Massachusetts is one of those Eastern states that are practically dripping with interesting history, and a history of infamy causes much intrigue. Ted Kennedy' s car careening off of the bridge in the now famous Isle of Chappaquiddick; Lizzy Borden's hatchet reducing her father's skull to a few bone shards; Martha Stewart chasing an unsuspecting neighbor off of her property with a garden hoe - these are some of the unsavory legacies left by the haunting state of Massachusetts...
hotels & inns restaurants roads & bridges taverns theaters tourist spots
Fall
River - The Lizzy Borden Bed and Breakfast & Museum
At thirty two years old, Lizzie Borden was a spinster, still
living with her father,
stepmother and sister Emma in their home in Fall River. No one knew in the
sweltering hot August
of 1892 that Lizzie would become one of the most notorious figures to come out
of Massachusetts in
modern times.
Lizzie was known around town for being a bit odd . Although she was active in the church and a member of one of the town's wealthier families, she was also well known by the shop keeps as a rampant shoplifter. Her father would hide this by telling them to keep track of her "purchases" and send him a bill after such incidents. Andrew, who was so miserly that he wouldn't update the modest family home to accommodate running water or electricity (common additions to most modern homes of the day), caused Lizzie to feel jealous of her wealthier cousins who lived in the more prestigious neighborhood on the hill.
Not fond of her stepmother in the least - so much to the point that casual observers and neighbors knew of the discord within the home - Lizzie became the main suspect in the murder trial of her father and stepmother. A media frenzy would engulf the little town, and her name would be immortally bonded with the murder weapon - a hatchet.
The elderly Andrew and
Abby were literally hacked to bits in their own home on August 4th, 1892.
The skull of Andrew Borden was reduced to bone shards by the assailant. An
estimated 2 hours
prior to the death of the napping Andrew in the parlor, Abby, taken down in her
bedroom, was
struck 18 times in the posterior head and neck. Lizzie was the most obvious of the
suspects, as it was
well known she disliked her stepmother (probably after her Andrew had shown
favoritism to her by purchasing a home for one of Abby's relatives). Lizzy's
sister was out of town at a house party, and the family maid was outside washing
windows that entire morning, after which she retired to her room for a nap.
Lizzie's alibi was at best flaky. She placed herself all around the house, barn and yard that morning, and her story changed at will. It should be noted, however, that a local doctor had sedated her prior to the interview with police. The maid told police that she had walked in on Lizzie, who was a week after the murders burning a gown in the stove that was "covered in paint" and thus, ruined. A local pharmacist stepped forward to report that Miss Borden had tried to purchase, unsuccessfully, the poison Prussic Acid to "clean a sealskin cape" the day prior to the murders. Lizzie hired the best lawyers money could buy, including a former governor of Massachusetts and a future Supreme Court Justice. The 1892 "Dream Team" managed to get the testimony regarding the gown and the Prussic Acid thrown out of court. The 13 day trial found Lizzie acquitted, although her mere presence was enough for most to equate her involvement. The maid had been released early on for lack of a motive.
Acquitted, but the townsfolk treated her like a canker on the proverbial town lip for the rest of her life. Shunned by everyone in town, she chose to remain in Fall River, living on her well to do father's money for the rest of her life. She built her house on the hill and altered her name to "Lizbeth". She formed close friendships with actors and actresses from the Boston and New York theater scenes, and threw lavish parties which they attended. Actresses of the day were equated with prostitutes, and Lizzie's prim and matronly sister eventually had enough with the "wild" affairs that took place in her parlor, made a break and left their home - never again speaking to Lizzie. They died within a week of each other in the 1920's.
The Borden house can
now be rented out: The John Morris Guest Room was the site of the
murder of Abby Borden, and Lizzie's room is available to rent as well.
The night manager
claims to have felt a hand on her shoulder when she walked by the sofa
he was killed on in the parlor. The basement of the B&B is haunted, says the
owner - who
incidentally grew up in the house. She claims to have seen a floating apparition
of a woman in
Victorian dress near the laundry room in the basement. When she was a child, she
claims that she
witnessed a window open and shut repeatedly before her eyes, "banging, up and
down, up and down".
Lizzie is buried next to her father and stepmother in the town cemetery. There
is a display of
the murder trial evidence, including forensic evidence, in The Fall River
Historical Society.
Morbid
Travel Tip: Visit the graves of Lizzie
Borden's three beloved dogs, Laddie Miller,
Royal Nelson, and Donald Stewart at Pine Ridge Pet Cemetery in
Dedham, MA. Thanks to
Roadside America for these directions: off
Pine St. Go up the hill past the house and behind the barn. Go down the hill and
look for the stone tool shed. Take the right fork. At the curve in the road walk
toward the woods. The grave is at the edge of the woods near a stone wall. The
words "Sleeping Awhile" are written on the base.
Sudbury
- Longfellow's Wayside Inn 30 mi from Boston
This restaurant and Inn was a hangout of Henry Wadsworth
Longfellow, who was said to have
written The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere in the parlor of the old building.
