Haunted, Unmarked Quaker Graves?

Old North Cemetery, described at HollowHill.comIn my book about haunted cemeteries, I mentioned ghost hunting opportunities at unmarked graves, and graves just outside cemetery walls.

At the time, I described many of them as the graves of “sinners,” or people whose lives (or deaths) did not allow them to be buried in consecrated ground.

During a recent Saturday investigation in Concord (NH), I discovered another explanation for those graves.

The answer surprised me.  It’s Quakers (also known as “Friends.”)

Quakers and unmarked graves

Apparently, between 1717 and 1850, gravestones and memorials at cemeteries were considered “vain monuments” and – according to a decree by members of the Quaker faith – had to be removed from Quaker graves.

In other words, some (perhaps many) unmarked graves aren’t anonymous because the families were too poor to afford gravestones, or because the markers were stolen, but because the burial plots belonged to Quakers.

On the other side of the fence (literally, in this case), mainstream Christians objected to members of the Friends Church or Religious Society of Friends – generally known as “Quakers” – being buried in consecrated ground.  This was because Quakers aren’t baptized, or – in Quaker terms – “sprinkled.”

This adds up to a disturbing thought, though it may explain why some homes and fields seem haunted, with no obvious explanation:

Quakers have been buried in fields, and family plots – also unmarked – near their homes.  In other words, you may have walked over Quaker graves many times without realizing it.

Old North Cemetery, Concord, NH

I discovered this during some post-investigation research about the Old North Cemetery in Concord, New Hampshire.  I’d been there with Lesley Marden and Sean Paradis, and we spent about two and a half hours researching the site.

Interested in ghost hunting in haunted cemeteries? Here's a quick way to get started.Sean and I had been there before, and I’d investigated the cemetery on my own, during daytime hours.  (It’s on the edge of downtown Concord, in the middle of a busy residential area.)

Though the site may be haunted after dark, and we noticed many anomalies at the cemetery, I don’t consider Old North Cemetery profoundly haunted.  It is intriguing, nevertheless.

The cemetery is L-shaped and covers nearly six acres and – according to the National Historic Register application – it’s comprised of three areas: The main cemetery, the Minot Enclosure (sort of a cemetery-within-a-cemetery), and the Quaker Lot.  (That’s not quite true, as I’ll explain in a few minutes.)

The cemetery was in most frequent use between 1730 and 1958.

The Quaker Lot

Looking through the fence, past Minot Enclosure in Concord, NHThough I’d been to Old North Cemetery before, I hadn’t noticed the odd, open field in the back of the Minot Enclosure.  That field has just a few markers, and one of them reminded us of a bunker marker.

It’s indicated by the arrow, and the Friends’ (Quaker) marker is in the oval.  That part of the cemetery is separated from the Minot Enclosure by a cast iron fence (with a break in it) and a chain-link fence topped with barbed wire.

To reach the Quaker burial lot, you’ll exit Minot and walk through the main Old North Cemetery, to where the Quaker Lot begins.  (It’s not fenced off from the main cemetery.)

Once you’re standing in what looks like an open field, about 10,000 square feet, you’ll see just a few markers.  The main one is the slanted memorial listing many of the people buried in the Quaker Lot.  The lot was purchased in 1811, according to the terms of the will of Benjamin Hannaford. He’s one of the people buried in the lot.

At left is the memorial marker.  (Due to the late-afternoon lighting, I had to increase the contrast in this photo, for the lettering to show at all.)

At the back of that memorial, you can see a metal marker for Levi Hutchins.  I think it’s a military marker, and it’s just sort of leaning there.  No one knows where Levi Hutchins was buried, so there’s no actual place for the marker.

On the other hand, Levi Hutchins’ wife, Phebe, does have a gravestone.  Levi flew in the face of Quaker traditions and commissioned a headstone for his late wife.  That’s it in the photo at the lower right.

Phebe Hutchins gravestone in Concord NHThe history of the Quakers in Concord is an interesting story.

The part that caught my attention was that the Friends (Quakers) built a meetinghouse in 1815, but in 1816 the state bought the land from them (it’s where the Concord State House is, now) . The city moved the meetinghouse to a location just east of the Quaker burial lot, fronting on North State Street.  (Sean, Lesley, and I had wondered about the odd landmarks on the property.)

