In the previous podcast, Fiona Broome discussed these locations:

1. Hall Memorial Library, Northfield-Tilton, NH.

2. Tilton Mystery Tunnel, Tilton, NH.

3. [...]]]> Laconia, New Hampshire is a gold mine of haunted locations.  This is Part 2 (of 2) about haunted places around Tilton, Franklin, and Laconia, New Hampshire.

In the previous podcast, Fiona Broome discussed these locations:

1. Hall Memorial Library, Northfield-Tilton, NH.

2. Tilton Mystery Tunnel, Tilton, NH.

3. Two buildings and a cemetery at Webster Place, Franklin, NH.

4. Daniel Webster birthplace, Franklin, NH.

In this 27-minute podcast, Fiona talks about visiting Laconia, NH with a neighbor.  He remembered a house from his childhood; the house had “ghost stories” and a legend about a hidden Underground Railroad room.

Fiona describes what happened when they visited the house, including evidence of its Colonial history, the Underground RR room, and hash marks on the attic staircase walls and the inside of the door.

However, the owners of the home assured Fiona and her neighbor that there were no ghosts there.

The next day, Fiona returned to that area and found several other sites worth investigating:

Tavern 27 at the Mystic Meadows, 2075 Parade Road, Laconia, NH, and the gift shop behind it.

The former site of the Anti-Pedo Baptist Church of Meredith, NH, which was burned to the ground on behalf of a neighbor, Mrs. Morgan.

Mead Cemetery (433427N / 0712936W) and Round Bay Cemetery, Laconia, NH.

Fiona also recommends looking for the Folsom graves at Laconia’s Union Cemetery (between Garfield St. and Academy St.), where the petrified bodies were reburied.

How to find similar haunted locations where you are:

1. Ask people if they know any local, haunted places.

2. Follow your instincts.  Drive around, look at maps, and — psychic or not — pay attention to your “gut feelings.”

3. Research history! Look for patterns — geographical or historical — that connect the locations.

4. Ask more questions.  Collect more stories and look for “odd” comments and history.

5. Investigate, then ask more questions, and conduct more historical research.

After its years as an early American residence (owned by the Haddock and Webster families, among [...]]]> The Franklin Historical Society is located at Webster Place in Franklin, New Hampshire.  The building is a Colonial-era home — once the residence of Daniel Webster — with a large Victorian addition.

After its years as an early American residence (owned by the Haddock and Webster families, among others), the home was used as an orphanage from 1871 through 1958.

Then, from 1960 through 2005, the site was the property of the Sisters of the Holy Cross.

More recently, the building was acquired for the historical society.

In the photo at left, taken on 7 October 2010, you can see just part of the older side of the building. Most of the picture shows the 1860 Victorian addition.  (Yes, that is a large orb near one window on the middle floor.  Some photos of the front of the building included orbs; most didn’t.)

I was attending a talk by EPNE.  They described their experiences during a preliminary ghost investigation at the site, and shared some stories plus video and EVP recordings.

It was a relaxing evening, and a chance to see what’s going on in the field, in general.

After EPNE’s demonstration and a break for refreshments, I explored the building with friends (and fellow researchers) Sean Paradis and Lesley Marden.

Ground Floor: Warm Spot

First, we focused on a ground floor room with school desks stored in it.  (From the front entrance, the room is immediately on your left.)

This is part of the Victorian addition to the Haddock-Webster mansion.  The two-story addition was constructed in 1860 by Rufus L. Tay, who’d purchased the house and property from Daniel Webster’s son and heir.

(Daguerreotype at left shows Daniel Webster in 1847.)

One rocking chair seemed to have an odd warm spot while the chair next to it was as chilly as we expected, in that unheated room.

However, we hadn’t planned to investigate anything, so we didn’t have a thermometer to verify the effects.

Note: Some researchers believe that a cold spot indicates ghostly energy, but a warm spot suggests more dangerous energy.  I haven’t explored either from a good/bad viewpoint.

