Hollow Hill

Bradford College, MA, Ghosts – 4. Haunted Tunnels

Bradford College, Bradford, Massachusetts – 11 March 2000

HAUNTED TUNNELS BENEATH BRADFORD COLLEGE

Our next stop was in the tunnels, which connect several of the main buildings. I think we entered them from the Campus Center, but I don’t know the buildings, and I was still musing over the odd room we’d been in, on the Academy’s fourth floor.

(The Campus Center may have been haunted, probably by something playful, but there were students in the area. A full investigation was impossible.)

As we reached the basement level, I sensed one of those silly green ghosts, like the Slimer from the Ghostbusters movies. The atmosphere was light and playful, and fun.

However, the tunnels–one more level down–were dark and eerie. In one of them, I “saw” a girl running in the darkness, and I sensed that she was afraid of rape. I felt nauseous.

Afterwards, James said that he’d been hit in the gut by the energy in the tunnel, too. He’s generally a skeptic who experiences very little on ghost hunts.

(See my photos at Bradford College – Tunnel Orbs.)

While in the tunnel, we met a couple of people. One of them was a young man who later made a documentary about the Bradford ghost stories before the school closed its doors forever. (Bradford College’s accreditation lapsed, and filed bankruptcy.)

This was our first of two visits to the tunnels that day.

OTHER TUNNELS

Bradford College’s tunnels are famous for their connection to the H.P. Lovecraft stories of the Necronomicon. Although Lovecraft’s book is reportedly fiction, there has been speculation about a real Necronomicon. Lovecraft did have a connection to Bradford College.

According to college lore, Lovecraft was dating a girl from the college, and she helped him find an unused tunnel (beneath Tupelo Pond) in which to bury the evil book called “the Necronomicon.”

Later, that tunnel was sealed off from the maze of tunnels beneath Bradford College.

NEXT STOP: DENWORTH HALL AND THEATRE

We continued to Denworth Theatre, where I was certain we’d find almost no energy beyond normal poltergeist phenomena.

I was about 98% sure that the ghostly girl reported there was just legend, started when someone incorrectly repeated the “Amy and the priest” stories, and placed her in the theatre, not the Academy.

I anticipated a quick visit to the theatre, with little activity. I was anxious to visit Tupelo West, where the pendulum had indicated the most hauntings.

I was very, very mistaken, and I hope I never underestimate a “ghost story” again.

Read that story next: Real Ghosts in Denworth Hall

Judith Thompson’s Vengeful Ghost – Tyngsboro, MA

This is part two of the story that began with The Haunting of John Alford Tyng

Judith Thompson Tyng’s ghost has lingered since the 18th century.

It started when her husband (or the man she thought she’d married) – John Alford Tyng – arranged her murder. He had their children killed, too.

The murderer was Dr. Blood – the same “minister” who’d married John and Judith, years earlier.

John let Dr. Blood into the home. Then John waited in another room as Dr. Blood killed his victims.

As Dr. Blood fled into the night, John took care of burying the bodies beneath the hearth.

Was there a reason for the murders? No one knows. Most people describe John Alford Tyng as a ne’er-do-well, a wastrel, or an outright psychopath.

Dr. Blood left town for a while, and Tyng pretended that his family had gone to visit some relatives near Boston.

That’s when John Alford Tyng’s father, Eleazar, invited his son to return home for a visit. According to some stories, Eleazar wasn’t comfortable in his home. The more guests, the better.

Why? Well, the Mansion was already haunted by the ghost of an Indian whom the Tyngs had cheated of land.

Edward Tyng's haunted grave — Edward Tyng’s grave.

That tragic history is blamed on Edward Tyng. It’s why his nearby grave might be haunted, even now.

But back in the 18th century, Judith (as a ghost) probably felt perfectly comfortable joining the ghostly party. After all, it meant she could continue to torment her husband.

Soon, Judith Thompson began her murderous revenge.

Judith Thompson Tyng sought vengeance on both John Alford Tyng and Dr. Blood.

Dr. Blood was probably the easiest to kill. And Judith may have liked the idea that Blood’s death would strike terror in John Alford Tyng’s cold, tiny heart.

Here’s the story: One night, Dr. Blood was walking alone on a country road not far from Nashua’s haunted Country Tavern restaurant.

It was just past dusk, and Blood felt uneasy when he heard footsteps behind him. When he turned, no one was there, so he kept walking.

