Historical places in Connecticut with claimed hauntings. These places have been around for centuries. They are beauitful, magical, and have an essence of time and space. Some say they are quiet haunted, by the spirits that once resided there, spirits that are locked into the past some by grisly death, some by choice...
Gillette Castle- William Gillette was born in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1853, the son of former U.S. Senator Francis Gillette. Gillette's wife Elizabeth Daggett Hooker Gillette, was a descendent of Thomas Hooker, who the founder of Hartford. After his semi-retirement in 1910, Gillette was welcomed by theatergoers countless times during his four revival tours. His last performance was at the Bushnell in Hartford in 1936, the year before his death. He was a director, actor, and playwright, William Gillette was best be known for his stage roll as (Sherlock Homles)
HIS CASTLE: The castle over looks the beautiful connecticut river and is in the town of East Haddam. William Gillette completed the castle in 1919, it is approximatly 3 stories tall. The castle was purchased in 1944 by the state and since then, it has been maintained as a state park. Gillette Castle is open daily for tours. The rooms open to the public include nine bedrooms, seven baths, a kitchen and pantry, a third-floor suite, a library, and a study. When it was first construction it is said to have cost 1 million dollars (14 million today). The castle is said to have many secret passage ways and secret rooms. The woodwork within the castle is made from southern white oak. Of the forty-seven doors within the structure, there are no two exactly the same. And each door has a handsome external latch intricately carved of wood. The castle had hundreds of mirrors from room to room that acted as a type of security surveillance. The Castle's amazing furnishings are all indications of Mr. Gillette's inspirations. The built-in couches, a movable table on tracks, and light switches of carved wood all point to how creative he was. Mr. William Gillette also construction a railroad with a real working train, to give visitor's train rides. The castle is open for tours from 10am-4pm From Memorial Day Weekend all the way through Columbus Day.
Seen and Heard: A ghostly figure has been seen moving about the castle, by campers and hikers especially in the winter when the castle is closed. Moving cold spots have been felt by visitors, and shadows have been seen from the corner of ones eye.
HEARTH-STONE CASTLE- The Hearthstone Castle in Danbury, was built between 1897-99 by E. Starr Sanford, who invented an early movie camera. The castle was intended to be a honeymoon "cottage'' for Sanford's wife. The property was sold in 1922 to C.D. Parks, a former indentured servant turned millionaire, whose family eventually sold it to the city in the 1980s. Now the castle is in very poor shape, it is crumbling, surrounded by a fence, and the windows are all bored up.
Seen and Heard- Many have reported seeing shadowy figures, glowing moving orbs and mists in the castle's windows or on the roof - as well as the surrounding land of the castle. Some hikers have reported being pushed & sticks thrown at them.
Old Newgate Prison- In East Granby, CT The prison that once began as a copper mine in the early 1700's, was turned into a prison in 1773. It's first prisoner was a man convicted for theft his name was John Histon. In later years it was used to imprison enemy revolutionary war soliders such as The Tories and The Loyalists. Beyond anything it is reconized as the first state prison in America.
Seen and Heard- Is said to be haunted by the spirits of the old mine workers before the prison was built. Also haunted by the spirits of the prisoners. Orbs have been photographed here in the old mines. There is an unmistakable saddness that can be felt. Moving cold spots, and distant groands can be seen and heard.
Nathan Hale Homestead- "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country." On October 1, 1985, by an act of the General Assembly and the efforts of the Nathan Hale Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, Nathan Hale officially became Connecticut's State Hero. Born in Coventry, and educated at Yale University, Hale served as a school master until he was commissioned as a captain in the Continental Army in 1775. In September of 1776, at the request of General George Washington for a volunteer, Hale crossed enemy lines to gather information as to the strength and plans of the British Army. Caught while returning, he was hanged as a spy on September 22, 1776, without the benefit of a trial. The homestead, in Coventry is run as a museum, and is said to be haunted by the Hale family.
Seen and Heard- The ghost of Deacon Hale (Nathan's father) was seen looking out of a window. When approaching the window, the specter was seen to glide to the far end of the room and disappear. A former servant Lydia Carpenter has been sighted sweeping the upper hallways and in the kitchen in the early morning hours.
Nathan's brother Lieutenant Joseph Hale is thought to make clanking noises in the basement. Other family members and caretakers have been nominated candidates as ghosts in this historical home.
Daniel Benton Homestead- Tolland, CT holds a home with a good dose of 300 years of history. Built in 1720 by Daniel Benton in the same year that Tolland became a town. The Daniel Benton Homestead, a 1720 center-chimney home with four fireplaces, original paneling, legends of ghosts. The cellar of the home, was used to house Hessian prisoners for eighteen months during the Revolutionary War.