Jerusha Howe was also a
resident of the home, a sister to the owner of the once boarding
house. Known as the "belle of Sudbury", Jerusha was a beautiful woman who was an
adept pianist.
She fell in love with a Brit, who left for home, promising he would return for
her hand. If you
read any good ghost stories, then you know what's coming next... of course he
never came back,
and Jerusha mourned the loss of her lover for the rest of her life. She sits
awaiting him still,
in room nine. (I wonder if he's haunting a pub in Essex, cheering on a phantom
Cricket team?)
Jerusha likes to fondle
the male visitors and whisper to them in a ghostly unintelligible voice.
The smell of oranges permeates the air at times, and Jerusha was documented to
wear a citrus
perfume. Her piano has been said to play itself late at night.
The inn has used for
many years a system called the Secret Drawer Society to report the
frequent hauntings. Since the 1900's, visitors have crammed little notes of
their experiences
written on bits of paper into every nook and cranny of the old inn. One ghost
hunter found
almost 100 accounts of experiences hidden in room 9 alone. One man reported that
Jesusha had
slipped under the sheets and basically spooned him. Another described her as
"seductive".
Falmouth-Village
Green Inn
This Inn boasts sightings of four ghosts,
including a young girl, a doctor and a 1800's man and his wife.
40 Main St (508) 548-5621
Concord-Colonial
Inn 
The ghost of Ralph Waldo Emerson is reported to haunt #24 since 1966 48 Monument Square #3, (978) 369-9200
Nantucket
- Jared Coffin House
This stately antebellum mansion boasts the spirit of an old man
who rocks in the chair by the fire.
Boston
- Omni Parker House Hotel
Staff says that doors have a habit of opening and closing themselves, lights
flip off and on, phantom voices are heard, and apparitions of aristocratic
individuals from a century ago have been seen.
Brewster
- Captain Freeman Inn
A ghost named Roberta has been a long time resident. Route 6a
Ghost Guide
Tours PO Box 471039, Brookline, MA 02147 617 232-5539
Salem -
Spellbound Tours
Isle
of Chappaquiddick
Charles Pease was a farmer in the area a hundred years ago. After marrying a
Swedish
girl half his age, Charles mysteriously was found with a .44 shotgun laying next
to him and a
hole in his head to match. At first ruled a suicide, it became clear that the
weapon was far to
long to use in such a manner. Locals theorized that either the jealous boyfriend
of the Swedish
wife, or the wife herself, killed Pease. She fled the island, with a small
settlement from her
brief marriage, never to be seen again.
Boston - Fort
Warren (Georges Island)
This abandoned Boston Harbor fort is said to be haunted by a
lady in black, believed to be the wife of Lt. Andrew Lanier. As the
story goes, Lanier was a Civil War prisoner there, and his wife was caught
trying to assist him in escaping. He was killed in the attempt, and she
was subsequently hung.
Morbid
Travel Tip: see the death mask of Napoleon
Bonaparte at Boston University's Library
lobby. Directions courtesy of
Roadside
America: B Line 'Boston University Central' stop on Green Line.
Admission: Free
Lenox- Edith
Wharton Estate: "The Mount"
Renowned writer Wharton reportedly haunts, as well as her husband, and fellow
writer Henry James - who was a frequent houseguest. A hooded figure has also
been blamed for "attacking" those who sleep there - mashing down on top of them
in bed. Little girl's laughter has been reported - the building was for a time a
girls' school. Route 20 and Plunkett Street
Andover - Harold
Parker State Forest 
A green spooklight has been spotted around a stone wall in the wee hours.
Athol - Lucky
Lanes Bowling
Formerly the "New York Movie Theater", this building was for some reason bombed
and several people died. People claim to hear children laughing and footsteps in
the empty upstairs. 467 Main Street
Boston Harbor,
Lewis Wharf - The Pilot House
A former dormitory for sailors who were ashore, this now office building is said
to have strange activity, including slamming doors, the phantom sounds of
laughing and talking, the sound of glass clinking together such as in a tavern,
and a woman in white who haunts the first floor kitchen.
Bourne - Sagamore
Beach
A woman walks along the beach, glowing an eerie blue.
Boston - Cutler
Majestic Theatre at Emerson College
As the story goes, some stage lights were cut down by two scoundrels in the
balcony, killing a whole row of patrons during a show. A former mayor who
died supposedly haunts his old seat, as well as a grown couple and child in
Victorian dress. Screams of agony have been reported.
Provincetown
- Martin House Restaurant
Built in 1750, this historic building has a rich past,
including once being a boarding
house for the elderly and more significantly for being a safe house for the
underground railroad.
There is a small hidden brick room in the restaurant called "snug harbor", in
which the runaway
slaves would hide. This room is said to be haunted by a family that is cowering
in he corner.