Soon, Blood realized he wasn’t alone. He must have frozen with fear, as – in the morning – there was no sign of a fight.

According to lore, Judith Thompson’s running footsteps and her jubilant laughter were heard as far as a mile away, as she shoved Dr. Blood to the ground.

As Dr. Blood fell face forward, his weight crushed the ceramic flask that he always carried. Of course, the liquor formed a puddle.

When Dr. Blood was found the next morning, he’d choked and drowned in the liquor. Judith’s small footprint was still clearly outlined on the back of Dr. Blood’s head.

When John Alford Tyng heard the news, he knew that he was next.

He immediately moved to a third Tyng mansion. This one was also known as “the Haunted House.” According to a 19th century history, ghosts had been seen there from Colonial through Victorian times.

(This home was probably north of the more famous Tyng Mansion, near Middlesex Road – Route 3A – before it meets Westford Road. You can see it marked as “the Haunted House” on old Dunstable and Tyngsborough maps.)

That’s where Judith Thompson killed him.

The stories are consistent about Tyng’s death. After moving into the third house, Tyng became very ill. His servants took care of him for awhile, until Judith Thompson’s ghost drove them out.

John Alford Tyng’s family tried to visit him, but Judith turned them away at the door, too.

Since they didn’t know Judith was dead, Tyng’s family didn’t realize how serious the problem was.

After that, they turned to an old family friend and neighbor, Captain Joseph Butterfield.

Butterfield’s diary still exists. In it, he described what he witnessed. (As a seasoned soldier who’d fought in several battles, Butterfield’s diary has credibility.)

As a favor to the family, Butterfield called on John Alford Tyng. When Judith answered the door, Butterfield forced his way past her ghost, and rushed upstairs to the dying man’s bedroom.

Butterfield’s notes say that Tyng tried to lift himself from the bed to greet his friend, but – apparently – the effort killed Tyng.

As Captain Butterfield watched in horror, Judith Thompson’s ghost materialized and cursed John Alford Tyng.

The stories vary, but – before vanishing – Judith swore that Tyng’s name would never remain on a headstone and he’d be forgotten in history.

Apparently, her curse worked. His gravestone had to be replaced many times. The town finally gave up, and his current grave marker contains some deliberate errors. I guess that’s good enough for Judith.

READ NEXT: Tyng Mansion Ghosts. Tyng Mansion may be gone, but its ghosts remain.

Tyngsborough, MA – Tyng Mansion ghosts

This is part three of the story that began with
The Haunting of John Alford Tyng.

Walk behind Tyng Family Cemetery, Tyngsboro, MA — Path from the cemetery to the ruins of Tyng Mansion.

Ghosts still haunt the Tyng Mansion. Today, only some stairs, a stone wall, and the foundation of the house remain. They’re at the front of the property at 72 Tyng Road in Tyngsboro, MA, once owned by Boston University.

John Alford Tyng’s sister, Sarah, may have been the last Tyng to live there. The heiress married John Winslow, but they had no children.

Frantic that the Tyng name was about to die out–perhaps fulfilling Judith Thompson’s curse–Sarah offered to bequeath her fortune to a nephew if he changed his surname to Tyng.

Of course, he did.

She also supported the town minister, and funded a grammar school. In return, the eastern part of Dunstable became Tyngsborough, named after Sarah’s family.

The site of that school is among the many haunted locations in Tyngsboro, the more modern spelling of Tyngsborough.

After Sarah’s death, Tyng Mansion sat empty. However, a 19th century Nashua newspaper reported a curious story.

The ghost of Judith Thompson Tyng

Stairs at ruins of Tyng Mansion. — These stairs once led to Tyng Mansion.

One night, a carriage from Massachusetts had been traveling up the frozen Merrimack River. A suddenly, fierce snowstorm forced the carriage driver and his passenger to seek shelter.

Not far from the river, the driver spotted lights in a large home, and knocked at the front door. A beautiful woman in a green ball gown opened the door. Behind her, the men could see a large party in progress.

The woman invited the men to spend the night. The carriage driver was given a bunk in the stables, and the passenger was shown to a well appointed bedroom upstairs in the main house.

Too tired to accept his hostess’ invitation to join the party, the passenger accepted a light supper in his room, and fell into bed, exhausted.

In the morning, the passenger awoke and found that his bedroom had transformed overnight. He was sleeping in a dusty, dilapidated old room. Downstairs, the rest of the house was also empty and had clearly been vacant for a long time. His lovely hostess had also vanished.

