The Legend of the Coatman

A Park Ranger from the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) struck up a conversation with me at Fox Hill Park in Bowie last Sunday. He initially asked me if I had caught any fish (I hadn't), and then he wanted to know whether or not I had purchased a fishing license (I had). He was very friendly, and I imagine that if I didn't have a fishing license, he would have just given me a reminder.

Our conversation turned to local fishing spots and boating on the Patuxent River, and I jokingly mentioned something about the possibility of running into the Goatman in the woods near the river.

The Park Ranger said, "did you know that the story of the Goatman is really a misunderstanding about a guy that people used to call the Coatman?"

The Park Ranger ran into a man some years back who was hunting for Bigfoot in Prince George's County. The hunter told the ranger that there was a man who would catch fish and turtles in local waterways during the Great Depression, and he would sell his catch to earn a little money. The man was a little odd. He had long unkempt hair and he would wear a long, heavy coat - even during the hot and humid summer months. People would sometimes spot the man in the woods, and they dubbed him the Coatman. According to the Bigfoot hunter, the story of the Coatman evolved into the present day stories of the Goatman.

I had never heard of the Coatman, so I searched the Internet later that night for similar stories. I came across a blog entry about the Goatman posted by a priest from a Catholic church in Mitchellville who calls himself Father Joe. Father Joe wrote...

One elderly person remarked that they had known the figure, not as the Goatman, but as the Coatman. The name changed as the particulars blurred by word of mouth. According to this testimony, and it makes real sense, it resulted from this madman always wearing a long coat of fur, even in the sweltering summers of Southern Maryland.

Perhaps the strangest part of this story is that there is a Bigfoot hunter roaming Prince George's County who is attempting to set the record straight whenever he hears silly stories about a creature that is half man and half goat.

Goatman - The Movie

The legend of the half-man half-goat creature known as the Goatman has survived for more than 50 years in Bowie, and now Bowie native Andrew Bowser has made the Goatman the subject of a movie making its debut at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Conference and Festival in Austin, Texas later this month.

Jimmy Tupper VS. The Goatman of Bowie is the story of a young nobody who is dumped in the woods as a prank after he becomes drunk and passes out. Jimmy, played by director Andrew Bowser, eventually finds his way out of the woods, but his body is bloodied, and Jimmy has a story to tell - he's seen the Goatman. Jimmy returns to the woods with a video camera to prove to his friends that the Goatman is real.

Jimmy Tupper VS. The Goatman of Bowie Official Trailer


Although some people may categorize the style of the film as "found footage", Bowser said that the movie is more of a commentary on the genre that was made popular by The Blair Witch Project in 1999. Although the "found footage" approach created some challenges for Bowser, it also helped him keep the film's budget low.

I interviewed Andrew Bowser about his links to Bowie, the movie and his memories of the Goatman legend.

Can you tell me about your past and current links to Bowie?

I grew up in Bowie and still have numerous friends and family members that live there!


How long did you live in Bowie?

From when I was born until I moved away to college in NYC. Then after two years at school- I moved back to the area until leaving for LA. So about 22 years total.


Where did you grow up (what section/neighborhood)?

B section! Brierdale to be exact, right off Buckingham.


Are your folks still in Bowie?

No, my Dad lives in Massachusetts and my Mother lives in Arkansas. But my sisters live in Crofton and Crownsville. Also, my in-laws live in Bowie still.


Which schools did you attend?

Holy Redeemer Pre-school, Kenilworth Elementary, then Thomas Pullen Middle and Suitland High.


You were in the Visual and Performing Arts magnet program at Suitland High?

Yes I studied photography at Suitland in the VPA department.


When did you graduate?

I graduated from Suitland High School in 2000.


Any other links to Bowie?

Bowie was where I grew up, so I have a million links. I worked at the Hoyts movie theater when it opened and was there for a few years. I worked at the Tony Roma's restaurant with my friend and fellow actor Pedro Gonzalez. I also worked at the Target overnight stocking. The Hoyts is where I met Chris Jones, Tim Kuczka and Pedro Gonzalez who are all in the film!


Is that the same Pedro Gonzalez who is a Spanish teacher at Samuel Ogle?

The very same one!


Where was the movie filmed?

