Haunted New Hampshire’s “Seacoast” region includes cities and towns that are on the coast, such as Portsmouth, Rye, and Hampton, NH.
The area features a mix of ghosts and hauntings, from Colonial times to the present. As you’d expect, many have a connection with the sea.
GHOSTS OF PORTSMOUTH & VICINITY
Portsmouth was settled in 1630 where the settlement was called “Strawbery Banke,” and by 1700, it was a major trading port.Over the next two centuries, Portsmouth became famous for building ships, and as an industrial center noted for its breweries and artisans in a variety of trades.From the mid-20th century to today, the city has grown to become one of the most popular tourist and shopping destinations on the Seacoast.
For a detailed list of Portsmouth ghosts, see my page about Haunted Portsmouth, New Hampshire
GHOSTS OF HAMPTON, NH
Eunice ‘Goody’ Cole
Eunice Cole was the first woman in Hampton to be charged with witchcraft. When she died, a stake was put through her heart, according to local lore. She was finally exonerated in 1938. Read our detailed report of her life, death, and hauntings, in a two-part article: The ghost of ‘Goody’ Cole, Hampton, NH (Part One) and ‘Witch’ Goody Cole, a Hampton, NH ghost (Part Two).
Moulton residence
That’s one of the most haunted houses in NH, per author Eva Speare.
Odiorne Point State Park
on Rte. 1A just south of Portsmouth offers a variety of eerie ghost tales from shipwrecks (when it was called Rendezvous Point) to World War II military bunkers. Learn more of the site’s history at its comfortable visitors center.
Sandy Beach, just north of Wallis Sands, may be haunted by the ghosts of 21 colonists killed in the Brackett Massacre of 1691. The late September anniversary is the best time to look for evidence of their ghosts. Anthony Brackett may be buried in an unmarked grave on nearby Brackett Road.
(Source: History of the Town of Rye, New Hampshire, p. 245)
Little Harbor, not far from Odiorne Point, was the site of a late 17th century Indian massacre. 14 farmers were killed there. Both the farmers and the Indians–who left their plunder behind at Breakfast Hill when they were surprised by armed colonists–may haunt the area.
Farragut Hotel – Just west of the site of the old Farragut Hotel, on Central Road by Ocean Blvd (Rte. 1A), at least one ghost haunts where the old hotel’s gift shop used to be. Another ghost may appear at the site of the hotel’s theatre, which was used as a rehearsal hall by performers such as Liberace in the 20th century. The hall was a small yellow building just feet west of the swimming pool, across Central Road from the hotel. Listen for faint, ghostly piano music late at night.
GHOSTS OF DOVER, NH
Richard ‘Salt Eye’ Storr
On warm foggy nights, especially around the anniversary of the Cocheco Massacre, his ghost is seen near downtown Dover. Read our complete report, Richard ‘Salt Eye’ Storr, Dover, NH’s earliest ghost?
GHOSTS OF THE ISLES OF SHOALS
The Isles of Shoals are ten miles off the coast of Portsmouth. On a clear day, you can see them from Rte. 1A between Hampton and Newcastle. Of the 18 islands reported by early explorers, nine islands make up the famous (but tiny) Isles of Shoals. There are no camping facilities on the islands. The only hotel is on Star Island. There are many spirits haunting the Isles of Shoals, and a wealth of ghost stories. See our report, Ghosts of the Isles of Shoals
I haven’t tested this cemetery for EMF, but even in daylight, this is one of the eeriest New England cemeteries I’ve ever visited. The cemetery’s “ghost stories” may have been created by students. Locals swear that it’s all nonsense. However, this site is well worth a daytime visit.
Andover is on Route 11 between Routes 89 and 93. [Google map]. Route 11 becomes Route 4, also called Main Street, in Andover.
Hollis – Pine Hill Cemetery, Nartoff Road
Take Exit 6 (Rte. 130) from Rte. 3, go west to Nartoff Rd., and then travel north on Nartoff (which jogs right and then left) to reach this very haunted cemetery. Locals call it “Blood Cemetery” for its most famous ghost, Abel Blood, whose headstone reportedly changes at night so the finger on the stone points downward instead of heavenward. Pine Hill cemetery is closed dusk to dawn; the police patrol steadily, especially around Halloween.