Nearby, all three of us felt that one spot in the room had unusual energy, but those were merely odd sensations. Those are difficult to document.  We detected no unusual EMF with a K-II meter or a hiking compass, at any part of that room.

Lesley and Sean checked the floor immediately upstairs, but the door to the room overhead — and all doors along that side of the house — were locked.  They appeared to be used as offices.

The Mezuzah Room

When we explored the rooms that were open upstairs, one room was odd. We’re fairly certain it’s the room where EPNE thought a flashlight had responded to yes/no questions.

What seemed especially strange in Franklin, NH — particularly since it was a home for nuns for 40 years — was the mezuzah at the doorway.

According to Wikipedia:

A mezuzah is affixed to the doorframe in Jewish homes to fulfill the mitzvah (Biblical commandment) to inscribe the words of the Shema “on the doorposts of your house” (Deuteronomy 6:9).

Some interpret Jewish law to require a mezuzah on every doorway in the home apart from bathrooms, and closets too small to qualify as rooms; others view it as necessary only to place one in the front doorway.

I’ve seen many homes that feature a mezuzah at the front door.  Others have additional mezuzahs throughout the home.

However, until last night, I’d never seen a home with a mezuzah placed at just one, interior doorway… and none anywhere else. There were no marks where other mezuzahs might have been, either.

So, why would a mezuzah mark the one, apparently most-haunted room in the building?  Was it an attempt to keep something out… or something in?

It’s possible that, when the building was divided into apartments or rooms, that room was the residence of someone Jewish, or someone who respected related traditions.

Further investigation might clarify whether or not that room is actually haunted, and why a mezuzah is at that doorframe and no other.

Nevertheless, in a town like Franklin — and particularly in a building where nuns lived — it’s odd.

After getting our general bearings at a site that we’re investigating, the first thing we look for is what’s odd.

The Attic

Among other, lesser architectural anomalies, the attic level stood out as a floor with dark and foreboding energy.

The glow-in-the-dark crucifix on one wall was charming.  The row of clothing hooks — at a height used by toddlers or small children — was a little disturbing.  I’m not sure what small children would be doing in the attic, particularly with the steep, semi-finished stairway leading to it.

A storage feature in the attic also seemed unusually repellent.  A further investigation of the site’s history might reveal more.

All in all, we concluded that the Franklin Historical Society has some odd features worth exploring.

However, it didn’t seem as if the society welcomed additional investigations; EPNE was allowed in as preparation for the historical society’s October presentation.

So, I can’t recommend the Franklin Historical Society’s building as a general research location.

The Window at the Front

After the event concluded, Sean, Lesley and I chatted outside the building.  We were startled because we thought we saw a curtain open for a moment at an attic window.

Then, when I was taking pictures, the flash highlighted the actual scene.  We realized that it was one of the windows that doesn’t have a curtain; it’s shuttered or otherwise blocked from the inside.

We’re not sure what we thought we saw, but each of us saw it, independently.

That’s the kind of anecdotal evidence that makes ghost hunting interesting, but, as scientific evidence, it has no merit.

The Window at the Back – Who Closed the Curtain?

Sean had parked his car at the back of the building, and Lesley and I felt that we should escort him to it.  I’m still not sure why.  At the time, it seemed kind of funny, both in an odd and in a ha-ha way.

As we studied the mixed architecture at the back of the building, all of us commented on another attic window.

It’s indicated by the red arrow in my photo at the right.  That side of the attic has curtains, and one was open.

As we chatted, I took a few photos.

Most of my pictures, like the one at the right, aren’t noteworthy.  It’s a typical New England house from the Victorian era.

However, as I studied the photos when I returned home, I kept looking at the window that troubled us.

Most of the pictures look like the following two.

(All of the following photos were adjusted to increase contrast and detail.)

I’ve included two of them, almost identical, so you can clearly see that the curtain is open.

