Haunted Sites in Massachusetts: Famous Ghost Writers

What better place to get in touch with the ghosts of local writers than to pay a visit to the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, which serves as the final resting place for a handful of famous members of the literary world. In this article, you will also encounter information regarding haunted grounds of a former prisoner of war camp dating back to the Civil War.

Sleepy Hollow Cemetery , Concord

Many say that walking throughout Sleepy Hollow Cemetery is pretty scary, even if you get a chance to encounter some of the famous gravesites. If you are interested in seeing the graves of the likes of Louisa May Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Henry David Thoreau, you will find the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery located on Bedford Street in Concord, Massachusetts.

Travel to a section of the cemetery called Authors Ridge, which is only a couple of minutes from Monument Square if you are walking. Another tombstone to keep in mind about Authors Ridge is that of Ephraim Bull, who invented the Concord grape , the staple of Welch’s grape jelly and juice. When Bull passed away, he died without ever seeing his fair share of profits. His tombstone bears the inscription: “He sowed, others reaped.”

Fort Warren , Boston

During the Civil War, Fort Warren was used as a prisoner of war camp. Georges Island, where the camp was found, is known for its many ghost encounters. Some of the documented reports include that of one ghost that has a habit of playing “John Brown’s Body” on his harmonica. Another sighting involves a woman that dressed as a man in an attempt to see her lover on the island. As she tried to see her rebel lover, she was later found out and hung; wearing a black dress that the warden’s wife had given her. It is said that the screams of the woman can still be heard today.

Danvers State Hospital , Danvers

This hospital is so haunted, it earned a spot on a broadcast that aired on the Fox Channel. The Danvers State Hospital is a mental institution that is often considered one of the most haunted of its kind. Closed down in 1990, it was once a sanitarium, most likely treating the criminally insane. Ever since the early 1960’s, the Danvers Hospital had a reputation for being haunted. It too has a link to the Salem Witch Trials of the past. During Colonial times, the city was actually known as Salem Village and it served as the home for many of the “witches” that were murdered during the trials of 1692. You should also know that the old hospital site is frequented by the police in an attempt to keep trespassers out of the way.