In June of 2025, we traveled to Frederick, a town rich with Civil War history and timeless charm. During our visit, we learned about the story of Barbara Fritchie, a local legend whose name is forever tied to one of Frederick’s most famous historic homes. Her story immediately caught our attention, blending patriotism, folklore, and the lingering echoes of the past that always seem to draw us in.

Barbara Fritchie is best known for the legend that she defiantly waved the Union flag from her window as Confederate troops marched through Frederick in 1862. According to the tale, her bold act of loyalty inspired poet John Greenleaf Whittier to write The Ballad of Barbara Frietchie, which helped cement her place in American folklore. While historians debate the accuracy of the event, the story itself has become an enduring part of Frederick’s identity and the Civil War narrative.

While we were in town, we did a bit of research into the story and naturally wondered if there were any reported paranormal claims connected to the home. We did acquire a few accounts suggesting unexplained activity, from reports of a woman appearing in the windows to stories of strange feelings and movement around the property after dark. With those stories in mind, we decided the location was a must-add to our itinerary.

The Barbara Fritchie House is now operated as a bed and breakfast, which meant we were unable to explore the interior. Even so, standing outside the building felt significant. The house itself sits quietly along the street, its historic façade unchanged in spirit, and it was easy to imagine the events—real or imagined—that made it famous more than a century ago.

As we walked around the exterior, we took our time observing the details and soaking in the atmosphere. While we didn’t experience anything overtly paranormal, there was a distinct sense of history hanging in the air, the kind of feeling that often comes with places tied to powerful stories. Even from the outside, visiting the Barbara Fritchie House added another memorable layer to our Frederick trip and left us appreciating how legend, history, and mystery continue to intertwine in this historic Maryland town.

Barbara Fritchie was a longtime resident of Frederick whose name became closely associated with Union loyalty during the American Civil War. Born Barbara Hauer in 1766, she later married and settled in Frederick, where she lived well into her nineties. By the time the Civil War erupted, she was an elderly woman living in a border state deeply divided between Union and Confederate sympathies. Her strong support for the Union would eventually place her at the center of one of Frederick’s most enduring legends.

The story most often told takes place in September 1862, during the Confederate occupation of Frederick, as troops passed through the town on their way to the Battle of Antietam. According to legend, Fritchie displayed a Union flag from an upper window of her home as Confederate soldiers marched past. When soldiers noticed the flag and threatened her, she is said to have boldly declared that they could shoot her if they wished, but they should spare the flag of the United States. The moment has often been portrayed as a rare act of open defiance in an occupied, Southern-leaning town.

In many versions of the story, the Confederate column was commanded by Stonewall Jackson, who supposedly witnessed the incident. Rather than ordering the flag taken down, Jackson is said to have admired Fritchie’s courage and instructed his men to leave her alone. This detail transformed the episode from a simple act of protest into a dramatic moment of mutual respect between enemies, further strengthening the story’s emotional appeal.

Despite its popularity, historians have long debated the accuracy of the tale. Records suggest that Jackson’s troops may not have passed directly by Fritchie’s home, and some accounts indicate she may have been ill at the time. While it is generally accepted that Barbara Fritchie was a committed Union supporter and likely did display a flag during the Confederate presence, the dramatic confrontation itself is widely viewed as exaggerated or symbolic rather than strictly factual.

The legend gained national fame after it was immortalized in a poem by John Greenleaf Whittier, published shortly after Fritchie’s death in 1862. The poem transformed her into a patriotic icon and ensured that her name would be remembered far beyond Frederick. Today, the story of Barbara Fritchie remains an important part of Frederick’s Civil War identity, blending history and folklore into a powerful narrative of loyalty, courage, and remembrance.