NEW HAMPSHIRE's
most haunted locations
HAUNTED PLACES IN NEW HAMPSHIRE MAP
back to all haunted locations
BRETTON WOODS
MOUNT WASHINGTON HOTEL
310 Mount Washington Hotel Road
Status: Operatinal Historical Hotel
By <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Onefineham" title="User:Onefineham">Barry Livingstone</a> - <span class="int-own-work" lang="en">Own work</span>, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
History
Built between 1900 and 1902 at a staggering cost almost 53 million of today’s dollars by Joesph Stickney; a coal broker. He even brought in 250 Italian artisans to built the granite and stucco masonry. Unfortunately, within a year of it being built Mr Stickney passed away at 64.
The hotel passed to his wife, Carolyn, who wound spend her summers living at the hotel. She added the sun room dining room and the guest rooms built above it. She also added the 4th floor between the towers and a chapel honoring her husband.
The hotel did very well in the beginning but was financially strained by events like Prohibition and the Great Depression. In 1942 the hotel was closed during World War II.
In 1944 the hotel was re-opened by a Boston company and a larger 18 hole golf course was built.
In 1999 the hotel was redesigned and opened for its first winter as an all season resort.
In 2009 the hotel became a resort by adding 25,000 square foot spa and a 25,000 square foot conference center.
Paranormal Activity
Carolyn Stickley seems to have never left the hotel.
Her ethereal wispy apparition has been seen in the hotel hallways and mezzanine many times for many years. She is also known for appearing – always impeccably dressed – in people’s photographs in the hotel.
Mrs Stickney’s old room – Room 314 – is not only still available to stay in but also still contains her original bed. People report the ghostly scent of a floral perfume, objects disappearing and reappearing later and the lighting turning on and off on their own in Room 314.
The apparition of Mrs Stickley has been seen sitting on the bed. The apparition of little girl has been seen sleeping in the bed.
In the ballroom music will suddenly start playing on its own. The curtains have moved on their own in the ballroom as well. The apparition of a woman in a hoop skirt is also seen here.
There is one report of a stock of tea cups and saucers falling and crashing to the floor on their own.
CONCORD
NEW HAMPSHIRE STATE HOSPITAL
105 Pleasant Street
Status: Former State Asylum; Government Offices
Not to be Confused with the Operational New Hampshire Hospital on the Same Site
History
The first building was put up in 1842; it contained the administration offices with 2 wings; one male and one female.
In 1892 the Bancroft Building – designed like a European mansion to it feel more home like – was built for the female patients. This was followed in 1894 with the Twitchell House for male patients.
In 1899 the nurse’s quarters was finally built; previously the nurses lived on the wards with the patients when they weren’t on shift. Tunnels were built between this building and the female ward and main administration.
In 1907 the medical building was opened to perform surgeries, sterilizations – yup, you read that right – and other procedures that would be considered inhumane at the very least today. This building – called the Thayer Building – was converted to housing for the geriatric psychiatric patients in the 1950’s which is still it’s use today.
Between 1910 and 1930 numerous other buildings were built as the hospital’s population grew quickly including new male and female wards. In the 1960’s buildings were constructed specifically for geriatric and adolescent psychiatric patients.
The Brown Building – the second ward for female patients – was the last building closed in 1989. By that time all patients had been transferred to a new state-of-the-art facility at the south end of the site – New Hampshire Hospital.
Many buildings are now used by the State Government and private businesses but the Bancroft Building, Kent Annex and one of the wings of the old Administration Building are still abandoned at last check.
Paranormal Activity
People have reported finding themselves in suddenly switching from an empty hallway to one crowded with patients and staff before finding themselves back in a completely empty hallway in a few blinks of an eye.
The elevators in the buildings are reported to have taken to working on their own now; even in the buildings that have no electricity.
Cold spots and sudden unexplained cold winds are commonly reported in the building as are reports of phantom footsteps and piercing screams which can be heard in the building and on the property.
People have also reported strong feelings – so strong they get chills and shudders - of being watched all over the property.
Other Reported Activity: apparitions of former patients and staff; shadow figures and people; disembodied voices; electrical disturbances; empathic feelings of unease and dark energy; objects moving on their own and light anomalies.