In those days, that was the edge of the city.

In 1845, the meetinghouse was sold and moved again, to become a school building.  The land it was on was purchased by the city in 1911, for the sum of $300, because it was “in a very bad condition and a disgrace to our city.”

So, that’s an added reason why the Quaker Lot (and land near it) may be more active than other parts of the Old North Cemetery.

And, from the popular, gated entrance to the cemetery at Bradley Street, the Quaker Lot is – as you might expect – at the back left corner.

Quaker-related activity at Minot Enclosure?

We spent considerable time at the Minot Enclosure, an exclusive section of the Old North Cemetery, surrounded by an elaborate cast iron fence and containing 62 graves.  There, we noticed that random gravestones had been turned so they faced slightly away from the Quaker Lot.

Those random and very slight turns weren’t consistent with vandalism.  That was one of many mysteries we wondered about as we walked around the cemetery.

Now that we know about the Quaker Lot, Sean Paradis has raised an interesting question:

The Quakers in the Quaker Lot are from a time when gravestones were considered “vain monuments.”  Just feet away, the Minot Enclosure is where the 14th U.S. president, Franklin Pierce, is buried. Might the activity within the Minot Enclosure be based on the mutual uneasiness of the Quakers and the upper social register in the Minot Enclosure?

That’s a stretch, but it’s fun to speculate.

However, as I was studying the cemetery records, I realized that Old North Cemetery isn’t just a combination of three cemeteries.  I discovered a fourth section of the cemetery, not often mentioned.

The Prison Lot

Original NH State Prison - 1860 photoAccording to the National Historic Register application, “The Prison Lot, comprised of a long 10′ x 75′ rectangular lot just west of lots #384 and #385 in the center of the cemetery, appears on all maps drawn after the 1844 western addition to Old North Cemetery.”

The report also states that the cemetery records note that there are at least a dozen graves there, but no records of the names of the deceased in those graves.

And, since the old State Prison – built in 1811 – was replaced in 1880, there’s probably no way to determine who might be in those graves. (The photo on the left shows that 1811 prison, on two acres near the Court House.  It was attached to a three-story superintendent’s house.)

Unmarked graves + prisoners + no records of any kind to tell us who they were… That’s a formula for hauntings.  (If anyone’s giving “ghost tours” of downtown Concord, NH, take note.)

If you’re going to investigate those graves, be sure to check the chronological history of the NH State Prison.

And, in general, if you’re going to visit or investigate Old North Cemetery, I recommend reading the full National Historic Register application, linked below.

(Note: I’ve tried downloading it three times, and it consistently crashes my Adobe PDF reader.  If that happens to you, notice which page you’re on when it crashes, and then use the “go to” page function when you reopen the PDF, to pick up where you left off.)

Both the main cemetery and the Minot Enclosure deserve separate articles, which I’ll write later.  Today, it’s important to share what I learned about Quaker burial practices.  Remember, as it says in one history of the Society of Friends, “By 1700 the Society gained considerable influence in most of the New England and middle-Atlantic colonies. Quaker migration to the southern colonies, especially North Carolina…”

In other words, unmarked Quaker graves – and even unmarked (and forgotten) Quaker burial lots – may exist throughout the eastern United States, as well as Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Canada.

What you need to know about all Quaker graves and burial lots

  • Expect no grave markers for burials before the late 1840s.
  • Quaker graves could be in Quaker burial grounds, near the person’s home, at the far corner of a family farm or homestead, or in a rural location.  I found one reference that said Quakers “always regarded the physical remains of a person as spiritually insignificant.”
  • The burial was intended to be as inexpensive as possible, within the law.  One Quaker historian commented, “Well into the 20th century, it was not unusual for a country burial to have an unembalmed body.”
  • In some Quaker cemeteries, especially before 1850, coffins were placed in the first available slot in the cemetery, not in family groups.  Philadelphia’s Arch Street burial ground (between Third and Fourth Streets), in use until 1804, was organized so the coffins were four layers deep and none had markers of any kind.
  • Despite rumors and folklore, I found no evidence of any Friends (or Quakers) being buried upright.  There was no rule against that practice, but no provision for it, either.
  • In the 20th century and later, Quakers generally chose cremation.

