You Won't Want To Drive Through The Most Haunted Town In New Hampshire At Night Or Alone
By Michelle|Published February 20, 2020
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Michelle
Author
Michelle's life is a colorful map of exploration and adventure. From the iconic streets of New York to the sunny shores of Florida, the jagged coast of Maine to the rugged terrain of Montana, she's been fortunate to call some of America's most beautiful states home. Beyond the U.S., Michelle's wanderlust has taken her on a motorcycle journey through India, led her to teach English in Hanoi, and saw her studying Spanish in Guatemala. Michelle graduated with a communications degree from the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University and in addition to a career in advertising has worked with OnlyInYourState since 2016, where her love for travel and storytelling converges. Alongside writing and exploring, Michelle finds joy in photography, staying active, and time with her family.
For questions, comments and inquiries please email: mstarin@onlyinyourstate.com.
There’s this idea that spooky stories and ghostly tales must be reserved for months like October. When we’re already on the lookout for ways to be scared and for creepy histories to make their way into our present day. But in New Hampshire we don’t really have that luxury. Not when entire towns in the state have the type of haunted past that you’ll find in this town.
Hampton, located in Rockingham County is often thought of as a beach town. It’s a wonderful place to visit in the summer, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t come with a certain level of creepiness. Let’s start with the town’s park.
Believed to be haunted by the ghost of the only woman convicted of being a witch in the state, Founders Park (also known as Meetinghouse Green Memorial Park) has some seriously chilling vibes.
The woman, Goody Cole, spent the 1660s and the 1670s going in and out of jail. She died in the 1680s and was buried in town in an ummarked grave. In her honor, this stone was erected in the 1960s.
But things get creepier from here. There’s the Revolutionary War general, Jonathan Moulton, who returned to the seacoast region where he amassed a great deal of money. In search of more, it’s said that he sold his soul to the devil who promised to fill his boots with gold every month.
But, Moulton’s greed grew and in an effort to beat the devil he cut a hole in his boots for more gold. Eventually, when the devil realized his avarice, the general’s home was burned to the ground in the 1770s.
This haunted mansion isn’t the only one in town. The 200 year-old Marston house is old, but somehow the ghost who lives here has always stayed 11 years-old. The young boy, Valentine Marston, was shot during a hunting trip in 1890 and appears dressed like a sailor.
Despite being moved to a new location, Valentine is still here. In one of the strangest tellings of the story, when the moving company transported the house their trucks blew two tires, which is something that had never happened in their history of business.
Before being moved, the folks who lived in the house reported hearing footsteps throughout the home. And they often heard doors opening without anyone present.
If you’re the type to appreciate New Hampshire’s town in a more official capacity, check out the town’s website.
