Ghosts and goblin stories will be rampant at the Potomac Library at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31. The ghouls and spirits that haunt Potomac may scurry secretly among the tomes to scare up tales of the wicked and dead. Could be a bloodcurdling and chilling day; come and listen – but be prepared for a racing heart and the terror of not knowing when a ghost may appear to haunt your home.
“In Search of Ghosts,” a story-telling lecture by authors Karen Yaffe Lottes and Dorothy Pugh, will explore many haunted places of Montgomery County and the surrounding areas. The presentation is sponsored by the Friends of the Library, Potomac Chapter.
Lottes and Pugh have collaborated on “In Search of Maryland Ghosts: Montgomery County.” Lottes is an historian and museum educator. She worked for many years as the education director for the Montgomery County Historical Society (MCHS) and is currently a museum consultant. She has developed site-specific and county-wide local history programs, including “In Search of Ghosts,” one of the first history-based Halloween programs in the Washington, D.C., area.
This is Lotte’s first book, although she has published extensively on the history of Montgomery County in MCHS publications as well as in local newspapers. She lives in historic Washington Grove with her family and several furry companions.
Pugh was able to turn from her love of history from a hobby to vocation when she volunteered for many years at the MCHS’s Library and Archives as an assistant librarian and researcher. She has researched and written extensively about the history of Montgomery County. Her article “Ghost Stories of Montgomery County,” published in the “Montgomery County Story,” led her to the realization that most paranormal happenings can be tied into the history of a house or place, thus creating an intriguing story.
Lottes and Pugh have encountered more than 50 ghosts haunting the area from Poolesville to Bethesda.
The two will share their tales of Herman Rabbitt, the Headless Horseman, the Bridesmaid, Bernie’s Place, the Nanny – and the most haunted place in Montgomery County.
The presentation is on Oc. 31, 1 p.m. at the Potomac Library, 10101 Glenolden Drive.