Quaker beliefs about death

I’ll let William Penn have the final word about the Friends’ (Quakers) attitude towards death.  This is from a poem published in 1693:

And this is the Comfort of the Good,
that the grave cannot hold them,
and that they live as soon as they die.
For Death is no more
than a turning of us over from time to eternity.

References

Old North Cemetery, Concord, NH – National Historic Site application (PDF)

Fox’s Pulpit Quaker burial ground, Sedbergh, Cumbria

Quaker Burial Practices, at Quaker-Roots-L

Burial Practices of Quakers, at Genealogy.com

The Buried Past: An Archaeological History of Philadelphia, by John L. Cotter, Daniel G. Roberts, Michael Parrington, page 200

Quaker Funeral Arrangements, by Oxford Quakers

Quaker Funeral Customs

Society of Friends (Quakers) in the United States, at FamilySearch.org (LDS)

My YouTube channel includes this and many other how-to videos:

Laconia, NH’s Ghostly Places

New Hampshire (USA) is a gold mine of haunted locations. I discovered several in 2011, around Tilton and Laconia.

(Also see Ghosts of Tilton’s Mystery Tunnels and Webster Place.)

Ghosts in nearby Tilton, NH

Ghost Hunting in Tilton, NHScouting locations for a TV show, I found – and investigated – a series of great haunts in or near Tilton, New Hampshire. (Tilton may be best known for its outlet mall, the Tilt’n Diner, and the haunted Tilton Inn where Ghost Hunters filmed an episode.)

Among the most interesting haunts:

  • Hall Memorial Library, Northfield-Tilton, NH.
  • Tilton Mystery Tunnel, Tilton, NH.
  • Two buildings and a cemetery at Webster Place, Franklin, NH
  • Daniel Webster’s birthplace, Franklin, NH.

(Several of my stories were included in Rue Cote’s book, Ghost Hunting in Tilton, New Hampshire.)

Here are the locations I found in Laconia and vicinity.

Ghosts in Laconia, NH and Tilton NH

Ghosts in Laconia, NH

Laconia turned out to be a gold mine of weird stories and possibly haunted places.

My Laconia adventures started when people learned that I was scouting locations.

Almost immediately, I was invited to tour a private residence and hear its history.

It was startling. If I were to list all the things I look for in a haunted house, this home ticked most of them.

shadow figure in Laconia basementFrom the start, I saw evidence of the home’s Colonial history. In the kitchen, I climbed down to a room that had been part of the Underground Railroad.

In the basement, I saw – and photographed – a shadow figure.  (You can learn more about the basement, at my 2018 article, Photos from the Haunted Laconia House.)

We checked every possible explanation for the figure, and found none. And, while I watched, he walked away… and vanished.

Then, climbing stairs to an attic, I saw hash marks walls and the inside of the door, indicating that someone had been locked in, up there. (That’s a photo of it, below. From the number of hash marks, someone had been up there a very long time.)

Laconia-atticdoor1As if that weren’t enough, the owners told me about the petrified bodies that used to be in their backyard. (The bodies had been dug up and moved to downtown Laconia.)

The wife explained that “something” seemed to be in the backyard, at night, so she sometimes went outside with a shotgun… just in case.

However, the owners of the home assured me that they had no ghosts. Absolutely none.

I still don’t know what to think of that. From what I saw and heard, there’s no way that house isn’t haunted.

The next day, I 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. (Maybe it was. I’m not sure the real explanation was arson.)
  • Mead Cemetery (433427N / 0712936W) and Round Bay Cemetery, Laconia, NH.

If you’re looking for the petrified bodies, they’re in the Folsom graves at Laconia’s Union Cemetery (between Garfield and Academy Streets).

If I’d had more time, I’d have scheduled nighttime investigations at some of those locations. However, my schedule was already overloaded.

My point is: you may have a large number of haunts in your area, but don’t realize it. It’s easy to assume that nothing familiar to you is haunted.

Take a second look.

How to find similar, haunted places

Even if you don’t live in New Hampshire, here’s how to find similar haunted locations:

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 locations that seem odd to you.