This is one “haunted” site that produces reliable needle-swings on the compass, day or night. I recommend visiting this lovely old cemetery during the daytime.
If you’re sensitive to psychic energy, you’ll feel something approaching in the woods, starting shortly before noon each day. The Gilson Road area was reportedly the site of several vicious battles among Native American tribes from as far away as Maine and Connecticut.
Gilson Road is off Main Dunstable Road, Nashua, near Hollis. We travel west on Spit Brook Road (Exit 1 off Rte. 3/Everett Turnpike) and follow it west as it changes name, finally becoming Ridge Road which meets Main Dunstable Rd. Turn right on Main Dunstable, and Gilson Road is the second left.
If you get lost, look for signs to Tanglewood Estates, the subdivision directly across the street from the cemetery. (It’s about 3.7 miles from the Rte. 3 intersection, to Gilson Road.) After you leave Main Dunstable Road, the cemetery is about 1/3 mile ahead on your right, behind a stone wall.
You can also reach the cemetery from Exit 5, off Rte. 3, if you approach it from the other end of Gilson Road. Or from Rte. 111 if you’re coming from downtown Nashua. Check this with an up-to-date map.
The cemetery is posted against vandalism, and patrolled by the police due to drinking parties in the woods behind the cemetery. The neighbors are also protective of this lovely old graveyard.
A gentleman ghost with a hat appears at the main building of this college. He has been seen by many people — including me, in broad daylight — and by others — day & night — for many years.
Also see my report about a haunted cemetery in nearby Andover, NH, above.
Milford – on Rte. 101A, Unitarian Universalist Church
The basement of the old section of this wonderful church has a few areas which seem haunted. Most notably, there is an old wooden staircase that is haunted by the ghost of a male.
There is a slight cold spot in front of the doors marked “not storage.” Pendulum activity suggests that it is haunted by a ghost that is guarding something there.
Finally, there seem to be two portal-type energy-openings: One is in an unfinished area with many stones on the floor; compasses in this area swing erratically, and digital photos produced orbs. The corresponding (exit?) portal seems to be in a small, closed room that is set up for sitting on the floor, with signs indicating a reading area, a writing/journal area, and so on.This seems to be an active haunting and affects some people more than others.
Nashua – 452 Amherst St., The Country Tavern
Now a restaurant, this house–actually two Early American buildings combined–may be haunted by the ghost of Elizabeth Ford, who was murdered with her baby by her jealous sea captain husband. This ghost moves things, mostly in poltergeist style, such as making patrons’ dishes move and causing cups and saucers to fly across the room.
The ghost has also made appearances, most often at a window of the barn section, where she is seen gazing back at the tree where at least one victim may have been buried.
She is usually described as being about 5’7″ with a white gown and long white hair, and she is usually opaque, not transparent.
Other phenomena have occurred in what is reportedly one of the most haunted rooms in the restaurant: the ladies’ rest room downstairs.
We have investigated this restaurant and it is profoundly haunted by a sweet, slender woman in Colonial garb. She has long blonde hair (not white, as earlier reported) and a sense of humor. She is somewhat shy, but she’ll still play pranks if there is an opportunity to startle you.
I filmed an episode of “Chronicle” (New England TV series) at the Country Tavern and the ghosts were very obliging. They kept blinking the lights on and off while the cameras were on, and we couldn’t replicate the effect, no matter what we tried.
More information is in the 24 Jul 1988 article by Joann Goslin in The Nashua Telegraph and in Norm Gauthier’s guide to more New Hampshire “haunted” places you can visit!
(Source: Myers, The Ghostly Gazeteer…,” p. 170.)
Whitefield – The Spalding Inn
Among my favorite New Hampshire haunts, the Spalding Inn has unusual phenomena. Ghost Hunters stars Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson, and their families, once owned the hotel.
See my articles about the hotel’s ghosts, at this website.
Wilton – Vale End Cemetery
The Blue Lady grave is towards the back of the cemetery, on the right (NNW) side. I’ve had more first-person stories about this ghost, than any other in this part of New England.
8/01: Vale End is now closed from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. We’ve advised against visiting the cemetery, and this new curfew makes it even more foolish to visit Vale End at night.