He roused the carriage driver, who’d had a similar and strange experience as the stables – well-maintained the night before – were abandoned and in need of repair.

The two continued their journey north, and told their tale to the newspaper, which reported it the next day. Most people recognized the description of the lovely woman in the green ball gown. She was the ghost of Judith Thompson.

remains of Tyng Mansion — This foundation is nearly all that’s left of haunted Tyng Mansion.

The destruction of haunted Tyng Mansion

In 1977, the Tyng Mansion – also known as the Col. Jonathan Tyng House – was put on the National Register of Historic Places (#77000188). In the late 1970s or early 1980s, it burned to the ground under suspicious circumstances. (Reports vary between 1979 and 1981.)

Before it burned, the late historian Robert Waugh toured the empty house. He reported that he’d seen the chains and shackles, and perhaps some blood stains, in the Tyng Mansion attic. According to local lore, the Tyngs had kept their slaves in that attic, and some of the slaves may have haunted the home as well.

Today, visitors still report eerie experiences – day and night – around the Tyng Mansion site.

Google photo of the haunted Tyng mansion location

And a Native American ghost

Another ghost lingers at the huge boulder not far from the Tyng Mansion. According to legend, the Tyngs bought the Merrimack River island across from Tyng Mansion. The terms of the sale were questionable, and the Native American chief who sold it didn’t realize that he was losing his home in the sale.

Feeling remorse in later years, the Tyngs allowed the man to stay at the Mansion. Every day, he’d walk down to the boulder and sit there, staring at the island and mourning the loss of his home.

On many nights, his ghost has been seen near the boulder where he used to sit.

A wooded path, shown in the photo at upper left, leads between the Tyng Mansion and the Tyng Family Cemetery. It has its own ghost stories: John Alford Tyng’s cursed grave.

Boston, MA – Cocoanut Grove fire site

If you have time to research just one haunted location in Boston, start at the site of the old Cocoanut Grove fire.

On 28 November 1942, Boston’s fashionable Cocoanut Grove nightclub (and speakeasy) was the site of one of the deadliest nightclub fires in the United States. Nearly 500 people died in the fire.

Plaque at Boston's Cocoanut Grove fire site. — Photo courtesy of Tomtheman5.

Today, a plaque at 17 Piedmont Street–and a small, paved parking lot on a street corner–are all that remain to suggest the tragedy. It was the second-worst single-building fire in American history.

Even in broad daylight, EMF levels surge irregularly at the site. (The streetlights are gas; wiring is an unlikely cause of the EMF.)

Piedmont Street is in Boston’s Bay Village, just a few blocks from Boston Common and Boston’s Public Gardens, and not far from several popular theatre district hotels. Find the location at Google Maps.

Boston, MA – Ghosts of Boston and vicinity

NOTE: These reports are from readers unless otherwise stated. We cannot confirm every location, safety, accessibility, or how “haunted” each one is. Before travelling considerable distances, call ahead to verify site information.

OUR INVESTIGATIONS

Concord – A local cemetery

One of my most startling daylight photos includes a skull on a Concord headstone that stares back at you, if you know where to look. It’s in downtown Concord, and it looks like this:

Skull eyes on Concord gravestone

Haverhill – Bradford College

Investigated 11 March 2000, with several residual haunting manifestations, and one encounter with an actual ghost. The college is now closed. Read our March 2000 report, Summary of Ghosts at Bradford College.

Lynn – Lynn Woods State Park: Dungeon Rock

This was the scene of intense publicity and spiritualist activity in the 19th century, when site owner Hiram Marble claimed that 17th-century pirate Thomas Veal contacted him with directions to a pirate treasure buried in Dungeon Rock.

The tunnel at Dungeon Rock has been sealed with an iron door which is usually open. Take a strong flashlight, and wear shoes with sturdy rubber soles; the cave/tunnel floor is often water-covered and slimy. Park near the Rose Garden entrance to Lynn Woods, for the shortest walk to Dungeon Rock.

Lights and apparitions, and an eerie atmosphere are still reported in this vicinity. The Marble family is buried nearby, having never found the treasure; they lost their own fortune in the process.

(Source: Our own research and visits to the site, and Snow, Adventures…, p. 20 – 30)

Tyngsboro, MA – Tyng Mansion – John Alford Tyng and others may haunt the Tyng Mansion and the nearby family cemetery. However, since the four-part story begins with a ghost who haunts nearby Nashua, NH, I’ve reported this as a New Hampshire haunting. (Tyngsboro — or Tyngsborough — is just across the state line between NH and MA. One practically blurs into the other.)