4. Ask more questions.  Collect more stories. Research anything (and everything) that holds your interest.

No matter where you live, you’re probably within a few miles of a great, haunted location.

Ghosts of Tilton’s Mystery Tunnels and Webster Place (NH)

Scouting haunted New Hampshire locations* for a TV series, I discovered a wealth of eerie sites to investigate.

Here are some of my photos (a few are large) related to the strange and haunted sites.

Tilton Mystery Tunnels

Entrance to one of the Tilton Mystery TunnelsThe Tilton “mystery tunnel” actually starts in Northfield, NH, not far from Exit 19 on Route 93 in New Hampshire.  The entry — currently blocked with a boulder and an iron door — is off the paved path between Tilton Memorial Arch and downtown Tilton.  (Walk towards town and, on the right, you may see an area where foot traffic has left a mark.  The entrance to the tunnel is about 10 feet from the paved path.)

According to local residents, the tunnel’s stairs were filled in and the entry has been blocked by the police — who patrol the area — because kids were using the tunnel for drinking.

I’ve heard a wide range of ghost stories connected with the tunnel entrance, the Tilton Arch, the cemetery at the Northfield side of the hill, and Tilton School.  Around downtown Tilton, you may hear even more stories.

The tunnel-related stories usually involve a misty form or apparition.  I’ve heard about orbs — visible and in photos — but, except for a slightly creepy feeling at the tunnel itself, I didn’t experience anything odd around the Tilton Arch or the tunnel entrance.

I talked with someone who’d been in the entrance to the Tilton tunnel.  He said that the interior is very nicely finished, and it’s clear that something — at least one tunnel — had been sealed.

Inside the Tilton tunnel entry. Elegant brickwork in the foyer and the first room.The photo on the right shows what’s immediately in back of the iron door.  My camera was in the initial entry room, and — beyond it — you can see a second, large room (and sealed — or filled-in — arched passage entries) with beer cans on the dirt floor.

The workmanship is extraordinary.  That’s the baffling part.  This wasn’t just a root cellar or cold storage built by a neighbor for personal use.  However, I’ve found nothing in any records  — online or offline — to indicate a purpose related to the arch or the park.

Who built the Tilton Mystery Tunnel… and why?

No one seems to be certain why the Tilton tunnel was built, or where it leads.  There are two anecdotal explanations, both tied to ghost stories, and both loosely linked with the idea that it was an Underground Railroad stop between the northeast and Canada.

(There are lots of strange, hidden rooms in houses around Tilton and Laconia, NH.  Most are linked to Underground Railroad activity in the 19th century.  Others may date back to Indian attacks in Colonial times.)

One description of the Tilton Mystery Tunnel claims that it leads from Arch Hill to a site (or sites) under the Tilton School.  I’ve talked with people who have first-person stories about seeing the tunnels beneath the Tilton School.  Most insist that at least one Tilton School tunnel leads to the Tilton Arch.

The connection with the Tilton Arch site is unlikely, since the tunnel would have to lead under the river and back up a steep hill.  However, Charles E. Tilton — who built the arch — lived in a house atop the opposite hill, next to what is now Tilton School.  (The school buildings originally housed a Methodist college.)

According to some Tilton historians and lots of local residents, the Tilton School — including its library — has several ghosts.  However, I didn’t have time to verify those tales.  (Update: The library is supposed to be the most haunted building on campus.  It’s the former home of Charles Elliott Tilton… the Arch builder.)

The second version of the Tilton Mystery Tunnel story says that at least one tunnel leads to Hall Memorial Library.   That makes a little more sense, since the library isn’t far from the tunnel entrance near the arch, and it’d be a fairly straight path underground.

Update: December 2013

My recent research suggests that the brick room was built to support the gas production that fueled the lights around the park.

The metal tube leading from that room towards the surface confirms that as a likely explanation… but only for that room.

The adjoining tunnels are still a mystery.

Hall Memorial Library, Northfield-Tilton, NH

In April 2011, Lesley Marden and I spoke at the haunted Hall Memorial Library, and — together with Sean Paradis, we investigated the library’s basement.  A memorial plaque in the Children’s Room caught our attention, as it seems to have unusual energy.  We found a slight, repeating EMF spike there (could be normal) and a minor (but notable) cold spot, as well.

