The Removal of Black Aggie, Part l

The name Black Aggie was given to a statue that initially stood in Druid Ridge Cemetery in Pikesville, Maryland. It marked the grave of General Felix Agnus.

Black Aggie in Druid Ridge Cemetery

This statue, dramatic in appearance is an unauthorized replica of a statue sculpted by Saint-Gaudens in 1891—called Grief. It depicts a dark, seated figure that wears a shroud.

This statue was placed in Druid Ridge in 1926. Soon after several scary legends were attributed to it.

The main legend stated that if someone dared to spend the night sitting on the lap of Black Aggie they would encounter the ghost buried there.

Another legend stated that all the ghosts in this cemetery would gather together at this statue once a year.

Other tales stated that grass would not grow in the areas where the statue’s shadow rested during the day. A more startling claim was the statue’s eyes would glow red at night, and that Black Aggie would physically move.

These legends attracted unwanted attention. Many people broke into Druid Ridge Cemetery at night and the statue was frequently vandalized.

Spot where the statue once stood.

Fed up, the Agnus family donated the statue to the Smithsonian in 1967, however its original base remains at the General’s grave.

Today Black Aggie is displayed in the courtyard behind the National Courts Building in Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C.

In Washington, D.C.

Ironically, another grave statue that is located at Green Mount Cemetery in Montpelier, Vermont has inherited the legends that originally surrounded Black Aggie.

In Part ll of The Removal of Black Aggie, one story that inspired the interest that surrounds this statue is shared.