(This is typical when I take photos.  I try to take two pictures in a row, without moving.  That way, if something is just a reflection or something normal, it’ll be in both photos.  If it’s an anomaly, it’s more likely to show up in just one of them.)

Then, I looked at one of the next pictures.  I’d walked a few feet to the right of where I stood for the previous photos.  This one was taken with a slower shutter setting.  It’s a little blurred, but the details remain fairly clear.  (I’m testing the idea that the additional image content might give the spirits something extra to work with.)

As you can see, the curtain is closed.

There would be nothing unusual about that, except that the building was empty. Everyone had left and locked up, at least 15 or 20 minutes earlier… before I started taking pictures.

In addition, the window had appeared open. If I’d analyzed my photos on the spot, we might have been able to verify that.  (Yes, we can see the vertical line.  That may be from a window, but it could be a screen support or something else.)

Could it be a very odd reflection?  It’s possible, but unlikely.  As you can see from the contrast in the previous photos — even the first one that wasn’t adjusted for clarity — the opening at the window looked very black.  I’m not certain that a reflection could completely offset that darkness.

Though I can’t recommend this exact location for investigations, it’s an interesting site in a town with many reminders of the past.

The Franklin Historical Society is at 21 Holy Cross Rd.  That street is off Route 3, about 3 miles south of the intersection of Routes 3 South/3A North/11 and Route 127.  Signs near the entrance indicate Webster Place Center and Webster Place Cemetery.

The cemetery is at the end of the road.  It’s on private land, but the owners give permission to visit the cemetery, under certain terms.  Please read the sign and follow their rules.

The road to the cemetery is a deeply rutted dirt road.  I recommend parking at the side of the paved road, to hike in to the cemetery.  It’s not a long distance, but cars with low clearance could sustain damage or get stuck, unless you drive very carefully on the dirt road.

Additional History

Webster Place Cemetery was previously known as Salisbury Cemetery, from an era before the town of Salisbury (NH) was incorporated as part of Franklin.

According to Wikipedia: While still part of Massachusetts, the town was granted as Baker’s Town after Captain Thomas Baker in 1736. After New Hampshire became a separate colony, the town was re-granted with the name Stevenstown. Additionally known as Gerrishtown and New Salisbury, the name Salisbury was taken when the town incorporated in 1768.

In 1746, this site was part of the northernmost fort of the Merrimack River, when Salisbury was called Stevenstown. The fort was built after the 1745 attack on the Call family, near the current location of the Franklin Historical Society.

The following excerpt is from The History of Manchester, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire. It describes an attack by “savages in the interests of the French,” a band of about 30 Abenaki.

On the 15th day of August [1745], they made a successful attack on our frontier, on the house of Mr. Phillip Call, in Stevenstown. This town was subsequently known as Salisbury and the attack was made in that part of Salisbury, west of, and upon the Merrimack, now included in the town of, Franklin.

Mrs. Call [Sarah Trussell Call], her daughter-in-law, wife of Phillip Call, Jr. and an infant of the latter, were alone in the house, while the Calls, father and son, and Timothy Cook their hired man, were at work in the field.

Upon the approach of the Indians, Mrs. Call the elder, met them at the door, and was immediately killed with a blow from a tomahawk, her body falling near the door, and her blood drenching her own threashold! [sic]

The younger Mrs. Call, with her infant in her arms, crawled into a hole behind the chimney, where she succeeded in keeping her child quiet, and thus escaped from sure destruction.

The Calls, father and son, and Cook, saw the Indians, and attempted to get into the house before them, but could not succeed. They were so near the house, as to hear the blow with which Mrs. Call was killed.

Seeing however the number of the Indians, they fled to the woods and the Calls escaped.

Cook ran to the river and plunged in, but was pursued, shot in the water, and his scalp taken.

The Indians, some thirty in number, rifled the house, took Mrs. Call’s scalp, and then retreated up the river.

The Calls soon notified the garrison at Contoocook of the attack, and a party of eight men followed in pursuit.