In a locked storage area in the library’s basement, we detected residual energy.  At the time, I said it was from a female entity who was hiding there, fearful.  Abuse was in the story, but it seemed vague… perhaps even imagined.  Something didn’t make sense.  The imagery was faint, even for a residual energy haunting.

Later, I learned that a former head librarian had severe agoraphobia — so bad she sometimes locked the library doors and hid inside — and had died tragically, nearby.
More importantly, I saw some odd brickwork in the library’s basement.  It could indicate a tunnel entrance — or part of one — now sealed.  Frankly, the brickwork seemed more like an oven or some kind of vents, but it’s difficult to tell.  This anomaly only partially supports the idea that the Tilton Mystery Tunnel led to the library.  I’m not convinced that it did, though I have no doubt that the library has ghostly energy.

More local ghost stories

Webster family grave, Webster Place, Franklin, NHIf you’re in or near Tilton and Northfield, New Hampshire, be sure to drive an extra half hour to Franklin (NH) where Webster Place has some great haunted locations.  In general, you’ll visit that street during the daytime.

In October 2010, I reported on the ghosts of the Franklin Historical Society, and the violent history of its surroundings.

I returned to that street — Webster Place, in Franklin, NH — when I was scouting locations for a TV show.*  The show had been interested in the historical society, the Webster family cemetery (shown at left) and the rehab center next to the historical society.

The Webster family cemetery is at the end of the road, on private property.  Check the permission sign before driving down the dirt road to the cemetery.  The cemetery seems normal enough, but it’s one of those locations that’s just a little too quiet.  I should have heard squirrels, birds, and the sound of cars from the busy road at the other end of Webster Place.  Instead, it was eerily silent.  On the other hand, maybe it was just an odd time of day when I visited.

Photos of the orphan wagons from past Franklin, NH parades.Next door to the Franklin Historical Society (see my earlier article), a private rehab center now occupies what used to be a convent and orphanage.  For the privacy of its staff & residents, that building is not open to the public.  However, from several people who’ve stayed there, I heard the following ghost story:

Many nights (or early morning) at about 3 a.m., people hear the whoosh-whoosh sound of the nun’s robes and footsteps on the floor.  They’re not going to the chapel (which is a wonderful retro design, like stepping back to the mid-20th century)… they’re going to the dining hall.

According to the stories, the dining hall has cabinets and drawers.  On many of the drawers, there are little labels, one for each nun.  That indicates where each nun kept her own silverware and dishes for mealtime.

There are other ghost stories at that location, related to the orphans who used to live there.  The photos on the walls are charming, nostalgic and — for me, anyway — a little sad & creepy.  I’ve posted a couple of them next to the dining & lodging section, below.

While you’re in Franklin, if you don’t mind more driving, follow the signs to the Daniel Webster birthplace.  I didn’t have time to investigate it, but it looks very creepy to me.  Something about that house and other buildings on the property… they’re odd… good odd, for paranormal research.

(As I’m editing this article, six months later, even the photo gives me a chill… and it’s 81 degrees out.)

As the stories were told to me, most of the ghost stories are connected with the small Colonial building next to the birthplace house.

That may be true, but my first choice would be to investigate the big white house in the photo below.

Where to stay

If you’re visiting Tilton, NH and want to stay in a haunted hotel, I recommend the 1875 Inn.

The 1875 Inn was featured on Ghost Hunters.  It’s charming, convenient to the Tilton Arch, and receives great reviews from guests and paranormal investigators.

Nearby, I love the cabins at the Lord Hampshire inn, on the shores of Lake Winnisquam.

If you’re willing to drive, check out The Spalding Inn, Whitefield, NH.  It’s over an hour away from Tilton, but for a memorable stay in NH, I’d choose the Spalding.  For several years, it was owned by Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson (and their families) from the Ghost Hunters TV show.

I’ve spent the night there (and slept soundly) and investigated at the hotel and its carriage house, several times. In my opinion, it’s very haunted, and may have some crypto-type activity, as well.  I highly recommend the Spalding Inn… if it’s open and you don’t mind the extra drive.

