Category: Haunted Places

My own story:

IS NEW HAMPSHIRE’S COLBY-SAWYER COLLEGE HAUNTED?

In my opinion, yes. I have seen the ghost at Colgate Hall, in the middle of the New London campus.

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.

The ghost appeared again.

Read about this and other Colby-Sawyer ghosts at: Ghosts of Colby-Sawyer College, Part Two

Also see my list of New London, NH ghosts.

 

Is New Hampshire’s Colby-Sawyer College haunted? I have seen the ghost at Colgate Hall, in the middle of the New London campus.

This story has been republished, elsewhere, but this is the original. And, it’s my unique story.

My story starts with Colby-Sawyer College’s ghosts – Part one (Read that first.)

Here, my story continues:

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.”

For more tales and ghostly folklore from this college, see More ghosts of Colby-Sawyer College, New London, NH.

*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.

Colby-Sawyer College in New London, NH is more haunted than many colleges.

In my previous article, Ghosts of Colby-Sawyer College, New London, NH, I shared one story about a popular ghost at Colby-Sawyer’s Colgate Hall.

Recently, I researched additional ghost stories from Colby-Sawyer College, New London, and vicinity.   Most of these stories were reported to me by people who actually encountered the ghosts. In other words, these aren’t second-hand tales.

This is not a complete list. If you have stories to add, please leave a comment below this post.

Additional ghosts at Colby-Sawyer College

Austin Hall – Something haunts the third floor at Austin, according to reports. So far, we have no additional details.

Best Hall – Best has at least one and perhaps two ghosts.

One is a young woman. She appears to be older than a student, and dressed in a grey, diaphanous gown, perhaps from the Victorian era. Her sleeves and skirt seem to billow slightly, as if there’s a breeze, even when all of the doors and windows are closed and no air is stirring.

She seems to float through the corridors, and then turn to look at the viewer, smile slightly, and fade until she’s invisible. The entire manifestation takes just a few seconds.

According to one former CSC student, the ghost’s name is Mara or Maura. A second ghost–or perhaps the same one, manifesting differently–creates breezes when no doors or windows are open. Some have reported this as a wind that seems to hum slightly through the hallways.

Burpee Hall – A ghost of a field hockey player roams the halls, especially upstairs. She’s usually seen as just a shadow, and when you take a second look, all you see are her lower legs, but even they fade quickly.

She’s more often heard than seen.

Colby Hall – Colby is reported to have a phantom cat. Sometimes you’ll see it, but often you’ll only hear it meow a few times.

Don’t bother trying to chase it; it will disappear around a corner, or seem to walk right through a wall or closed door. I’ve heard that demonologist John Zaffis confirmed this spectre, but I haven’t checked with him to be certain.

Colgate Hall – In addition to my earlier report, I’ve heard that Governor Anthony Colby is one figure seen gazing over the campus from Colgate’s tower. He has grey hair and a stern look, like a sea captain.¹ He’s usually translucent, and a very faint image, and then he vanishes.

McKean Hall – There are stories about the ghost of Gilbert Ross, supposedly an 18th-century witch who was burned at the stake on the land where McKean is now.

Gilbert Ross is rumored to look similar to Snape, as played by Alan Rickman, in the Harry Potter movies. He’s pale and dressed in black, and you’ll see him out of the corner of your eye, or reflected in a window pane.

Like most ghosts, when you turn to look straight at him, he’s gone.

Our research suggests that no witches were burned at the stake in America. Even during the Salem Witch Trials, all of the victims were hung, pressed, or died in prison. Mr. Ross may have been hung on the McKean site, but he probably wasn’t burned at the stake.²

Page Hall – Page has almost always had a reputation for “something” in the basement. It’s not clear what that is. There are also tales of the residual energy of a student from the late 1960s, who used to walk through the second floor corridors, wearing only a loosely-draped noose and a heavy dose of Jean Nate cologne. She wasn’t a suicide, just an eccentric student.

The Quad – This tale is reported about the Quad, as well as the fields in back of Colby-Sawyer College.