The Indians waited in ambush for them, but showed themselves too soon, and the English party taking to the woods escaped, with the exception of Enos Bishop, who after firing upon the Indians several times was at length taken and carried to Canada as a captive. “

According to the Rich History of Webster Place, “…Many of his [Webster's] family, together with members of the pioneering Call family, are buried in the cemetery east of the house.”

If you’re researching the Call family and their graves, note that the Call surname was sometimes spelled Cole.

As you can see, a colorful history makes this general area worth investigating.

Recommended

If you’re researching haunts in this part of New Hampshire, stay at the 1875 Inn in Tilton, New Hampshire.  It was featured on the Ghost Hunters TV show, Season Six, Episode 13 (aired 8 Sep 2010).  It’s about 20 minutes from the Franklin Historical Society, on Route 3 in downtown Tilton.

Or, if you’re willing to drive another hour and a half north on Route 93, you can stay at the haunted Spalding Inn, owned by Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson (stars of the Ghost Hunters TV show) and their families.

References

The Rich History of Webster Place

Franklin Historical Society, Franklin, NH

Daniel Webster Farm, SeacoastNH.com

The History of Manchester, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire

The History of Salisbury, New Hampshire

Koasek Traditional Abenaki Band

Phillip Call of Franklin, NH (genealogy notes)

Wikipedia: Salisbury, New Hampshire

The old families of Salisbury and Amesbury, Massachusetts

Has someone complained about a ghost on a staircase?  Ghost hunters need to respond quickly to [...]]]> Haunted Stairways – or a good job for a carpenter?

Here are some low-tech ways to investigate haunted stairways, plus some extra footage at the wonderfully haunted hotel, The Spalding Inn, at Whitefield, NH.

Has someone complained about a ghost on a staircase?  Ghost hunters need to respond quickly to this kind of complaint.  It might be a normal — but dangerous — problem.  Finding a normal reason why someone feels disoriented on the stairs could save lives.

To investigate a haunted stairway, you’ll need:

• A carpenter’s level (under $2.50 at most hardware and DIY stores).
• A ruler or tape measure, or both.
• An EMF detector (to check for leaking EMF, usually from wiring concealed under the staircase).

Here’s how to test the staircase to see if the problem is normal, not paranormal:

Several graves in that cemetery indicate good activity.

Last night, we took photos of rain orbs for my upcoming [...]]]> In Ghost Hunting in Haunted Cemeteries, I mention one eerie cemetery in Northfield-Tilton, New Hampshire.  (The boundaries between Northfield and Tilton aren’t always clear.  I think this cemetery is in Northfield, but I could be wrong.)

Several graves in that cemetery indicate good activity.

Last night, we took photos of rain orbs for my upcoming book, Ghost Photography 101.

Though most of the orbs in this photo are certainly rain, at least one might be something paranormal.  I think you can see how different it is from the others, in the photo at right.

Of course, it’s impossible to tell “real” orbs from rain orbs in photos, so I’m making no claims.  However, we’ve seen consistent orbs around this group of graves.

When we arrived, the cemetery was too quiet.  Even the rain seemed entirely silent, though we parked in a paved area.  Also, though the area is lit by streetlights and light from neighbors’ homes, the back half of the cemetery always seems darker than it should be… even in the daytime.

I like cemeteries that feel as if you’re stepping back in time.  This is one of them, and it always feels entirely separated from the buildings — and era — around it.  Some might describe it as “creepy,” but I find it very relaxing and peaceful, despite the activity at some of its graves.

Here’s a “sneak peak” into another area of this cemetery, to check for elevated EMF, orbs, EVP, and so on.  Or, you may be able to use this tip when you investigate cemeteries in your area.

We describe one grave as the “three pointing fingers grave.”  You’ll know which one it is, as soon as you see it.  A husband and two wives are in that plot, and the headstone is unusual, showing three pointing fingers.

A finger pointing up usually indicates that the person ascended to Heaven.  A finger pointing down usually suggests the hand of God, ending a life early… but it can mean something less attractive.