HENNIKER
OCEAN-BORN MARY HOUSE
618 Bear Hill Road
Status: Legendary Historical House; Private Residence
History
In 1720 a ship laden with refugees left Ireland for their new home in the Americas. At some point early in the voyage a baby girl was born to James and Elizabeth Wilson. Further into the voyage – so the story goes – pirates attacked the ship and after stealing anything of worth threatened to sink the ship with everyone on board.
Most versions of the story say James Wilson had died at this point.
However, the pirate Captain upon hearing the baby crying found Elizabeth below decks with her newborn. He agreed to spare everyone’s lives if the baby was named after his Mother; Mary. Elizabeth agreed and he gave her a bolt of green silk for the girl to wear on her wedding day.
Much like me at this point you’re probably thinking ‘ah just another legend’ and you may be right to a certain degree, but Mary Wallace nee Wilson did exist, and you can even visit her grave in a cemetery behind the town hall in Henniker.
She lived to be 97 years old, got married – in a dress made of that green silk her mother was given (although it is said her mother had already used the material for her own wedding dress) – and had 4 boys.
A piece of that famous wedding dress is even owned by the New Hampshire Historical Society.
There are many embellishments to Mary’s story: that the pirate returned and married Mary after her first husband died; that Mary murdered her first husband and kept his corpse hidden in the house or that the pirate was one of the famous ones that history has remembered (namely Don Pedro).
Ocean-Born Mary never actually lived in the house that she is said to haunt. Rather the house was owned by her son Robert while the neighboring house was owned by her son Wallace. When Mary’s husband passed Mary moved into Wallace and is said to have not gotten along with Robert so rarely entered the house she is said to haunt today.
William Wallace’s house became the County poorhouse in 1840 and it burned to the ground in 1923.
Only Robert Wallace’s house now remains and is called the Ocean-Mary House despite Mary having never resided here.
Paranormal Activity
There are no photos of Mary but she has been described as being 6 feet tall with piercing green eyes and flaming red hair – all 4 of her sons sported red hair and green eyes so that description is probably correct – who was full of attitude.
The story of the haunting was first told by Louis and Flora Roy who owned the house and filled it with antiques belonging to Mary Wallace.
Mary is said to haunt the house because she is protecting a pirate’s treasure buried the property. Louis Roy even sold shovels to tourists so they could dig for the treasure; gee do we have a motive here. No proof of any treasure has ever found on the property.
Historians and the locals consider the story of the haunting to be a complete fabrication.
That being said, there are reports of Mary’s ghost every year. Mary is seen in the yard of the house as well as walking along the road into town. There are also reports of knocking on the door of the house and having a tall red haired woman answer the door in 19th century clothing.
Mary has also been seen through the windows of the house moving around the house.
It is very possible Mary has become a tulpa - an entity brought into existence by so people believing in it – which makes her as real as any ghost.
The house is now privately owned and – unlike the Roys – the owners value their privacy. Please remember entrance onto private property including the driveway and yard is trespassing and illegal.
HOLLIS
PINE HILL CEMETERY
"BLOOD CEMETERY"
History
In 1769 Benjamin Parker Jr donated part of his farm to become the Hollis cemetery. Many of the founding fathers and their families are buried here although many of the grave markers have not survived the passage of time.
Several members of the Blood family – hence the unofficial name of the burying ground – are buried here. The most famous of them is Abel Blood who has been called a good upstanding Christian man or an evil man neck deep in black magic and the occult. Perhaps he was both.
Either way he is said to haunt the cemetery either looking for his wife or searching for a way home.
Legend says he was murdered – another version says the entire Blood family was murdered – and is unable to find peace.
Paranormal Activity
Mr Abel’s gravestone bears and hand with a finger pointing upward to Heaven. If his gravestone is viewed after sunset, though, the finger points downward to a considerably warmer destination.
There are reports of strange noises in the cemetery than have likened to tapping. These noises will suddenly sound like they are coming from all directions at the same time. There are also unexplained flashes of light after dark.
The cemetery has been reported as having sudden temperature fluctuations suddenly becoming very warm or very cold.
In 2021 a ghostly figure in a long cloak was photographed in the burial ground leaning over a grave.
