Melrose

Just north of Manchester, Melrose lies at the junction of Routes 30 and 496. Even though it's little more than a crossing today, at one point Melrose was a full-fledged town and even had a hotel. Melrose and several other nearby areas were found to be fairly rich in iron ore and in 1870, the General Assembly of Maryland authorized the chartering of the Bachman Valley Railroad Company to build a railroad from the ore banks to the eastern branch of the Western Maryland Railroad in Pennsylvania. The actual railroad, which ran through Ebbvale and Melrose up to Black Rock in Pennsylvania, carried ore until the early years of World War I, and farmer's produce until 1922.

 

As you head towards Pennsylvania, on the left side of the road just at the edge of town, there is a house that used to be a funeral home which is said to have a ghostly presence. Apparently, it's a red-haired man who keeps appearing to those who have lived in the house.