These are my articles:

OTHERS’ REPORTS

Danvers – Danvers State Hospital
This may be one of the “haunted mental hospitals” featured on a popular Fox Channel broadcast. The hospital was closed in 1990, after many years as a sanitorium and then a sanitarium, possibly for the criminally insane. (A more likely Fox location is Waltham’s Metropolitan State Hospital, see below.)

The Danvers hospital site has been described as “haunted” since the early 1960s, and probably earlier.

Danvers has a colorful history. In Colonial times, Danvers was called Salem Village, and it’s where most of the murdered “Salem Witches” lived in 1692, not today’s town of Salem.

Steady reports (from 2/01 through the present) suggest that the property is actively patrolled by the police, and posted against trespassing. I’ll repeat my standard warning, NEVER trespass on private and/or posted property unless you’re prepared to be arrested.

To get to Danvers State Hospital area: The hospital is on top of a hill overlooking Rte. 1, and it can be seen from Rte. 128. The closest intersection is Rtes. 1 & 62 (Maple St.) and the buildings are old and brick. Don’t confuse them with the newer nearby condos and golf course.

(Source: Readers of Hollow Hill, local legends, and assorted online histories, including the Lovecraft link to this hospital.)

Melrose – 39 Linden Road – A private residence – no trespassing!
This 1894 house, now divided into apartments, is said to be haunted by two ghosts. One is the carpenter who built the house and is angry about what has been done to the house since. The other is the ghost of a woman who died in one of the apartments.

There are frequent footsteps on the stairs, or the phone or doorbell rings, and no one is there. Also, the lights have been turned on and off by some invisible force.

This site has been investigated by a psychic, who confirmed much of the information.

(Source: Myers, Ghostly Gazetteer…, p. 115)

Newburyport – Charles Street Schoolhouse
HOAX – The story was that a schoolboy was beaten and thrown into the cellar of this school in 1858. His ghost supposedly appeared many times from 1871-3, mostly in one classroom. Later revealed as a hoax by several of Ms. Lucy Perkins’ students.

(Source: Snow, Strange Tales…, p. 128)

Nahant – near Egg Rock
Nearly every coastal area has one of these stories. It’s probably just a legend, but — in case it has some truth — here’s the basic information:
Around the autumn of 1815, an Italian named Faustino rowed out to Egg Rock to pick some unusual flowers for his fiancee, Alice. However, a squall came up and Faustino drowned trying to return to shore. Alice’s ghost can still be heard at the rocks of Nahant calling, “Faustino! Faustino!”

(Source: Snow, Strange Tales…, p. 155)

Nahant – near Swallow Cave
Another legend: A 17th century witch, named “Wonderful,” appears among the rocks at Swallow Cave (near Forty Steps) at Nahant. The site is just north of Boston near Lynn and Salem, MA. Then 70 years old, “Wonderful” was instrumental in helping the men of Lynn defeat approx. 40 Narragansett Indians who raided the settlement in 1675. She accurately predicted that they would hide in what is now called Swallow Cave, a 5-foot opening on the shore that opens to a 24-yard deep cave. Today she is seen day and night, but usually at dusk, near the cave.

(Source: Snow, Strange Tales…, p. 156)

Orleans – Orleans Inn
Mary, a friend from my earliest Hollow Hill conversations, reports that the Orleans Inn — one of the oldest buildings on Cape Cod — is haunted. She tells me that lights go on and off, doors open and close on their own, and there have been “cold spots” found inside the building. Other manifestations include fleeting visual appearances, and the sound of voices.

(I don’t really need an excuse to visit the Orleans Inn, since it’s a lovely hotel in a great location. Nevertheless, if you’re looking for an ideal place to spend a night or two, and maybe find a few ghosts, visit the Orleans Inn.)

Rockland – private residence on North Avenue
Maryellen Garland, another friend of Hollow Hill, reports that her childhood home in Rockland is haunted. In particular, she mentions a bedroom at the rear of the house, near the attic. She says that her hair was pulled, her closet door opened by itself, and electrical appliances would turn themselves on and off. In addition, she reports figures visible in mirrors upstairs, and that members of her family have seen the ghost of an old man roaming through the house. He leaves an odor of onions as he walks.

Southbridge – private residence on Cross Street
An anonymous visitor to Hollow Hill provided information about a haunted private home. Objects move from room to room, and people in the house sometimes feel something brush against them.