Where to eat

If you’re looking for a good meal in Tilton, the 1875 Inn features a restaurant that seems very popular with visitors and locals.

Locals and tourists always stop at the nearby Tilt’n Diner.

During the summer months, the Dipsy Doodle in Northfield — just a few blocks south of the Tilton Arch — is legendary for their seafood, burgers, ice cream and more.  I’ve also heard good things about Tilton Pizza, on Main Street, not far from the Hall Memorial Library.

For healthy snacks, locally made crafts, and great conversations, visit Gemini Health Emporium on Main Street.  The hardware store next door is also worth seeing; it’s like stepping back in time.  (There’s a cafe across the street — I can’t think of the name of it, but it’s the only one nearby — and it seemed to be enormously popular for breakfast and lunch.)

And, if you’re in town anyway, practically everyone stops at the outlet mall in Tilton, just north of downtown on Route 3.

This is the first of two articles (and podcasts) about ghosts of New Hampshire’s Lakes Region, based on my research shortly before October 2011. The second article – and longer podcast – is with my article Laconia, NH’s Ghostly, Haunted Places.

Tilton Arch information and links

Vintage postcard showing the Tilton Memorial Arch, Northfield, NH

*I was not under a non-disclosure agreement (NDA).  So, I’m able to share my research at this website.

Wilton, NH – Vale End is Dangerous

Recently, a large number of individual New Hampshire students have advised me that they’re planning to visit Vale End Cemetery (Wilton, NH) at night because they’re working on a ghost-related school project or term paper.

I’m sad and angry that so many students are that stupid.

(Yes, I changed that sentence. Someone objected to me saying it about NH students, so I made it generic.  The fact is, anyone who not only visits a dangerous site but also breaks the law by trespassing… that’s probably well past the scope of “stupid.”  And it applies to students and adults alike. But, to keep the peace with people who are looking for me to say something offensive… well, there it is.)

Anyway… anyone who reads my articles about Vale End and still intends to go there — using the excuse of a school paper or project — is stupid, immature, and dangerously naive.

How much more clearly can I say this?

Vale End is dangerous.

This is not a game.  This is serious. I’m not someone who jumps at shadows.  I’ve been working in this field for over 30 years, and I don’t scare easily.

  • I think Gilson Road Cemetery (Nashua, NH) is an excellent research site, though that haunted site terrifies many people.
  • I thought The Myrtles Plantation was one of the most fascinating places I’ve investigated, though many people are so frightened — even before midnight — they leave by 10 pm.
  • I even look forward to returning to a Plague-related site I previously investigated, the Falstaffs Experience (UK).  Terrifying?  Maybe.  Dangerous?  Probably not.

There is only one location I will never go back to again, and that’s Vale End.  I’ve written four in-depth articles about the site, explaining its history and why it’s dangerous.

In 1999, one of my researchers went to Vale End at night, and encountered something that alarmed her. Within a week she died suddenly and without a credible explanation.  To many of us, it seemed directly connected with her Vale End experience.

She was one of my best friends, and the mother of a high school girl.  That mom died the day her daughter was going to a prom.

How much more tragic does this story need to be, to impress people with how serious this is?

If you go to Vale End after reading my warnings and others’, you are stupider than I can deal with.

Going to Vale End is not real ghost research.

Visiting Vale End after dark is:

  • Illegal.  The cemetery closes at dusk.  Full stop. Police patrol it, and I hope they arrest you and call your parents.  If death doesn’t scare you, maybe a permanent criminal record will.
  • Putting lives at risk for what? For a school paper or project?  For a thrill, or bragging rights?

If you have no idea why I’m so angry, here’s my full list of articles about Vale End Cemetery in Wilton, NH:

Vale End’s Blue Lady Ghost – The legend of the “Blue Lady” and the facts behind the stories.

Vale End – More Ghosts – Additional ghost stories in and near Vale End.

Vale End – Possible Demons – The beginning of my team members’ encounters with something dangerous (and non-human) at Vale End.

Vale End Cemetery Frights – The rest of my story about encountering something malicious and dangerous — something that had never been human — at Vale End.

I wrote and posted those articles, years ago.  People — including some ridiculous TV shows — seemed to rush to Vale End because… Umm… What, they didn’t believe me…?