When we see an adult’s headstone with a downward pointing finger, we immediately add that plot to our list of graves to investigate.  Those graves have a higher likelihood of activity compared with other, unremarkable graves.

I’m still investigating the spirits at the “three fingers” grave.  I know the second wife feels that she had the “last word” with that gravestone, and her energy definitely lingers.  With enough attention, she’s the kind of woman who might appear as an apparition.

There are several other active locations in this rural cemetery, and some may be even more active than the “three pointing fingers” plot.  However, this cemetery — which will be identified in Ghost Hunting in Haunted Cemeteries (also due out in late Sept 09) — is near several homes, so it’s difficult to investigate without attracting attention.

The good news is, this cemetery seems to be active during the daytime as well as after dark.  I recommend EMF meters and either a psychic, a Frank’s Box, or an Ovilus for research in this graveyard.  You could also use a K-II (or K-III) meter for real-time dialogue with the spirits.

Visually, it’s a lovely location, but — so far — it’s been difficult to photograph reliable anomalies due to nearby lights.

I’m only providing the town name, right now.  I’m still conducting research there, and I’d like not to draw attention to it until after the book comes out in late September 2009.

However, there are just a few cemeteries in the Northfield-Tilton (NH) area.  Two of them offer unusual features for ghost hunting and — since they haven’t been over-investigated — the energy in them is quite fresh and interesting.

One of the largest and most haunted cemeteries in Portsmouth, NH fits that description.

South Street cemetery isn’t the official name of the location, but it’s what most people call it.  This lovely, slightly eerie cemetery is at the [...]]]> Many ghost hunters know a few haunted locations that consistently provide ghostly phenomena.

One of the largest and most haunted cemeteries in Portsmouth, NH fits that description.

South Street cemetery isn’t the official name of the location, but it’s what most people call it.  This lovely, slightly eerie cemetery is at the intersection of South Street and Sagamore Avenue, not far from downtown Portsmouth, NH.

Until recently, I hadn’t researched the cemetery very much.  I simply knew the “hot spots” where we usually photograph ghostly anomalies, and where ghost hunters’ dowsing rods detect the strongest paranormal energy.

THE CEMETERY’S ‘HOT SPOTS’

We always visit the graves just outside the cemetery walls.  Several headstones have been stolen from those sites since my previous visit.  That’s so sad.  However, the raised mounds remain, and they tend to be very good for ghostly phenomena including elevated EMF levels, apparitions and the murmuring sounds of nearby ghosts.

Note: If you visit graves at the wooded perimeter of South Street cemetery, especially at dusk, be sure to go with a group.  Though the police have done a good job of patrolling the area, the woods were sometimes a temporary shelter for homeless people in past years.

Women should be especially cautious near the woods and at the graves just outside the cemetery walls.  There seems to be an unpleasant male entity (ghost) there.

We also pause at one of the crypts, at a couple of locations that students usually describe as “eerie” or “creepy”, and at the smaller entrance on the far side of the cemetery.

The actual history of the cemetery has provided some good reasons why its apparent ghostly “hot spots” are so hot.

For example, our ghost hunting classes generally meet at the main entrance to the cemetery.  It’s near one of the highest points on the north side of the cemetery.  We almost always sense something odd — but also sacred — when we start our ghost investigations there.

Research reveals that the elevated spot is where a gallows stood in the 1700s… a site with some lurid history.

The earliest gallows was a “hanging tree” where two early executions included Penelope Henry and Sarah Simpson, “turned off the back of a cart” in 1739.  (That expression meant that — after standing on a cart positioned beneath the gallows — the cart pulled away, leaving them hanging.)

From my experience, most sites of “hanging trees” tend to be haunted.  People report paranormal activity at or near (within a half block) of the site.

THE UNJUST DEATH OF RUTH BLAY

One of the most gruesome stories is the hanging of Ruth Blay, a 25-year-old schoolteacher.  She was convicted of concealing the death of a newborn, later found to be stillborn.

