1692 Episcopal parish on Church Circle, third building on the site, with a historic churchyard said to be haunted by long-serving gravedigger Joseph 'Joe Morgue' Simmons, who died in 1836.
1 Church Cir, Annapolis, MD 21401
Age
All Ages
Cost
Free
Active Episcopal parish; sanctuary open to the public during services and posted visiting hours at no charge. Churchyard accessible from Church Circle.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Sanctuary mostly level; churchyard has uneven ground and historic gravestones.
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1859 · One of the original 30 Maryland Established Church parishes (1692) · Continuously active Episcopal parish since 1692 · Churchyard in continuous use as a burial ground since 1692 · Current Gothic Revival sanctuary completed 1859 by architect John Webb · Contributing property to Colonial Annapolis Historic District
St. Anne's Parish was established in 1692, when the Maryland General Assembly created 30 Anglican parishes throughout the colony. The Annapolis parish was named for Princess Anne of Denmark, who would later become Queen Anne. The first church on the Church Circle site was completed around 1704 and stood until the early 1770s.
A second sanctuary, larger and more elaborate, was begun in 1775 and substantially complete by 1792; it served the parish through the first half of the 19th century. On Valentine's Day, February 14, 1858, the second church was destroyed by fire. The current Gothic Revival sanctuary, designed by architect John Webb, was begun shortly after the fire and completed in 1859. The 1858-59 building incorporates a memorial window to Anne Tasker Murray Ogle that survived the fire.
The churchyard surrounding the building has been in use as a cemetery since 1692 and contains the graves of Maryland colonial governors, Annapolis mayors, and prominent local families. The churchyard is one of the oldest continuously used burial grounds in Maryland. Joseph Simmons, locally nicknamed 'Joe Morgue,' served as bell ringer and gravedigger at St. Anne's for over 80 years. According to obituaries and oral tradition documented by the Baltimore Sun and Annapolis Ghosts, Simmons died in 1836 at age 100.
St. Anne's continues to operate as an active Episcopal parish, with regular services and community programs. It is the seat of the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland for ceremonial purposes and is a contributing property to the Colonial Annapolis Historic District National Historic Landmark.
Sources
The principal St. Anne's ghost story is the documented case of Joseph Simmons, locally known as 'Joe Morgue,' who served as the parish bell ringer and gravedigger for more than 80 years. The Baltimore Sun's 2007 and 2012 coverage of Annapolis ghost lore reproduces material from Simmons's contemporary obituary, which described his habit of making 'ghastly whispers' to men he disliked and his blackened, mournful appearance — flowing white hair and beard, all-black clothes — that made him instantly recognizable around the colonial-era city. According to the obituary, Simmons once continued burying a man known to fall into comas as the coffin began to rattle, remarking afterward that 'he's got to die sometime.'
According to the Baltimore Sun, Watermark Annapolis Tours, and Annapolis Ghosts itinerary material, Simmons has been reported in the churchyard since his 1836 death, leaning on the shovel he used to dig the parish's graves and walking among the weathered headstones. The Severna Park Voice has carried local memories of tour guests hearing a man whisper their names during evening tours and seeing the Church Circle streetlights flicker. Simmons is also reportedly seen sitting silently in the rear pews of the sanctuary, identifiable by his all-black work clothes.
A secondary tradition reports a former rector said to have died under mysterious circumstances and disembodied organ music in the empty sanctuary; this lore is less consistently sourced and Hauntbound treats it as single-source ghost-tour tradition. The Church Circle fountain in front of St. Anne's is a recurring stop on both Annapolis Ghosts and Watermark's Special Historic Hauntings tours.
Notable Entities
Media Appearances
Visit the third St. Anne's Church (completed 1859) and its historic churchyard, in use since 1692. Watermark Annapolis Tours' Special Historic Hauntings and Annapolis Ghosts walking tours both include the Church Circle fountain and the churchyard, telling the documented story of Joseph 'Joe Morgue' Simmons, the long-serving gravedigger who died in 1836.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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