South Washington, District of Columbia
BUILT: Unknown
OPERATION TIME: Unknown to present
STATUS: Open
History
Fort Lesley McNair is haunted by the ghost of Mary Surratt, who has been seen floating across the fort’s courtyard. Surratt was accused of being a conspirator in President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, and she was hung at the nearby Arsenal Penitentiary with three other accused people in July, 1865.
Originally, the bodies of the hanged were buried beneath the gallows, but they were later exhumed and moved into permanent graves. After doing so, a boxwood tree began to grow from Mary Surratt’s grave, which many believe proclaim her innocence. Mary now roams the Washington D.C. area, hoping that her name can be cleared.
Another specter at Fort Lesley McNair is that of Walter Reed, a former Army Medical School professor. Soldiers have seen his glasses-wearing spirit walking through the courtyard with his hands folded behind him.
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