3/06: After many years of keeping silent about what happened at Vale End, I’ve restored them to this website. My silence hasn’t kept people away; perhaps my true stories will prevent foolhardy ghost hunters from risking their lives at Vale End.
Several sources have reported ghosts at the “Ocean-Born Mary house.” The house — a private residence — may be haunted, but Ocean-Born Mary never lived there.
On the other hand, her grave is in a wonderfully eerie, haunted cemetery in the middle of town. It’s well worth a visit if you’re in the area.
Franklin – Webster Place
For a surprising encounter with very obvious activity, check the Franklin Historical Society on Webster Place in Franklin.
While you’re there, wander down the dirt road to the Webster family cemetery, too. (Yes, that’s Daniel Webster’s family.)
The site was where both Natives and settlers met in a couple of bloody attacks. But that’s not all. There’s the awkward history of the orphanage, plus the ghostly nuns that still haunt at least one building.
Derryfield
Historian Eva Speare reported that the early Scotch-Irish settlers in Derryfield believed in a faerie named Neto. Neto was responsible for the safe passage of Hannah Dustin and the boy captured by Indians, when the pair escaped and returned to their homes. Neto prevented another settler, John Stark, from being harmed by bullets.
(Source: Speare, Stories…,” p. 244.)
East Kingston – 47 Depot Rd. (Rte. 107)
Someone has been closing the doors, turning the lights on & off when no one is at home, and rattling pans in this house. It may be the ghost of Eva Philbrick (d.1920) whose will specified that the house should never be sold at auction (it was, 1987), or the ghost of previous residents Arnold O’Brien or his mother, Edith.
(Source: Myers, The Ghostly Gazeteer…”)
Manchester – 915 Elm St., Bob Shaw’s Italian Sandwich Shop (formerly Psaris Bistro)
A popular restaurant with outstanding food, and a ghost that the previous owners called “Avery.” Mild poltergeist phenomena, plus classic ghostly events: Names called by no one, shadows flitting across the mirror, etc. Avery is a gregarious, cheerful ghost who wants attention now and then. Quietly say hello to him if you feel that he’s nearby.
Merrimack – The Common Man Restaurant (formerly Hannah Jacks’ Tavern)
A man in “old” clothes haunts the restaurant, and there’s an Indian spirit in the basement.
Wilton
This town seems to have more ghosts per capita than most towns, dating back to Colonial times. Check the history of the town in The Meetinghouse Tragedy by Charles E. Clark, illustrations by John W. Hatch, UNH. (Thanks to reader, MH, for this info.)
Wilton – Laurel Hill area
A local investigator reported that a cemetery described as “across the street from Laurel Hill cemetery” is providing photographic anomalies at night. This visitor reports a purple streak in a videotape, similar to the image at our first purple streak photo. (Shown above, from Gilson Road Cemetery.)
Also, possible figure of a man by the side of the road, near the cemetery. (Thanks to ghost hunter, jb, for this info.)
Wolfeboro – Tuc’ Me Inn 118 Main St.
Haunted by a man, probably someone who lived there before it was the attractive B&B that it is now. A child has also been heard there. Sounds like a delightful place to stay, and listen to the ghosts. (As of late 2016, their website is gone. However, whatever is at that address… it may still have ghosts.)
If you’re looking for ghosts near Nashua, NH or Tyngsboro, MA (just south of Nashua), visit the haunted Tyng Mansion site. It’s next to a haunted cemetery, a haunted boulder with a Native American ghost.
So, you can investigate three haunted sites, all within several hundred yards of each other.
Here’s the true story.
John Alford Tyng does not rest in peace.
Perhaps he doesn’t deserve to.
He’s pursued by the ghost of Judith Thompson. Tyng secretly married and murdered her, and then buried her in an unmarked grave.
This true ghost story is one of several connected with the Tyng Mansion. (42°39’36.7″N 71°24’25.8″W)
If you’re going to visit it, it may be best to park at the side of Middlesex Road in Tyngsboro, close to Tyng Road.
Today the house is gone, but the site is marked with a sign and evidence of a foundation and front stairs.
Nearby, in the Tyng family cemetery, John Alford Tyng’s grave may be proof that he died a cursed man.
