Almanac of Cryptids

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Local legends

Washington, D.C.

The creatures people in Washington, D.C. talk about, from the famous to the barely known.

2 legends

Investigated report Logged and followed up by an investigating group.On the record In a newspaper, police, government or court record, or from a named public witness.Told story Folklore, oral tradition or a story passed along.Proven hoax Proven or confessed hoax.

1Demon Cat of the Capitol Told story

Beast · Basement and crypt of the U.S. Capitol · first reported Mid-1800s (legend) · also called Demon Cat, DC Demon Cat

Washington's signature monster lives, in legend, in the basement of the U.S. Capitol. Cats were brought in during the 1800s to keep rats down, and the story says one never left, even after death. Night watchmen told of an ordinary black or tabby cat in a dark corridor that swelled to the size of a tiger or larger, with glowing eyes, then lunged and vanished. It is said to haunt the crypt below the Rotunda that was meant for George Washington's tomb, and to appear before national tragedies, including the assassinations of Lincoln and Kennedy. Steve Livengood of the U.S. Capitol Historical Society offers a dry explanation: a guard who had been drinking, and a regular cat.

  • 1800sTold story Capitol night watchmen reported a cat that grew to enormous size before vanishing; one blog claims an 1862 incident in a basement bakery. Source: en.wikipedia.org
  • 1960s (claimed)Told story Guards are said to have reported the cat before President Kennedy's assassination, keeping the omen tradition alive. Source: en.wikipedia.org
Sources
  1. Demon Cat - Wikipedia
  2. Cryptids of North America #10: Maryland (Demon Cat of D.C. section) - Preston Posits

2Chessie in the Potomac Told story

Water monster · Potomac River at Washington · first reported 1978 · also called Chessie

The Chesapeake Bay's sea serpent, Chessie, has been reported up the Potomac River as well. Wikipedia's summary of the legend notes that in 1978 several people reported sightings near the Potomac and at Calvert Cliffs on the bay. Descriptions of Chessie generally include a long, dark, snake-like body and a head shaped like a football or a horse's head. A real manatee nicknamed Chessie wandered into the bay and up the coast in later years, showing how a warm-water visitor can turn up far north of its range. For the full story of the bay monster, see the Maryland Chessie entry.

  • 1978Told story Multiple witnesses reported Chessie sightings involving the Potomac River area. Source: en.wikipedia.org
Sources
  1. Chessie (sea monster) - Wikipedia

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