According to legend, you can still hear the marching steps of students on foggy mornings, especially very early in the morning.

Around World War I, students practiced daily military drills immediately after breakfast. Some later went to war and didn’t return… except as ghosts.

Sawyer Fine Arts Center – In addition to a typical theater ghost that lingers at the back of the auditorium, a former teacher may haunt the building. He used to tap nervously on the wall or desk when he talked, and the rhythmic sound of his tapping fingers can be heard softly, especially near his old office.

Shepard Hall – Like Page Hall, Shepard has reports of “something” uncomfortable in the basement.

The old Colby Academy building is now the property of New London, New Hampshire, after the college donated it for use as the Town Office Building. However, it was rumored to be haunted by something very dark when it was used as temporary housing for professors who were snowed in at the college, overnight.

When the building was donated to the town, important papers were transferred to the Colby-Sawyer Library. This may be why the college library is haunted. Stories include the spirit of a boy in a loft area, and a ghost that rearranges history books overnight. (Yes, just the history books. It’s a unique and quirky story.)

For more ghosts of the New London area, see my article, Ghosts of New London, NH.

About 25 miles from New London, discover the Ghosts of Old Center Cemetery, Andover, NH

Footnotes and References

1. Governor Anthony Colby – A Guide to Likenesses of NH Officials. (No longer online, but you can see Gov. Colby’s portrait, by clicking here.)

2. The Witches Way – Executed during the Burning Times – a List. (No longer online.)

New London, NH has many ghosts. If you visit the town on a foggy night, or see it on a stark winter afternoon, you’ll have no doubt that it’s very haunted.

New London is best known for Colby-Sawyer College, in the middle of town. It has a long history and a connection to many famous people.

I’ve already reported a few of the many ghosts at Colby-Sawyer College ghosts, and Colby-Sawyer College – haunted places, part 2

The following additional New London area ghosts are worth investigating.

New London Inn, 353 Main Street, New London, NH

The sparkling white inn is well-known as the home of some charming ghosts.

They include a housekeeper who likes everything “just so,” and sometimes makes certain that everyone is tucked in at night.

A more congenial ghost has been seen sitting by the fireplace. He’s rather inebriated and wears a Revolutionary War uniform that no longer fits him.

If you see him at all, he’ll raise his tankard of ale in a brief toast to you. Then, he vanishes.

People hear him–sometimes the sound of someone chugging a beverage–or they see just the glitter of his uniform buttons. (The buttons are usually seen out of the corner of your eye, or as a momentary flicker of reflected lights.)

New London Barn Playhouse, 84 Main Street, New London, NH [Official website]

Since 1933, this New London playhouse has built a solid reputation for quality performances. Its red building has become a landmark, and a favorite destination for fans of great plays and musicals.

It’s also famous for at least one ghost, who whispers something like, “You did great!” near actors as they leave the stage, regardless of the merits of their performances.

According to one story, he’s a former stagehand — perhaps a props manager — who always wanted to be an actor, but never had the courage to step in front of the lights. So, he tries to feel as if he’s part of the cast even now, many years after he passed on. But, even today, this timid ghost is heard but not seen.

The second ghost is the figure of a woman in a dark red dress, in a style from around the 1940s. She’s seen, sometimes in silhouette but always in the shadows, at the back of the hall during rehearsals.

Sometimes, actors think they see her in the audience, but when the take a second look, no one is there. She is a smoker, so cigarette smoke may linger even after she vanishes.

If you’re there for a performance, look for her outline near the main door–just inside the playhouse or outside–when the audience is leaving.

WNTK Radio [Official website]

The ghost of a cleaning woman has haunted the building where WNTK was located in 2002. She was already a legend in the 1960s, and her clothing suggests that she’s from the Depression era.

At night, if you’re facing the building from the street, you may see her in a tired-looking floral dress and a full-bib apron that’s either muted orange or sky blue. She may be carrying a bucket and broom or mop, or just a cleaning cloth.

She’s an actual ghost — not residual energy — and will react to anyone who gets close to her before she disappears. Generally, her temperament seems to be rather sour.

