The Houghton Mansion in North Adams, Massachusetts was named for the family that commissioned its construction. Their biography is ripe for ghost stories with a tragic car accident leading to further deaths from broken hearts and suicides. The house then spent nearly a century hosting a chapter of the Masonic Order. The Masons have always carried an air of mystery around their organization with rumors of bizarre rituals, sacrifices and hidden knowledge. Many former Masonic temples and centers pop up on haunted lists and we have featured a few. Join us for the history and hauntings of the Houghton Mansion. The Moment in Oddity features Indiana Bell Building rotation and This Month in History features the Astor Place Riot.
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Tag Archives: Haunted Massachusetts
One can’t miss the S.K. Pierce Mansion in Gardner, Massachusetts. This magnificent mansion is a huge Victorian that takes up the whole corner of West Broadway and Union Street. The grand exterior makes it very inviting, but the ghost stories connected to this place might just make you think twice before entering. There are those that claim this home is the second most haunted house in Massachusetts. Some owners have been chased out by spirits. There could be more than a dozen spirits here and one of them may be the furniture magnate for whom the house was built and named: S.K. Pierce. Join us for the history and hauntings of the S.K. Pierce Mansion. The Moment in Oddity features the Bone Collector Caterpillar and This Month in History features Brahms born.
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Edith Wharton was a woman ahead of her time when she was born into her upper-class New York family. In 1921, she became the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Literature and is considered one of America’s greatest writers. She inspired countless other authors and gave the world a glimpse into the rich of the Gilded Age. Wharton also wrote ghost stories. She believed in ghosts. The home that she built, that is known as The Mount, is said to be haunted. Join us as we explore this interesting woman’s life and the history and hauntings of The Mount. The Moment in Oddity features Emma Gatewood and This Month in History features Susanna M. Salter elected as the first female mayor in the U.S. Our location was suggested by listener Mary Larkin.
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The USS Salem was the flagship of the 6th Fleet and is nicknamed “The Sea Witch.” She was first launched in 1947 as a Naval cruiser and was fortunate to never see any battle. But that didn’t keep her from being linked to death with reports of onboard deaths ranging from 75 to 100. And that has left ghosts on this now floating museum in Quincy, Massachusetts that we had the opportunity to explore when we visited Salem in August of 2022. Join us for the history and hauntings of the USS Salem! The Moment in Oddity features Magnetic Termites and This Month in History features Cy Young’s major league debut. We are joined by Jared Rang who suggested this location!
https://sites.libsyn.com/58064/ep-502-uss-salem
The Cocoanut Grove in Boston started as a speakeasy and grew to become a very popular club. In 1942, the nightclub burned to the ground with hundreds of patrons trapped inside. This would be the second deadliest nightclub fire in US history. And although the area where the club was once located has completely changed, the spirits have refused to leave the site of their tragic ends. Join us for the history and hauntings of the Cocoanut Grove fire. The Moment in Oddity features a mummified squirrel and This Month in History features the birth of Golda Meir.
https://sites.libsyn.com/58064/ep-485-cocoanut-grove-fire
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The historic seaside town of Duxbury, Massachusetts is covered in dune grass with pebbled shores and crisp air touched with salt and the scent of pine and cedar and is home to several haunted locations. The Alden Inn dates back to the first Pilgrims to settle the Plymouth area and is rumored to be haunted by the Aldens who arrived on the Mayflower. The Sun Tavern Inn had been home to the “Last Duxbury Hermit” who still hangs out in the afterlife. And the Gurnet Light gave America their first female lightkeeper who still is taking care of the place after death. Join us as we share the history and hauntings of Duxbury, Massachusetts! The Moment in Oddity was suggested by Chelsea Flowers and features Pelorus Jack and This Month in History features the birth of Ronald Reagan. https://sites.libsyn.com/58064/ep-474-haunted-duxbury-massachusetts
Harvard University is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This is America’s oldest university and was established in 1636. This was meant for the education of clerics, but moved on to becoming an Ivy League College of higher learning. Presidents, esteemed authors and pioneers in medicine and engineering have all been educated here. This is a place of science. And yet, many students and staff have come away with tales of ghostly experiences. Join us as we explore the history and hauntings of Harvard University! The Moment in Oddity features a refrigerator-sized asteroid being only the fifth one detected in history and This Month in History features an oxygen tank exploding on Apollo 13.
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Nantucket is a small isolated island off of Cape Cod and has long been a summer destination for people. This had once been a whaling hub and was originally home to the Algonquian Nehantucket People. Fog regularly envelopes the island leading to it being nicknamed “The Little Grey Lady of the Sea.” It seems the perfect setting for a few ghost stories and this little island has plenty of them. Join us as we explore the history and hauntings of Nantucket! The Moment in Oddity was suggested by Sarah Lynn Jones and features criminal confessions to skeleton and This Month in History features the Triple Conjunction blamed for the Black Death.
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Lyceums were part of an educational movement in the New England area during the Victorian era. These were places that hosted some of the greatest orators of the time and one in particular was the scene of Alexander Graham Bell making the first successful long distance phone call. This would be the Salem Lyceum Hall. Today it is Turner’s Seafood Grill and Market. This sits on land once owned by Bridget Bishop who was the first to die during the Salem Witch Trials. Is this land cursed? Is that why there are ghost stories connected to this property? Join us as we explore the history and haunts of the Lyceum Hall. The Moment in Oddity was suggested by Gail Frederick and features an abandoned town of Disneyesque castles and This Month in History features The Niagara Movement forming.
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Boston is one of the oldest cities in America and full of history. One center of this history is the Boston Common, which is considered America’s oldest park. The Common has been around for well over 350 years and has been witness to some of the most important moments in American history from public hangings to wars to victories to protests to public mourning and so much more. Nearly every war since the city was established has had a connection to this central heart of Boston. So much emotion is wrapped up here, it’s not surprising that strange experiences are reported all over the Common. Join us as we explore the history and hauntings of the Boston Common. The Moment in Oddity was suggested by Robert Kruse and features The Green Mist of Chino Hills and This Month in History features the signing of the German Instrument of Surrender.
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