John Alford Tyng, the “black sheep” of the family
John Alford Tyng was a ne’er do well, even by the Tyng family’s standards. The Tyngs had always been a wealthy, self-indulgent family. Generally, their interests also served the community, but John Alford Tyng was clearly the black sheep of the family.
Tyng Family Tree
Edward Tyng (born in England)
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Col. Jonathan Tyng
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Eleazar Tyng
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John Alford Tyng
Edward Tyng was born in was born in Dunstable, England, in 1610 and came to the American colonies in 1639.
He purchased 3000 acres in Massachusetts, and named the area “Dunstable” after his birthplace.
(Many years later Dunstable was divided into three towns: Dunstable and Tyngsboro, Massachusetts, and Nashua, New Hampshire.)
Edward’s grandson, Eleazar Tyng, was a colonel in the Colonial militia. Eleazar married Sarah Alford, and John Alford Tyng was among their five children.
The trouble began when John Alford Tyng met Judith Thompson. Judith was the daughter of Ezra Thompson, who provided land for a church and the town meetinghouse.
Describing one church district, a town history says,”All the Second Parish on the great road from Mr. Ezra Thompson’s to Hollis up to Salmon Brook, living on, and to north of said road.” So, the Thompsons probably lived on the Great Road in Dunstable.
(Click image to see larger copy of this map.)
Judith was known as one of the most beautiful women in New England. She sometimes worked at the Tyng Mansion, helping with their large parties.
Before long, she caught the eye of John Alford Tyng.
Tyng made advances towards Judith Thompson, but – being raised in a religious family – she insisted on marriage.
Tyng decided he couldn’t marry a servant. Besides, he was already engaged to an heiress in Boston.
Tyng solved the problem with a pretend marriage.
John Alford Tyng knew a local quack and an itinerant physician in northern Colonial New England. The so-called doctor was nicknamed “Dr. Blood.” He’d do almost anything if you paid him enough money.
He was also a drunkard, a thief and a con artist.
Most of the time, Dr. Blood was on the road, looking for wealthy, vulnerable “patients.” He’d pretend to treat them, knock them unconscious, and rob them. Then, he left them by the side of the road. When they woke up, he was gone and so was their money.
John Alford Tyng knew that Dr. Blood was the answer to his problems.
Tyng hired Dr. Blood to pretend to be a minister. After a quick, secret marriage ceremony, John Alford Tyng moved Judith into his new home. It was in Dunstable (now Nashua, NH) a few miles from Tyng Mansion.
Judith soon gave birth to a child, and then another, and finally a third child was on the way.
Some say that John Alford Tyng had squandered his money and felt overburdened by his young family. Others suggest that Tyng was insanely jealous of others’ attentions to Judith, who grew more beautiful each year.
Tyng hired his old friend Dr. Blood to kill Judith and the children. Tyng waited in another room while the deed was done, and then buried his family under the hearth. That’s when Tyng’s problems really began.
Next: Judith Thompson returned from the grave to claim the lives of both Dr. Blood and her murdering husband, in our article, Judith Thompson – a vengeful ghost.
In my opinion, yes. I have seen the ghost at Colgate Hall, in the middle of the New London campus.
Colby-Sawyer College, photo courtesy of rick kloeppel.
My experiences are from autumn 1969. I was a freshman at Colby Junior College, as it was then called. Today, it’s renamed Colby-Sawyer and has earned an even better academic reputation.
Colby-Sawyer started as a small college in the 19th century. Its ivy-laced brick buildings with white trim look like nearby Dartmouth College. The tidy campus is the jewel of a classic New England town, about two hours north of downtown Boston. The college sits on a hilltop, and sparkles in the sunlight.
When I attended Colby Junior College (we just called it “Colby”), it was primarily a girls’ college with a few hundred students.
Although there were a few local boys among the students — perhaps ten young men, total — it was rare to see men on campus.
Everyone knew each of the men who taught there, and we were always on the lookout for prospective dates, if men from Dartmouth or another college “just dropped by.”
They often did. In those days it was widely speculated that one of Colby Junior College’s roles was to provide suitable dates for Dartmouth men.
That’s why I remember the man in the hat, at Colgate Hall. He didn’t look like the usual Dartmouth student.
Colgate Hall is the main building at Colby-Sawyer. It is a large brick building, the one featured in Colby-Sawyer photos, and it is the building you’ll start at to visit the school.