According to the charges, Ms. Blay had buried the infant beneath loose floorboards in her schoolroom.  The corpse — wrapped in a cloak — was discovered by 5-year-old Betsey Pettengill and some of her friends.

Ruth Blay was immediately “apprehended” by a man named Isaac Brown, who was paid ten pounds (approximately $2000 in 2008 dollars) for his services.

The young schoolteacher’s trial was rushed, and the sentence was harsh, but the people of Portsmouth defended the popular schoolteacher.  Numerous briefs were filed with the British court, requesting a reprieve for Ms. Blay.

Just one chance remained for her pardon on December 30st, 1768, the day that her execution was scheduled, but the sheriff decided not to wait.  In fact, he changed the time of her hanging to an hour earlier than planned, so he wouldn’t be late for dinner that evening.

It was not a popular move.  An angry mob gathered near the gallows.

Likewise, Ruth Blay did not go quietly to her death.  (Note: When I see this in a history, it’s another good reason to look for a ghost.)

According to the legends recorded by journalist C. W. Brewster in the mid-1800s…

“…as Ruth was carried through the streets, her shrieks filled the air. She was dressed in silk, and was driven under the gallows in a cart.”

The crowd shouted angrily as High Sheriff Thomas Packer hastily positioned the cart beneath the gallows.  He looped the noose around Ruth’s neck and then — with a brusque command to the horses — drove the cart away, leaving the young woman’s body swinging from the rope.  Sheriff Packer did not stop to look back.  Instead, he drove the cart to arrive home in time for his meal.  He was apparently unaware that — as he drove away — a rider had arrived at the gallows with an urgent letter.

A stay of execution had been issued by the Royal Governor of New Hampshire, but it arrived minutes after Ms. Blay’s death.  If Packer hadn’t changed the execution hour, Ruth Blay would have lived.

Outraged, a mob marched to the sheriff’s house.  There, they hung an effigy of Packer, and placed beneath it a sign that said,

“Am I to lose my dinner
This woman for to hang?
Come draw away the cart, my boys-
Don’t stop to say amen.”

Then, the crowd carried the effigy through the streets to be sure that every citizen knew of Packer’s cruelty, and finally — according to some versions of the story — burned the effigy in front of his home.

Ruth Blay was buried in an unmarked grave about 300 feet north of the small pond near the middle of South Street cemetery.  That’s the location where we usually record the greatest number of ghostly anomalies in our photos.  It’s also where people first notice that their cameras aren’t working correctly.

(Those cameras are usually fine after people leave the cemetery.  This kind of problem is normal in profoundly haunted settings.)

According to legend, two gravestones glow with spectral light, near Ms. Blay’s burial spot.  We’ve noticed quite a few glowing stones in that vicinity, and they drew comments during our class on Saturday, 13 Sep 2008.

Ruth Blay’s ghost may haunt the site of her death and burial.  Her spirit — and perhaps the baby’s — has also been reported at the site of the schoolhouse, around 94 Main Avenue in south Hampton, NH.

Note: According to state records, Sheriff Packer was responsible for executing the only three women ever hung in New Hampshire.

Similar to Ruth Blay, the other two women — hung on December 27, 1739 (almost exactly 29 years before Ms. Blay’s death) — were convicted of “feloniously concealing the death of infant bastard child.”

The house where the sheriff lived (and ate his dinners on time) was at the northeast corner of State and Court Streets in Portsmouth.  His house became Col. Brewster’s Tavern, which George Washington stayed at for four nights.

In 1813, the house burned to the ground and was replaced by the Treadwell Jenness House, built in 1818.  According to some, that location is haunted.

Sheriff Packer was still in office on June 22nd, 1771, when he died.   Some claim that he was buried in — and haunts — Portsmouth’s North Cemetery.  It’s possible that he does.  However, the North Cemetery gravestone of Thomas Packer (d. 1793) is for one the sheriff’s two sons.

