DID YOU KNOW that the native tribes in New England had a strong belief in ghosts and witches?
DID YOU KNOW that Rhode Island was once called the Transylvania of America?
DID YOU KNOW you can have lunch in a haunted tavern in Newport?
I walk with groups through old Newport and talk about the stories of Newport's haunted houses. Beginning with the ghost and witch legends of the Narragansett and Wampanoag tribes, to the Halloween superstitions of our Pilgrim forefathers, the commentary finishes with tale or two about what is spooking today’s residents. This walk is for the Spring, Summer and Fall, weather permitting,
Over the years, many residents in the historic district have shared their haunted house stories with our guides. So, instead of talking about history and architecture, I talk about spirits and spooks, and things that keep some Newport residents wide awake all night.
I talk a lot about why this area has so many vampire legends. I can tell you how to protect yourself from vampire attacks.
I also tell the story of a Newport man – Thomas Cornell – who was hanged over three hundred years ago for the murder of his mother, Rebecca, all based totally on the testimony of a ghost! There is a great story about a colonial-era ghost ship called the Sea Bird – its crew vanished without a trace, but their ghosts sailed the vessel to safety. I do not take anyone into houses on the walk, but people can go on their own to places such as the White Horse Tavern to see if they can spot the ghost who has creaked the floorboards at the venerable inn since the 1720s.
I take groups to at least two graveyards – the burial ground at Trinity Church and the Arnold Burial Ground. After a thorough demonstration of how to do a gravestone rubbing, I explain a few of the controversial issues concerning cemetery preservation and restoration.
I also talk about the work and policies of the Association for Gravestone Studies.