Jemima Barrows a servant, contracted a disease and died soon after. Because of the fear of contagion associated with disease, they were both buried in the yard, and some believe their restless spirits still inhabit the house. *You can read the full story on www.curbstone.org
Seen and Heard- A paranormal group snapped a picture of what appears to be a ghostly figure of a solider peer out the window. There audio (EVP) revealed a voice of someone speaking in german. Visitors to the museum have felt cold spots, as well as the feeling of being watched.
YALE University-Woolsey Hall- is the primary auditorium at Yale University. Theodore Dwight Woolsey 1801-1889 was a U.S scholar and educator, nephew of Timothy Dwight. He served as the president of Yale University between the years 1846 and 1871.The hall seats 3,000 people, and was built as part of the Yale bicentennial celebration in 1901.The ornately decorated hall is home to the Newberry Memorial Organ, one of the most renowned orchestral organs in North America. That organ, is said to be haunted...as it has played by it self on many, many occasions.
Seen and Heard- A ghostly organist is said to play music in the hall, and the spector has been heard by students and staff. A shadowy figure has been seen in the balconies, and on the stage. Also the feeling of being watched, or the feeling of not being alone, when you are in fact alone.
THE OLD STATE HOUSE- Hartford, Ct is the old state house that was built in 1796. Rumor has it that the first witch in a trial, during the witch hysteria that actually leaked into connecticut was hung there. For the first one hundred years, the town (of Hartford) as a corporation, owned all the land in the plantation and there was no need to record exact measurements. However, it is thought to have been a ten-acre field in 1640. On this ten-acre field- which contained a jail, burying ground, stocks and a whipping post.When the cellar for the former Courant building was being excavated, human bones were found. Among notable events that happened in the state house are: General Layfayette was made a citizen here; P.T. Barnum served in its legislature; the trials of Cinque and the Amistad opened here; and the USS Nautilus was given to Connecticut by President Carter in a ceremony here in 1981.
Amoung the hauntings the direction points to the third floor where THE MUSEUM OF NATURAL AND OTHER CURIOSITIES is located. It was created by Joseph Steward in 1796. He started out with the permission to display art, from Governor Wolcott in 1797. It wasn't til later that his facination with curious oddities, that he began collecting items and putting them on display in the museum. He charged $.25 cents as admission. His collection of strange things grew until he died in 1822. The museum contains unusual artifacts, among which are a calf with two heads, a unicorn's horn and one of George Washington's buttons. Many believe that the ghost of Joseph Steward haunts the building.
Seen and Heard- Visitors and employees of the Old State House have reported hearing ghostly echoing footsteps in the hallways when the building is otherwise vacant. Seeing shadows, feeling cold spots and the feeling of being watched. Some speculate that this is the spirit of Joseph Steward.
Yale's Oldest Secret- Skull and Bones Club- but is it haunted?COMING SOON!
Old Union Trust Building- "Some buildings are like people, some shine and some dont" The Shinning
It's said to be the most haunted building in all of downtown New Haven, is The Wachovia building, formally the Old Union Trust building. All of the buildings 12 floors have had spirit activity through the years.
Seen and Heard: There are soooo many stories from visitors to the building, and staff it's spooky...for full listings and stories log on to http://www.geocities.com/epacel/The_Haunted_Skyscraper.html.html
Church of Eternal Light- Bristol, CT The Church of Eternal Light began as a small Sunday-school, organized in the Spring of 1884 in the North Chippins Hill district of Bristol, near the Burlington line, by Miss Hattie O. Utter, the day school teacher in the district. Miss Utter organized the school because the children of her day school were non-attendants of any Sunday school. She conducted the Sunday-school successfully until June 1885 when she left the school and Bristol to return to her home and be married. Greatly beloved by the people of the district, she died in June 1886. At her earnest request, Mr. William E. Sessions and Mr. B. S. Rideout, who was General Secretary of the YMCA in Bristol, continued the school, beginning in 1885. The first Sunday only three little girls, sisters, Mary, Sarah and Lizzie Goodsell, were present. Mr. Rideout was only able to continue for a few months, because Sunday afternoon services began in the YMCA rooms. Mr. Sessions conducted the school for four years in the schoolhouse, and then in the soon-to-be built chapel. NOW the church is a pagan spiritist church.(IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THE FULL HISTORY GO http://www.churchofeternallight.org/history.html
Seen and Heard- The Church has been on national T.V. show , a ghost hunter filmed ghost balls or spirit balls. There are also rummors of a former church goer who was struck by lightning on the front steps in the late 1800's. There have also been reports of a hooded apparition seen in the bell tower.