Ruth Blay isn’t the only spirit with a good reason to haunt South Street cemetery.  Two famous murder victims are also interred at the cemetery.

SMUTTYNOSE MURDER VICTIMS

On the night of March 6th, 1873, Norwegian immigrants Karen and Anethe Christensen were murdered on Smuttynose Island in the Isles of Shoals.  Both women were strangled, and one had been assaulted with an ax.  A third woman had been attacked with them, and she identified the murderer as a German immigrant, Louis Wagner.

According to trial evidence, Wagner had rowed out to the island, committed his evil deeds, and then rowed back to the mainland.  He was captured in Boston, but until his hanging in 1875, Wagner maintained that he was innocent.

Since then, many people have speculated about what really happened on the night of the murder.  One of the most famous stories supporting Wagner’s innocence is the best-selling novel, The Weight of Water by Anita Shreve.

Though Wagner was buried in Maine, the graves of the murder victims are in the Harmony Grove section of South Street cemetery.

We haven’t investigated their graves yet, but recommend them to other ghost hunters in the Portsmouth area.  When questions linger after a murder, we often find reports of paranormal activity around the graves.

HISTORY OF PORTSMOUTH’S SOUTH STREET CEMETERY

South Street cemetery is actually at least five cemeteries: Cotton Burial Ground (1671), Elmwood Cemetery, Proprietors’ Burial Ground (1831), and Harmony Grove (1847), and Sagamore Cemetery (1871).

The first record for Cotton Burial Ground appeared in June 1671:

“It was agreed with Goodman William Cotton to fence the town’s land that lyeth by Goodman Skates, for a trayning place, to cutt down all the trees and bushes and to clear the same from said ground by the first of April next, and for his soe doeing he and his heirs shall have the above feeding and use thereof as a pasture only, for twenty years–and the said land shall still remayne for a trayning field and to bury dead in.”

(The military training field may explain why Sean, one September 2008 student, saw ghostly soldiers marching at the eastern end of the cemetery.)

In the 1850s, after a fire at South Street church, several graves were moved to Proprietors’ Burial Ground, including the 1761 graves of Samuel and Margaret Haven, children of Rev. Samuel Haven.

(When any grave is moved, we quite often note odd, sometimes ghostly energy around the body’s new location.)

In addition, the Cutts-Penhallow family cemetery was moved in 1875 from Green Street to a grove of trees near the center of the South Street property.   Many visitors to the South Street cemetery comment on this peculiar, dark section of the cemetery.  We’re not sure if it’s haunted, but it’s certainly creepy at dusk.

SUMMARY

Portsmouth’s South Street cemetery is an ideal location for ghost hunting.  It offers a wide range of paranormal phenomena in a convenient seacoast location about 10 minutes from US 95.

According to the sign at the main entrance, the cemetery closes at 6:30 p.m.

The police patrol the area regularly.  During one of our September 2008 classes, we were stopped by the police.  We explained that we were there to take photos.  One student’s backpack was inspected, before we could continue the class.  (It was only 5 p.m., so I’m not sure why we drew attention.)

However, the cemetery is a popular park for bicyclists, joggers, people walking their dogs, and ghost enthusiasts.  We recommend it for research; the stories in this article barely scratch the surface of the tales that could suggest ghosts.

Wear shoes suited to walking; the cemetery is huge.  Also bring bug spray and a spare camera.  Most of us had camera problems at some point during the evening, and a backup camera was useful.

If you’re hoping to take some good “ghost photos” or encounter other ghostly phenomena, visit Portsmouth’s South Street cemetery.

In addition, if you park in the small lot at Little Harbor Road, be sure to notice the energy as you enter the cemetery. (It’s a slightly wooded entry, sometimes overgrown with vines and branches. Many ghost hunters comment on unique phenomena there.)

