Phelps Mansion

Connecticut · United States · Manor

Goody Bassett was hanged for witchcraft in Stratford in 1651. Two centuries later the house built nearby produced one of the most documented poltergeist.

Two separate histories meet at this house in Stratford, Connecticut, and both of them are real.

Goody Bassett was executed in Stratford in 1651, one of the earliest people put to death for witchcraft in New England, four decades before Salem. She was hanged rather than burned, which is worth correcting since the local telling gets it wrong.

The house itself was owned by the Reverend Eliakim Phelps, and in 1850 it became the site of one of the most reported poltergeist cases in nineteenth century America: objects thrown, figures assembled from clothing and arranged around the rooms, and events witnessed by a great many visitors including journalists.

A correction filed in November 2005 sets the Phelps ownership straight.

The legend that has grown since holds that looking into a mirror in the house shows you Bassett's face rather than your own, and that she pricks the arm of anyone who stares. The mansion was demolished in 1972.

FAQ

Where is Phelps Mansion located?

Phelps Mansion is in Connecticut, United States.

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Accounts are drawn from local folklore and visitor reports.

Image: Ammodramus / CC0 — Wikimedia Commons