I saw the ghost twice, though I didn’t realize it was a ghost at the time:
Both times, I saw the ghost in the afternoon; once in broad daylight, and the second time at dusk.
I had a clear view of the back of Colgate Hall from my dorm room. All of the dorms encircle a central grassy area called “the Quad,” and Colgate’s back door (shown above) also faces the Quad.
The first time, I saw the man from my dorm room at about one in the afternoon. I recall his rather large-brimmed hat and stylish coat which seemed theatrical and unnaturally dark on a sunny day, even in the shadows of Colgate Hall.
Because Colby offered respected theatrical productions, the college often had colorful visitors. Many were actors from professional theatres, “imported” by to fill male roles in an otherwise all-girl cast. Some were short-term instructors in subjects such as mime.
I recall hastily grabbing my shoes and a notebook (so I’d look like I was going somewhere with a purpose), and dashing downstairs to the Quad.
My plan was to saunter into Colgate and take a closer look at the visitor.
When I reached the Quad, he was still leaning over the railing by the back central door to Colgate. I could not see his face; the brim of his hat covered his features as he continued looking down.
I paused to put on my shoes, but when I looked back up, he was gone.
I wandered over to Colgate anyway, hoping to find him inside the building.
After twenty minutes of cruising the corridors of Colgate, I gave up my search. I didn’t think anything of it; he’d probably stepped into an office or even left campus.
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 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.
About a week and a half later, I saw him again. He wore the same hat, but I think he wore a suit instead of the flowing coat. His hat was similar to the one Alec Guinness wore at the end of “Murder By Death,” but not quite so large.
This time, I approached him from the library, close to Colgate Hall. I could see him clearly in the fading afternoon light.
I glanced both ways before crossing the slim drive that separated the library/cafeteria building from the Quad, and stepped onto the grass. When I returned my gaze to Colgate Hall, he was still there. Then the man faded from sight. It was as if I watched him evaporate slowly.
This probably took no more than one or two seconds total, but it was a startling experience.
I shook my head and literally rubbed my eyes.
At other times, before and especially after this, I saw something vanish from the tower at Colgate Hall (in photo below) as well. That happened a few times, but I figured it was just the light or something. And it may have been.
However, this fading man in the hat baffled me. It never crossed my mind that he was a ghost, and despite my doctor’s protests, I demanded glasses a few months later. It’s not that the vanishing man was a major event in my life, but I did worry about my vision. It remained a mystery that faded from my memory just as the ghost did on that autumn day in 1969.
However, collecting ghost information for this website, I found reference to a ghostly man in a hat at Colgate Hall. It was one of those “ah-ha” moments for me, solving a mystery that had remained in the back of my mind these past 30 years.
To learn more about the history of the college, visit their official site. Colby Junior College, now called Colby-Sawyer College, is in New London, NH about half an hour from Dartmouth College. Colby-Sawyer is not affiliated with Colby College in Maine.
Although I am an alumnus of Colby-Sawyer College, my information on this webpage does not represent the college in any way, or its opinions on ghosts and spirits, officially or unofficially.
However, my experiences were real, as reported above. This is not a fictional “ghost story.”
*This story was reported — without admitting that this website was the source — in the “Everything Ghost Hunting Book.”
Ms. Ellis told the story as if she’d interviewed me, when — in fact — the story was simply copied without credit. She never contacted me, before or after the book was published. As far as I know, I’ve never met her in real life, either.
When someone plagiarizes one story, it makes me question how credible their other “ghost stories” are.
However, in this case, the story is true… just not honestly reported in her book.
Haunted New Hampshire’s “Seacoast” region includes cities and towns that are on the coast, such as Portsmouth, Rye, and Hampton, NH.
The Blue Lady grave is towards the back of the cemetery, on the right (NNW) side. I’ve had more first-person stories about this ghost, than any other in this part of New England.
Several sources have reported ghosts at the “Ocean-Born Mary house.” The house — a private residence — may be haunted, but Ocean-Born Mary never lived there.
For a surprising encounter with very obvious activity, check the Franklin Historical Society on Webster Place in Franklin.
Judith Thompson Tyng’s ghost has lingered since the 18th century.