Bowie, all over Bowie. K section, O section, a gas station at the intersection of Route 3 and 450. Hmm...let me think where else...of COURSE Governor's Bridge Road and the woods directly past the bridge.


I assume that the movie is set in Bowie?

Heck yes.


Any other current/former Bowie residents in the film? I saw the following listed: Pedro Gonzalez, Chris Jones, Michael Eller, Tim Kuczka, Micah Terrill, Rose Rodkey, and Brittany Latorre.

Gary Coby is in the film and also co-produced it alongside Tim Kuczka. There are NUMEROUS Bowie-ites in the picture. Too many to count. I think everyone in the film is from Bowie or lived there. Chris Jones however is from Laurel!


Do you have any childhood memories of the Goatman legend?

I just remember hearing stories of him killing animals and people with an axe. I had a friend whose parents loved telling scary stories. They lived right on Belair Drive and would have big halloween parties every year. They told us about the Goatman and a million other stories about the Belair Mansion being haunted.


Is there any link to the movie and what you and your friends did as teenagers in Bowie?

The movie was really a "return to form" of sorts for us. We made films at the Hoyts all the time. We would stay after hours and make silly shorts and even attempted to make a feature a long time ago. I've been working in music videos for a few years and living in LA working on another film I made called "The Mother of Invention". That film cost a little more than "Goatman" and was made out here in Cali with my friend Joe Petrick. Coming back to MD and making this movie with my MD bros was like getting back to basics. It's what we grew up doing.


Did you and your friends ever go out "searching" for the Goatman?

We used to drive onto the bridge and turn the lights out. We'd be waiting for either the ghost of a murdered woman- or the Goatman. We never saw either.


Have you ever been to Glenn Dale Hospital?

Heck yes. Numerous times. In fact, in the sequel to "Goatman" The Glendale Hospital plays a HUGE role.


What's next for the film after SXSW?

I am going to enter more and more festivals and look for financing for "Goatman 2".


Are there any planned viewings in the Bowie area?

Not yet, maybe after we get into a few more fests (God willing) we will do some Bowie screenings.


How would someone see the movie after SXSW?

The only way to see it is if we get into more festivals at this point.


After reading one of your blog posts, I've got to ask you this. Would someone give this film a "Christian" label?

Most people would not define this film as a "Christian Film." Quite the opposite really. But I love Christ and attempt to do everything with a goal of pleasing him. But the monster movie I've made is very displeasing to Christ in the eyes of a lot of Christians so it may be divisive in that world. I can say this, the sequel delves deeper into the supernatural world and the motives behind murder and destruction so perhaps...that will seem more "Christian" than it's predecessor. But my intentions as a filmmaker are to illuminate truths and emotions that I think God wants brought into the light as well.


Anything else that you think people from Bowie would be interested in knowing about you or the movie?

I think it would be great for Bowie to get behind the film, see it at fests if they can over the next year and help us get the sequel made! Perhaps there is some rich doctor in Bowie somewhere that's always dreamed of being a movie producer...?

The movie is featured as part of the SXSW Film Festival's Midnighters Screenings. Show times at the Alamo Ritz 2 in Austin are March 14th at 11:45pm, March 16th at 11:00pm and March 20th at 11:00pm.

Related Links

• Official Jimmy Tupper VS. The Goatman of Bowie Web site.
• Save Jimmy Tupper page on Facebook
• Interview with Andrew Bowser on eFilmCritic.com
• Interview with Andrew Bowser on bloody-disgusting.com
  

Urban Exploration near Bowie

Legend has it that an asylum for the criminally insane once operated on the grounds of the shuttered Glenn Dale Hospital near Bowie. A different story claims that the buildings on the hospital grounds are "sick" with tuberculosis, and anyone entering these buildings may catch the disease. Yet another rumor claims that experiments on patients at the hospital resulted in the creation of a creature with a human body and the head of a goat - the legendary Goat Man that roams the woods near Bowie. These are all tales that can be found on the Internet, seen on the pages of Weird Maryland and heard in conversations with Prince George's County locals.

The truth is that the 23 building campus was originally built to treat tuberculosis patients, and after a cure for tuberculosis was discovered, the facility was used as a nursing home for the poor. The presence of large amounts of asbestos finally forced the closure of the hospital in the early 1980s, and the buildings on the property have been abandoned since that time. Some police training took place on the grounds of the hospital, but the majority of visitors to the site since the closure are young party goers, urban explorers and ghost hunters.