Just outside the bathrooms in the lobby , the ghosts of pacing fathers of years
past are
said to be still seen, as the area was a birthing room many years ago. Sometimes
the images are
seen in the mirror located there.
The third floor loft is
home to a malevolent ghost that is feared by staff. Cold spots
are reported. The area is now the liquor room for the establishment.
In the kitchen the
ghost of a former owner appeared to the current manager, apparently on
the day he died in New Orleans.
Ashland
- John Stone's Inn 
The ghost of the restaurant's namesake is said to haunt. The building was a stop
on the underground railroad. Odd phenomena abound: There are cold spots,
strange anomalies in photographs taken there, the ghost of a child has been
reported, as well as strange mumbling and whispering has been experienced by
staff. A blood stained dress that is stored here was swiped, for whatever
reason, by a former employee who later claimed it to be cursed - and promptly
returned it. Possible other apparitions include slaves who were
unsuccessful in fleeing, a traveling salesman, and a former manager.
Bellingham
- Jo-Anne's Restaurant
A friendly male ghost in civil war era clothing makes an occasional appearance
in this antebellum structure. Cold spots are reported. 17
Apache Rd (508) 966-4444
Ashland- The
tavern at John Stone's Inn
A little girl's voice and a man who is rumored to be John Stone haunt the bar
area. 179 Main Street
Salem
- Hawthorn Cove Marina (formerly Miller's Wharf)
The two story structure on the wharf is actually built from an overturned barge. Over 80 years ago, the captain of the barge was hacked to death in his sleep with an axe by the vessel's cook. Years before that, he had whipped the man, causing him to fall and become crippled. Now a malevolent spirit haunts the house, and an audible "Get out of here!" is heard by some.
Leicester
- Spider Gates Cemetery (Friends Cemetery)
Folklore
abounds surrounding this cemetery. Stories include:
1)It is a gate to hell ("the 8th gate" to be exact) 2)there is a Satanic altar
within the cemetery 3)a phantom cemetery can be found nearby, but once a person
finds it, he or she will never again find it 4)there is a haunted house across
from the gates 5)white goo oozes from the ground 6)stones in the area have
Celtic runes etched into them , and 7)The heads of state and corporate powers
that be meet here to discuss their evil business among the "runes"
Besides this there is the usual business about people killing themselves there,
ghostly whispers, and children being murdered in the vicinity.
Earle Street. Patrolled regularly by police.
Cambridge - YMCA
A man who died here still during the Great Depression reportedly still appears
here, glowing green. No word on whether or
not he will spot you when you're doing bench presses. 820
Massachusetts Ave
Salem - Salem
Hospital
A woman who died during childbirth has been spotted by unsuspecting night
nurses.
Demon
of Dover On April 21-22, 1977, a handful of teenagers (individually,
and at different times ) claim to have seen a creature along a roadside
and near bodies of water in Dover. Described by one boy as "a baby's body with
long arms and legs", a "melon shaped" head, marble like orange eyes, with skin
the "texture of a shark" that was the color of "people in the Sunday comics "
.(whatever the f#%k that means...)
The
Beast of Truro In 1981 a series of small animal mutilations in Truro,
MA led to a subsequent local "sighting" of a bizarre creature which locals have
theorized to be kinfolk to Mexico's infamous cow-sucking "Chupacabra".
Billerica -
Dudley Rd.
Three nuns form the local Daughters of Saint Paul were hung along this
road after being accused of witchcraft. A few more who had escaped hanging
were hunted down and had their throats cut. They have been spotted along
the road and are reportedly malevolent. The house where they were hung began to
sink shortly after the hanging - and is reportedly still there and sunken into
the ground up to the second story.
Beverly -
Cavendish Square
Local residents claim a woman who killed herself in the square is responsible
for odd occurrences in their homes.
Boston - Boston
Common
Two proper ladies in Edwardian tea attire are said to haunt the square.
(Disclaimer: it is upon the reader of this site to use good judgment in frequenting the places listed herein; it is not the responsibility of the proprietor of ghosttraveller.com if a reader commits an illegal act, such as trespassing, based upon what he or she reads here. It is the reader's responsibility to research the given areas discussed in this forum prior to visiting, and to ensure that it is not illegal to visit said place prior to visiting, or to obtain permission from the owner prior to visiting)
Bibliography
The Shadowlands : an invaluable resource on the net for ghost hunters !!
Weird Travels, The Travel Channel
Travel Channel Secrets, The Travel Channel
"Haunted History" A&E
http://www.boudillion.com/SpiderGates/spider.html
http://www.allstays.com/Haunted/ma_falmouth_villagegreen.htm
http://members.aol.com/soccorro64/haunts.htm
http://members.aol.com/soccorro64/we.htm
http://www.juiceenewsdaily.com/0105/news/haunted_massachusetts.html
http://www.ghostvillage.com/legends/2002/legends8_12142002.shtml
The Biography Channel; "Notorious: Lizzy Borden" 2005
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/index.html