Fiona’s Sept 2008 podcast: Ghosts of Portsmouth, New Hampshire – South Street cemetery

References

Among Old New England Inns, by Mary Caroline Crawford, p. 303

Brewster’s Rambles #59, SeacoastNH.com

Haunted Portsmouth, by Roxie J. Zwicker

An Old Town by the Sea, by Thomas Bailey Aldrich

Portsmouth Cemeteries, by Glenn A. Knobloc, p. 73

Provincial and State Papers of New Hampshire, p. 206

Re: More info on Ruth Blay, by samanthabalsavage1

Smuttynose 101 – A Quick Murder Study, SeacoastNH.com

The Tragic Story of Ruth Blay, SeacoastNH.com

Washington’s walk about city put a stir in the crowd, by Amie Plummer, Fosters.com

We tried several kinds of dowsing rods to see what they indicated. The “hot spots” were somewhat predictable. (See our [...]]]> Late yesterday (12 June 2008), we returned to Gilson Road Cemetery in Nashua, NH. Our ghost hunting results were surprising. We’ll publish photos and more details, later, but here’s a summary of what we found:

We tried several kinds of dowsing rods to see what they indicated. The “hot spots” were somewhat predictable. (See our Map of Gilson Road Cemetery for previous ghostly anomalies.)

The Fisk graves — the oldest headstones in the cemetery — produced strong pulls on the dowsing rods. They’re the tall stones immediately after the gate, and directly in front of you. We’ve seen EMF spikes there in the past, though I can’t say that they “feel” especially haunted, most of the time.

(Note that the small Fisk gravestone is the only one in the cemetery with a death’s head on it.)

Joseph Gilson’s headstone, a low, white stone near the front center of the cemetery, is where we’ve noted many anomalies including paranormal cold spots. It was active last night.

Slightly northwest of the Searles’ graves (near the pink orb note on the map linked above), we found some of the most intense and unexplained activity. That’s the same area where we first confirmed that hiking compasses can work as EMF detectors.

By contrast, we noted little energy at Walter Gilson’s stone and the back left corner of the cemetery, where so many have had spectral encounters.

With two researchers using dowsing rods independently, we were able to confirm activity in several other spots around the cemetery. Most of those locations were not marked graves.

If you’re ghost hunting at Gilson, check in front of the largest tree at the back of the cemetery. (That tree is inside the walls.) Also do readings at the boulder at the back right (SE) corner of the cemetery.

The woods behind the cemetery appear to be as active as ever. If you’re looking for a full, ghostly apparition, Gilson cemetery may be one of your best chances of seeing one. The figures generally look solid and real, until they vanish into thin air.

In fact, Gilson cemetery raises so many questions about hauntings, and it is such a reliable site, we recommend it for beginners who need research experience… if you have nerves of steel, that is.

Many psychics describe Gilson as one of the most haunted places they’ve ever visited. In addition to very obvious manifestations, the more chilling aspects of Gilson are what you sense and can’t easily explain.

But, even if you aren’t especially psychic, you may be in for a scare at Gilson.

In the past month, people have reported hearing voices so loud at Gilson cemetery, they sounded as if the person was right next to them… except that no one appeared to be there.

Several people have seen the ghostly, hooded figure that chases people out of the cemetery.

And, as usual, electrical circuitry can fail… but usually just inside the walls of the cemetery. This includes cameras that seem to jam, digital voice recorders that stop working or record unearthly sounds, and cell phones that lose signal.

Over the past few years, we’ve also received hundreds of reports about new and freshly charged batteries losing their power completely. (We’ve seen that several times, ourselves.)

Even talking about Gilson can be… interesting. Our software usually works smoothly, but it took six tries to publishing this article. The server simply stopped. And, even when the article finally appeared, it was missing an earlier note about the uploading difficulty. It took two more tries to add this note to our post.

Gilson Road Cemetery is still one of our favorite haunted locations.

In the summer, if you visit Gilson cemetery shortly before dusk, wear bug spray. In the warm weather, the mosquitoes are aggressive as night approaches.