that are believed to inhabit the restored colonial structure. The combination of verified architectural significance, documented Civil War connections, and consistent eyewitness reports of paranormal activity has established the Old Brick Inn as a notable location within regional haunting narratives and continues to fuel investigation into the nature of the apparitions and voices that persist within its colonial walls.