The 1909 headquarters of the Medical and Chirurgical Faculty of Maryland (founded 1799), with a medical library haunted by Marcia Crocker Noyes, the society's live-in librarian for 50 years.
1211 Cathedral Street, Baltimore, MD 21201
Age
All Ages
Cost
Free
Library and museum free during posted hours; annual ghost tours are ticketed fundraisers via the Center for a Healthy Maryland.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Historic building; cast-iron staircase to upper library tiers is not accessible
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1909 · Medical and Chirurgical Faculty of Maryland (founded 1799) · Live-in librarian apartment for Marcia Crocker Noyes · Significant U.S. medical library
The Medical and Chirurgical Faculty of Maryland, universally abbreviated as MedChi, was founded in 1799 by an act of the Maryland legislature, making it one of the oldest state medical societies in the United States. The current MedChi headquarters at 1211 Cathedral Street in Baltimore's Midtown-Belvedere neighborhood was dedicated in 1909 and was specifically designed to house both the society's administrative functions and its substantial medical library.
The building's most unusual architectural feature is an apartment on the top floor that was purpose-built as the residence of the medical librarian Marcia Crocker Noyes. Noyes was born in Saratoga Springs, New York, in December 1869 and joined MedChi as its librarian in 1896. She served continuously until her death in 1946 — fifty years in the role. The apartment was created so Noyes could be available at any hour to physicians needing to consult medical literature in an era before easy digital reference. Noyes lived there with her maid and her two Chow Chow dogs.
Noyes was a foundational figure in American medical librarianship. She co-founded the Medical Library Association, and the association's highest professional award is named in her honor. During her career she expanded the MedChi collection substantially and standardized medical-library practice.
MedChi continues to operate from the building today, both as the state medical society and as the steward of one of the country's most significant historic medical libraries. The Center for a Healthy Maryland runs public programming including annual Halloween ghost tours.
Sources
MedChi's haunting is among the best-documented and most openly acknowledged in Baltimore. The Baltimore Banner, Baltimore Fishbowl, Baltimore Heritage, and the Center for a Healthy Maryland have all featured Marcia Crocker Noyes as the building's resident ghost. The Center for a Healthy Maryland hosts an annual Halloween ghost tour explicitly built around Marcia's story.
Noyes lived in the building's top-floor apartment from 1909 until her death in 1946, and her staff identity and her physical attachment to the building create an unusually direct anchor for the lore. Reports from current MedChi staff and visitors include: footsteps echoing in the hallways and on the original cast-iron staircase, items appearing or being rearranged with no explanation, glimpses of a female figure from the corner of the eye, and the sound of book-truck wheels rolling through stacks when no one is moving them. Some longtime staff describe the activity as helpful — as if Marcia is still 'looking after' the building she helped design.
Marcia's story is described publicly with affection and respect rather than as a scare narrative. The building does not market itself as a spooky attraction; rather, MedChi and the Center for a Healthy Maryland frame her as a beloved institutional figure whose continued presence is part of the society's identity. The annual ghost tour is described in tour materials as a tribute and a fundraiser.
Notable Entities
Media Appearances
MedChi and the Center for a Healthy Maryland host an annual Halloween-season ghost tour and lecture program built around Marcia Crocker Noyes. The tour visits the medical library, the cast-iron staircase, and the penthouse apartment where Marcia lived. Ticketed fundraiser.
Self-guided or appointment-only access to the historic medical library, which dates to MedChi's 1799 founding. Collections include rare medical texts and a documented institutional history.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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