This building is known as the adult hospital building. Although it was not the first building to be erected on the 216 acre site, it is referred to by many as the main building. The adult hospital building appears to be the most explored, most photographed and most vandalized. Points of interest in this building include patient rooms, a theater, a morgue and basement tunnels connecting this building to other structures on the campus. Urban explorers report that the tunnels are partially flooded with water, and they are not suitable for exploration.




Here is a closer look at the adult hospital building. Lots of fresh air was considered essential to the treatment of tuberculosis patients, and that therapy was taken into consideration when the hospital was designed. The top of the building contains an open air walkway that can be seen at the top of the picture. Patients also had access to a large balcony from their rooms on the second floor, and the balcony railings can be seen in the picture above. Urban explorers that are familiar with this site know to keep away from these open areas to avoid detection.

The Washington Post Magazine published an emotional story a few years back about one family's struggle with the forced hospitalization of a loved one at Glenn Dale Hospital in the 1950s. Etta Young spent 114 days living in a room on the second floor of the adult hospital building, and she spent countless hours in the fresh air of the balcony. The physical and emotional scars from her time at Glenn Dale Hospital stayed with her for a lifetime.




Ivy grows through a first floor window at the adult hospital building. A second floor balcony railing is visible above the window.




This is the end of the semi- circular drive in front of the adult hospital building.




The sidewalk and steps that once led to the front door of the adult hospital building are blocked by vegetation.




Whether you consider yourself an urban explorer or a fun loving party animal, the Park Police consider you a trespasser. This police substation is located directly in front of the adult hospital building, and some reports claim that an officer or two actually live here. I took all of my pictures from the edge of Glenn Dale Road - from the legal side of the "No Trespassing" signs.

Nice doggie! Nice doggie.

The Glenn Dale, Maryland site was chosen for the hospital because of its remote location and abundant country air. Most of the property still contains undeveloped open space, including this spot to the South of the adult hospital building. I doubt many people these days would consider this location remote.




The first buildings to open at Glenn Dale Hospital in 1934 supported the treatment of children suffering from tuberculosis. Nurses working with the children were housed in the building pictured above. This structure is located about 30 feet from the edge of Glenn Dale Road - directly across from the Park Police substation.




Here is a closer look in one of the windows in the nurses' quarters. Electrical wires hang from above, and plaster and concrete are missing from the ceiling. These buildings are falling apart.




A slate roof covers the nurses' quarters. Some of the tiles have come loose and have smashed on the ground below. The adult hospital building and other structures have slate roofs too.

An open walkway connects two buildings that housed the nurses.

The water tower and incinerator.

View Larger Map

A bird's eye view of the Glenn Dale Hospital site. The adult hospital building is in the Northwest corner, and the children's hospital building is in the Southwest corner.

There is no shortage of people that have explored the insides of the Glenn Dale Hospital buildings. The Opacity Web site contains a terrific collection of pictures of Glenn Dale Hospital and other abandon sites throughout the world. I also found this informative site containing maps, pictures and some history of the hospital. My wife came across a YouTube video featuring our next door neighbor and his friends exploring the adult hospital building. The video is somewhat interesting, but you have to put up with teenage boys being teenage boys for six minutes.

The Bowie Baysox and Tulip Gulch Productions are hosting a haunted house each Saturday and Sunday in October for people 14 and older (click here for details). This year's show is called Glenn Dale Asylum Haunted House. The following promotional video contains some of the pictures from the Opacity slide show.

The future of the Glenn Dale Hospital site is still unknown. The Prince George's County Council is in the process of updating the master plan for the Lanham, Seabrook and Glenn Dale areas, and the Gazette reports that residents would like the county to do something with the site. The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) is in the process of nominating the Glenn Dale Hospital site for placement on the National Register of Historic Places to ensure that the open space be preserved. Current Maryland legislation restricts the use of the land as follows.

Maryland House Bill 113 restricts M-NCPPC’s use of the Glenn Dale Hospital site, requiring that 150 acres be kept as open space in perpetuity and the remaining 60 acres be sold or leased to a developer of a continuing care retirement community.