Hidden in the shadows of the Stadium Drive parking garage, sheltered by a low black fence, a plot of bricked-over land is marked by one name: McNamee.
Under the bricks are the remains of the McNamee family, who farmed this land through much of the early twentieth century until it was sold to the University of Maryland in 1938. Since Harry W. McNamee began leasing his family's land to the university in 1912, several members of the McNamee family have been buried in the area, although a lack of gravestones makes it impossible to detect exactly which members and how many of them were buried. Among the family members speculated to have been laid to rest there are Israel and Martha McNamee and their five children.
Though the university devoted resources to preserving the cemetery in the years after the land was purchased, issues began to arise between university officials and the McNamee family that contributed to its being paved over and fenced in sometime after 1986. While it seems that this action was made in an effort to promote the site's preservation, some feel that the area was bricked over to prevent students from trying to disturb the cemetery -- and the ghosts that reside within it.
The spookiest aspect of McNamee Cemetery is not its lack of markings, but rather the story behind the death of its youngest soul: Albert McNamee. Supposedly, Albert was burned to death in a barn fire in 1908, when he was just four years old. His is the only cause of death within the McNamee family known to the public.
Today, many university students are shocked to find that they live just a few miles from this unconventional cemetery. As there are no historical markers on the land and it goes unmentioned on campus tours, many are unaware of its existence before they arrive at UMD and even after a few years of attending the school. Whether the university tries to keep the cemetery under wraps or not, it's done a pretty good job of keeping the McNamees out of UMD history.
However, there is one time of year when the McNamee Cemetery is brought back to the surface: Halloween. Students who embark on the UMD Ghost Tour will find themselves standing before the McNamee graves on one October night every year.
If you happen to miss the tour, or just want to know more about the McNamee Cemetery, you can check it out yourself any day of the week. But make sure you're looking out for it, as it is easy to walk past the area oblivious to the graves lying only a few feet away.