The apparition of a little boy is known for flagging down cars passing the cemetery before vanishing out of existence. He is said to relate to another murdered family from the area in the 19th century.
This cemetery is considered one of the most paranormally active sites in the State.
WHITE MOUNTAINS
LAKE OF THE MOUNTAINS HUT
Dry River Trail
Status: Full-Service Hiker’s Cabin
By <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:Thepatrickman&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="User:Thepatrickman (page does not exist)">Thepatrickman</a> - <span class="int-own-work" lang="en">Own work</span>, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
History
Built in 1901 on the site of the original shelter after 2 hikers died in Mt Washington’s extreme conditions. It is the Appalachian Mountain Club’s highest hut at an elevation of 5,030 feet and only about 1,200 from the mountain’s summit.
This cabin offers a base for exploring the White Mountains including Mount Washington and Mount Monroe.
The cabin offers washrooms – with cold running water – coed bedrooms as well as dinner and breakfast. It is completely off the grid with no electricity or heat and only accessible by hiking. Full service is only available in the summer and fall.
Paranormal Activity
Mount Washington has some of the most extreme conditions in the world and even holds the World Record for the fastest wind on Earth at 231 mph. In the winter temperatures can reach -50. This mountain should only be attempted by the most experienced climbers with all the needed gear.
Since records have been kept Mount Washington has killed over 150 people attempting to hike it.
Not everyone who died on the mountain has left the mountain. There are so many ghosts in or surrounding this hut they are simply known as “The Presence”.
There are boots nailed to the wall of this hut because it was the only way to stop them from walking on their own after their former owners died on the mountain. Apparitions of those who the mountain claimed are seen eternally hiking the treacherous or wandering around the cabin – one employee sent to open the cabin was found hiding under a sink after being terrorized by a sea of ghostly faces.
One must always remember that the ghosts are always listening. People who have made off color remarks about those the mountain claimed tell stories of being slapped or punched by unseen presences; these presences have also given people a shove in not-so-great places to suddenly lose your footing.
WHITEFIELD
SPALDING INN
199 Mount View Road
Status: Former Hotel; Private Accommodations
By Kelly Taylor
The property is no longer owned by the Ghost Hunters. It is the property of the Weathervane Theatre to provide accommodations their playhouse players.
When it comes to the hauntings at the inn, everyone who has had an experience or a direct encounter agree that the spiritual side is displayed mainly in the light of the moon – at night.
One of the most haunted areas when it comes to this particular structure is referred to as the “Carriage House”. This particular structure is considered the original and it still remains standing and is in full operation to this day. When it comes to supernatural experiences, it is said that this particular area of the inn is the one that has heightened activity.
Based on paranormal investigations it has been made known that the upper level floor of the Carriage House seems to have more activity than the first floor. This activity seems to be reflected in rooms 15, 16, and 17. A large number of apparitions have been witnessed and various shadows have been seen lurking among the area of the windows from those outside the structure during the day.
• In the kitchen area, which is quite expansive, there are whispers of someone talking, movement in the back area of the kitchen, and shadows – none of these findings could be debunked – despite tremendous efforts.
• In the basement area, the investigators documented what they believe several hauntings. The camera that the investigator named “Angela” was using literally turned off – which is often a sign of a spirit attempting to manifest itself. When checking the battery unit, it was found to have a full charge. Warm and cool breezes on the face were experienced by a couple of investigators; however, there did not seem to be any area that could explain why these breezes occurred. Various noises were also identified for which no source could be explained.
• Room number 38 was one that was investigated quite thoroughly in the Spalding Inn by the International Ghost Hunters. A camera which had at least 200 minutes of recording time immediately reduced to less than 30 minutes in a matter of seconds with no logical explanation. At one point, a vibrating sensation was felt while a ghost hunter sat on the bed. In addition to this, whispers were heard during the investigation.
• The Carriage House revealed some interesting findings. Door knobs can be heard moving when no one was near them. The paranormal team inspected the knobs and found them to be in good working order. There was an EVP recording in which a man’s voice can be heard saying, what the team believes to be “Hey”. Furthermore, a noise that reflected “rustling” was observed.