Just like anywhere else with a long and colorful history, Massachusetts has its fair share of ghost stories, grisly murders and thing that go bump in the night. Here are a few of the lesser-known haunted spots and happenings in the Bay State that you may not have heard of before.
1. Fort Devens, Devens
Most people don’t know that the tiny community of Devens is home to the bodies of soldiers and locals from six American wars. The town’s two-acre cemetery shelters the remains of some who died during the 1917 influenza epidemic that claimed more than 14,000 people, as well as many soldiers. People report seeing strange lights here and hearing the ghostly cries of parents mourning their children. Read more about this spot.
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2. Old North Church Crypts, Boston
Most visitors to Boston’s Old North Church are oblivious to the fact that over 1,100 dead bodies lie just beneath their feet. The church has a network of underground crypts that contain the remains of congregation members who died between 1732 and 1860. Today, the crypts are open for public tours during which many visitors report seeing apparitions and hearing ghostly whispers.
3. Mordecai Lincoln Mill, Scituate
This place doesn't look like anything special at first glance, but on closer inspection, a plaque reveals that this old mill was built in 1691 by an ancestor of Abraham Lincoln. Spooky legends swirl around this place, with the 19-century drowning of a little girl in the adjacent pond leading some to believe that the mill is haunted. Passerby have reported hearing crying coming from the buidling, and ghostly hands pressed against the windows have been spotted.
4. Meeting House Hill Cemetery, Princeton
This cemetery is home to Martha Keyes, the mother of Lucy Keyes. On April 14, 1755, four-year-old Lucy followed her two elder sisters to nearby Wachusett Pond. When the young girl was shooed back to the house by her sisters, she seemed to disappear into the forest and was never seen again. Her mother was driven mad by her daughter’s disappearance and is said to haunt the Meeting House Hill Cemetery.
5. Myles Standish Burial Ground, Duxbury
Myles Standish was one of the Mayflower’s most notable passengers, and some say he’s stuck around at this burial ground in Duxbury. Visitors claim to have seen a man in Puritan dress loitering around the headstones, not to mention the typical ghostly noises and eerie mists.
6. Hawthorne Hotel, Salem
This classy hotel may have some guests that refuse to check out. Room 325 is said to be haunted by a ghost that touches guests on the neck and arms, and some guests have claimed to have heard a child crying in adjacent, unaccompanied rooms.
7. The Beechwood Inn, Barnstable
Built in 1835, the Beechwood Inn seems to be infested with spooks that love to lock guests in and out of their rooms, especially if they’re staying in the Rose Room. The estate apparently plays host to a female specter who walks the grounds at night and can occasionally be seen standing on the inn’s wraparound porch.
8. Longfellow’s Wayside Inn, Sudbury
This Sudbury inn is one of the most historic in the state, and perhaps one of the most haunted. It’s said to be the eternal home of Jerusha Howe, who died in 1842 and apparently loves to visit male guests in rooms nine and ten. Her spirit is said to breath on the faces of sleeping guests or even snuggle up to them at night.
9. Scargo Lake, Dennis
This beautiful spot has plenty of lore associated with it, including a legend about the ghost of a Native princess who still mourns her lost love by the shores of the lake. There are also reports that a UFO crashed into the frozen lake in 1971, with locals reporting strange lights and sounds emanating from the depths of the lake ever since.
How many of these haunted places were you aware of? Do you have any others to add to the list? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to check out this list of the most terrifying spots in the state.
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