Deep River Public Library

In Connecticut, USA things are supposedly quite interesting at the Deep River Public Library. It was the home of a prominent man in Deep River over 100 years ago. The house was built in 1881 by Richard Spratt Spencer, he owned a manufacturing company that dealt in the ivory trade and served as both treasurer and president of the Deep River National Bank, and was a state senator. He lived in the house until his death in 1910 with his second wife and their three children. The Library brought the property in 1930 and remains essentially the same minus some additions, it has the original windows and wood mouldings and the ghosts are only found in the old original sections.

A staff member had shut down all lights for the night, leaving only the one on at the circulation desk where she was standing and she had the feeling that she was not alone. The experience is one that she is not alone in either…

Since 2004 various ghost hunters and mediums have been over to the Main Street library in an attempt to investigate strange goings on. Some of those investigating feel that they have experienced such things and amongst the presences they have felt those of two females, one in their teens and one in their 50’s. The library was once the residence’s kitchen and the original wood-burning stove from 1877 is still in there, where local investigators feel they captured two spirits.

The library’s assistance director was eating her lunch one day and was the only person present, she heard someone in another room, like that of someone clearing their throat. She went to check and found no one was there.

Michael Dionne, founder of Full Spectrum Ghost Hunters explained in an interview that I found online, only one percentage of investigated cases are paranormal. They plan to investigate it using measures like Electromagnetic field sensors, it has been established that interference in the fields can bring on paranoia, nausea, skin irritations and hallucinations and may not necessarily reflect paranormal activity. (So he seems a rational investigator I hope.)

If nothing else it attracts visitors to the library, which this blogger thinks is a good thing. Libraries are a ‘haunt’ of mine, they have books! I don’t mind the digital age but there is still something very appealing about opening the pages of a book and sitting down to read.

Holy Land

An 18 acre site of land in Waterbury, Connecticut, USA that had a theme park based around passages from the bible. In 1984 the theme park closed down and there is now a project, ongoing, to restore it. It was a concept of John Baptist Greco, of Waterbury, who wanted an attraction that would replicate the Bethlehem and Jerusalem of the biblical era. It was to be a place of peace for any colour, race or creed. During its peak in the 1960’s to 70’s it had upwards of 40,000 visitors on an annual basis, it was sadly left unfinished when Greco died in 1986. It has since fell into a state of disrepair.

It is featured on the website Roadside America along with warnings about exploring it, especially if you are not up to date with your tetanus shots.

July 201 saw another dark spot in the area’s history when the rape and murder of a 16 year old female brought a renewed media interest to it. In 2013 the land was brought with a plan to be renovated, and 22nd December 2013 the new cross was lit up on the site.

 

 

“HolyLand“. Via Wikipedia.

New London Ledge Light

Gorton, Connecticut, has a 1909 built lighthouse. It was automated in 1987, it was taken over by the US Coast Guard in 1939 and comes complete with it’s own ghost story. The coat guard crew, before it was automated, reported doors opening, strange sounds and such things as TV’s turning on and bedsheets being removed from the beds without explanation.

In the crew’s log on the last night before it was automated, an unknown author wrote “Rock of slow torture. Ernie’s domain. Hell on earth – may New London’s Ledge light shine on forever because I’m through. I will watch it from afar while drinking a brew.”

Investigations have been conducted by various groups. Ghost Hunters (TAPS) went in and found cold spots and other things linked to paranormal thought they felt there was nothing conclusive.

 

“PostcardNewLondonCTLedgeLighthouse1910” by store Web page states: “published by The Rhode Island News Co. in Providence, RI.” (information probably from other side of postcard, not shown on Web page). Original uploader was Noroton at en.wikipedia – Transferred from en.wikipedia; transferred to Commons by User:Magnus Manske using CommonsHelper.(Original text : eBay store Web page: http://cgi.ebay.com/New-London-CT-1910-Ledge-Light-House-Postcard_W0QQitemZ380004206063QQihZ025QQcategoryZ20200QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem). Licensed under Public domain via Wikimedia Commons – http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PostcardNewLondonCTLedgeLighthouse1910.jpg#mediaviewer/File:PostcardNewLondonCTLedgeLighthouse1910.jpg

 

 

Fairfield State Hospital

It was a psychiatric hospital located in Newtown, Connecticut, that was open from 1931 50 1995, and at it’s peak had 4000 patients. It was built to ease overcrowding, another common factor of the time, for two other hospitals in the area. It’s original plans had 16 buildings which also had a network of roads through large farm meadows and a forest.  It was closed due to de-institutionalization, the hospital patients were moved and in 1995 the doors to the hospital were finally closed.

It used typical treatments for its day, including the use of hydrotherapy, the now controversial shock therapies and frontal lobotomy. Much like other institutes of the scale and time it employed an architectural use of tunnels for staff to move around under the complex and also for the disposal of corpses.

The town acquired the land and building from the State and there are calls to preserve the main buildings at the very least.

It was used for an episode of MTV’s Fear and whilst I could see numerous mentions of hauntings etc… I could find nothing for a basis even anecdotally. other than rumours due to what it was I drew a blank, so perhaps someone else can give me some more concrete stories for the blog?

Bara-Hack

Bara-Hack are the remnants of a hamlet in Connecticut, USA, that was said to have been founded by two Welsh men and their family. The settlers were Obadiah Higginbottom and John Randall, they came to the area with their families and the name Bara-Hack is a Welsh term meaning ‘breaking of bread’. By 1890 the community had been abandoned, it may well have occurred sometime before the Civil War.

The remnants include foundations, walls of the derelict buildings and a cemetery. 19th Century records for both the village and cemetery mention obscure sounds, singing, laughter and the rumble of wagon wheels despite no inhabitants. There are also reports of animal sounds but alone this doesn’t spell anything strange, from what I could find to consider animal sounds in a wood strange I would need further context as to why.

If you do decided to visit then please note this is on privately owned property and you should seek permission first.

A pretty cool picture of the central stones.