So, I removed those articles from the Internet for several years.  The result…? Vale End — and my story — became even bigger, practically an urban legend.

Finally, I put the articles back online because people need access to the facts.

This site is about real ghost research.  My work is not fiction.  Though I often write with my readers’ interests and viewpoints in mind, I don’t need to make things up.

I created my original ghost-related website, HollowHill.com, in the 1990s. I hoped to educate new paranormal investigators.  I want to see more competent people in this field, contributing data so we can figure out what ghosts and haunted places really are.

That’s the one and only reason my ghost-related websites have remained online and continued to expand.  Vale End is dangerous.  If you want to do dangerous things, stop pretending that you’re ghost hunting.  Those of us who are serious about paranormal research… we don’t want to be confused with idiots like you.

All that I plan to say about Vale End is already at this website.

I hope that made my point, and conveyed the irritation you’ll encounter if you ask me about this in the future.

She Was Locked in the Attic – Ghost Hunting in Laconia, NH

Over a hundred years ago, a woman was locked in the attic of a haunted Laconia (NH) home. She spent years up there, perhaps clawing at the walls and door. She may have died up there, and pieces of her body may still be in the home’s backyard.

These pictures are from a house near Laconia’s Parade Road. It’s a private residence, but in Colonial times, it had been a tavern.

Later, according to stories told by the homeowners, someone was locked in the attic, possibly for years.

I was fortunate enough to be invited – privately – to spend a few hours ghost hunting at this extraordinary site. Even in broad daylight, it was unusual.

And, the ghost stories at that site are credible.

There’s plenty of physical evidence of its turbulent past, including personal belongings from long ago. It’s difficult to tell which had been left there, abandoned by previous homeowners, and which belong to the current residents.

But few attics have so many marks scraped into the walls and door.


Ghost Hunting in Tilton, NHI’ve mentioned this house before, including in my review of Rue Cote’s book, Ghost Hunting in Tilton, NH.

The scratch marks in the Laconia home’s attic were among the creepiest things I’ve ever seen, ghost hunting in private homes. Those scratches are reminiscent of hash marks carved into prison walls, and in orphanages and some hospitals.


Here’s the evidence

The first photo shows the wall near the attic door, close to an old-school light switch. I’m not sure if the scratched-in date (near the top of the wall) says 1895 or 1896.

Probably the latter.

Either way, it’s creepy.

Laconia haunted house - scratch marks 1895
Haunted attic in Laconia. Is that date 1895 or 1896?

Next, here are the marks on the inside of the attic door (by someone inside the attic). Some look like they may have been etched with chalk.

More hash marks and scratches inside haunted Laconia (NH) attic
Interior of the attic door, in that haunted Laconia house.

Next is a photo you may have seen before (in my article – Laconia, NH’s Ghostly Places) but this is a larger copy. It hasn’t been adjusted in any way, aside from reducing it to fit on this webpage.

Haunted Laconia attic, with lots of scratch marks.
Even more hash marks and scratches. Some look almost frenzied.

The fourth (next) photo shows an area just to the left of the previous photo. I did adjust the contrast (and I added an arrow) so you can see the date scratched into the wall: 1892.

Haunted Laconia - 1892 scratches in attic
The date is clear: 1892. So, was someone up there for FOUR years…?

If the photo at the top of this article shows 1896 scratched into the wood, it’s possible someone was locked in that attic for a very long time. Three or four years, at least. That’s shocking.

You can read more of my Laconia story – and more true, ghostly tales – in Rue’s book.

More ghost hunting opportunities, nearby?

For me, the most chilling part of this Laconia ghost investigation was what people said, afterwards.

I talked about this house with several friends in Tilton.

Every one of them had a story about a relative that had been locked in their family’s attic, years ago.

Or, they knew a neighbor or nearby cousin with a relative locked in the attic.

I understand that in the 18th and 19th centuries, mental health facilities could be barbaric. It may have seemed more humane to keep the person at home.

But, in an attic…? And for years…?

That explains a lot about why Tilton and nearby towns are so very haunted. If you’re ghost hunting in NH’s Lakes Region, Laconia and Tilton should be on your must-see list.