If you’re in New London, you may want to drive east about 25 miles to Andover. There, you can visit the strange Ghosts of Old Center Cemetery, Andover, NH

Old Center Cemetery in Andover, NH is about 25 miles from New London, where Colby-Sawyer College is known for its fine education…. and its ghosts.

However, Old Center Cemetery features some far darker tales, including some very active ghosts.

The waving woman

One of the most-reported tales is about a woman with long hair. She wears a long, full gown which seems to billow even when there is no wind.If you stop for a closer look, she’ll beckon you to join her in the cemetery. Sometimes she waves with just her right arm, and sometimes it’s a broader, more ghostly gesture with both arms.She’s at the far left corner of the cemetery (if you’re looking from the street) and only appears if you’re outside the cemetery walls.She appears only at night, and is seen as a flickering outline. She’s not easy to see, with so many trees around her. If you try to enter the cemetery (not recommended after dusk), she vanishes.

A second story involves a young man buried outside the cemetery walls.

Ben Hargrove

In colonial times, Ben Hargrove made a pact with the Devil, or so his neighbors said. Things came “too easy” to him, and while people wanted to like him, there was something about him that made them nervous.

One night, a neighbor thought that he saw flames coming from Ben’s home. On closer inspection, the house wasn’t on fire, but a vivid red-orange light seemed to emanate from every window of the house. Peering through a window, the neighbor saw Ben signing a document while the Devil watched.

Soon after this, Ben dressed in his best clothes and went to Boston to indulge in some backroom gambling. He returned within days, badly shaken and dangerously ill.

One night about a week later, Ben appeared just as a town meeting was breaking up. He approached neighbor after neighbor, asking to take refuge in their homes.One after another, they refused. There was something especially odd about Ben Hargrove that night, and it chilled them.

Suddenly, Ben looked up, just over the heads of his neighbors, with a look of unspeakable horror on his face.

Ben turned on his heel and ran towards the church. But, as soon as he passed the gate and stepped onto the church’s property, he let out a terrible wail… and vanished.

Some say that he turned instantly to ashes and that’s what they buried. Others say that his body was found in his home the next morning, but it was cold and rigid as if he’d been dead for several days.

But, whatever was left of Ben Hargrove, he was buried outside the cemetery walls in an unmarked grave.

His ghost appears regularly outside Old Center Cemetery, usually near the road. Sometimes he tries to flag down passing cars, but usually he simply cowers and quickly disappears.

Most local residents insist that these kinds of stories are nonsense. And, they’re probably right.

Even if the tales are entirely made-up, we can recommend only daytime visits to this eerie cemetery in rural New Hampshire.

Tread carefully in Old Center Cemetery

From the road, Old Center Cemetery seems a well-kept graveyard. It is bordered by a classic New England stone wall. The cemetery welcomes you with a pristine white gated entrance, just like many other wonderful New Hampshire cemeteries.

However, once you’re inside the cemetery walls, you’ll see a very different scene.

Much of the cemetery’s soil is very fine sand. It’s soft enough that more than half the gravestones seem to tilt in various directions.

Even more disturbing, when you walk through the cemetery, your feet may sink into the graves. Don’t wear heels, and open sandals may fill with sand. If you sink more than an inch or two, it’s difficult to extract yourself from the grip of this graveyard.

The most surreal scenes in this strange cemetery are the graves that are very old, but look recently dug. The photo at right shows one of them.

The sandy soil probably doesn’t have the nutrients to support grass or groundcover. These gravesites look weird, but it’s unlikely that these graves actually harbor vampires.

Nevertheless, this cemetery is one of the creepiest we’ve ever visited, even during the day. We cannot recommend going there after dark. The cemetery is probably posted to prevent after-dusk visitors anyway. We didn’t return there at night.

To visit Andover, NH, take Route 11 east from Route 89 at New London, or travel west from Route 93 at Northfield, passing through Franklin. [Google map]

For other ghost stories of central New Hampshire, see:

Colby-Sawyer College ghosts, New London, NH

Colby-Sawyer College – more ghosts

Ghosts of New London, New Hampshire