Taunton – private residence on Tremont Street
An anonymous friend of Hollow Hill reported a haunted duplex on Tremont Street. Twice, members of her family have coincidentally moved into one particular apartment, and both times moved out due to hauntings. In addition to unpleasant sensations among people visiting the apartment, the reader has a photo taken at a Christmas party when the television was off, but the screen clearly shows the image of a woman’s face.

Waltham – Metropolitan State Hospital
Some claim that this was a site used for the Fox Channel “scariest places” program. See back issues of The Boston Globe newspaper for details.

Similar to Danvers, it was on private property. According to one reader, the hospital has since been demolished.

Easy Ways to Find Ghosts – Local History & Legends

If you’re like me, you’re always looking for fresh, undiscovered haunts. Not mild, “well, I suppose that might be a ghost” sites, but locations where ghostly activity is so vivid, it’s almost terrifying.

I’ll tell you a secret.

I use history and legends to find ghosts and haunted places.

Here’s an extreme example: The True-Life Horror That Inspired Moby-Dick, from the Smithsonian website.

** I do not recommend reading that article if real horror disturbs you. **

It’s a great example of resources “hiding in plain sight” when we’re looking for fresh places to investigate.

As I skimmed that story, I was intrigued.

This may seem morbid (ghost research often is), but my first thought was, “Is Captain Pollard’s home haunted?”

Searching historical records to identify where that site is located… Well, I might recommend it to ghost hunters.

(If I have the Pollard location right – and this was only a fast, cursory search – that Nantucket (MA) building was at risk of being torn down in 2021. However, at first glance, it looks like Zillow currently lists it as “off the market.”)

Then I’d go a step further: I’d look at the list of other survivors of that voyage, and find where they lived – and died – after that horrific experience.

And that thought led to another:

How often do we limit ourselves, looking only at famous sites where people died or are buried?

What about other, associated locations where horror happened, and where survivors relived it in their minds? At the very least, that would have left an imprint on the site.

The Smithsonian article was a reminder that the past – even the mid-19th century – had brutal elements beyond anything we’d want to think about.

For me, reading about Captain Pollard’s life and tragic voyage, I learned two things:

Intensely “haunted” sites may be found by digging deeper into history, such as the residences of those who sailed on the real-life Pequod.
We may be over-simplifying, or even whitewashing, the related tragic histories. Historical research could help us understand and empathize with the lingering, ghost-like residual energy of haunted sites.

In ghost hunting, there’s always a fresh way to look at our research.

For me, the real-life horror behind the Moby-Dick novel is an intriguing discovery. And it opens doors – perhaps literally – to fresh places to investigate.

If you’d like to test this approach to ghost hunting, here are the basic steps I’d take:

Search online using a phrase like “[location] tragedy [year].” (I’d focus on the 19th century, to start with.)
Then, research the address to see what’s there. (You can use a site like Zillow to find photos.)
Investigate it.
Look for names of people related to that tragedy… victims and villains.
Find out where their graves are, and investigate them.
Research other sites related to those people, especially homes, hotels, and failed businesses.
Investigate them.
Repeat using “[location] legends,” and dig deeply into history to uncover true (or likely true) odd and dramatic events, and so on.

Do you just want to see a ghost? This short video may help.

For more on that topic, see my longer article, How to See a Ghost.

Find ghosts tonight!

Ghosts may linger in your hometown, maybe even a few blocks from where you are right now.

GHOST HUNTING IN HAUNTED CEMETERIES – A Quick-Start Guide for Beginners

FIND GHOSTS TONIGHT! Learn how to find the most frightening, haunted graves in a cemetery near you.

IF YOU’RE A BEGINNER, YOU’LL DISCOVER:

– HOW to find a haunted cemetery near you.
– WHAT to look for (AND look out for).
– HOW to organize for the fastest (and scariest) results in ANY haunted cemetery.
– WHEN to arrive at the site, and how to avoid real-life dangers
– WHERE you’ll find the scariest ghosts… and sometimes malicious spirits.
– How long to stay… and WHEN TO LEAVE AS QUICKLY AS YOU CAN!.

YOU CAN START TONIGHT. Read this book. It’s short but you’ll learn the basics.

Then go out and find real ghosts!

Available as an eBook at Amazon and other booksellers. (This is the updated edition of “A Beginner’s Guide to Ghost Hunting in Haunted Cemeteries.”)