Creeeeak…
AHHHHHHHHHHH!
A woman was walking through the Smith-Harris House, when all of a sudden she heard a piercing scream coming from inside. She quickly rushed out onto the green.
James Littlefield, a local historian, writer, and ELHS teacher for 47 years, wrote for a column in The New London Day titled “History Matters.” In one of his articles, “October and Halloween,” he writes about ghost sightings in the Smith-Harris House.
While ghosts, or spirits, are a far reach, Mr. Littlefield, according to his article, brought in paranormal investigators to research what they found there.
After some time, one of the investigators felt the presence of two female spirits. Suddenly, one of their instruments picked up the presence of a ghost calling itself “Sarah.” Sarah turned out to be the granddaughter of the original owner: Thomas Avery.
Thomas Avery was a farmer who built the Smith-Harris House in 1845. It was later sold to William Smith, a distant cousin. Smith passed it onto his brother, Herrman Smith, and nephew, Frank Harris in 1912. Together they ran the farm that was located on the large property, previously extending past today’s highway and including both the East Lyme Middle School and Lillie B. Haynes Elementary School.
When all the family members died, they left the house and property to the town in the 1950s. While the town found it bare of furniture and farm, over the years the house began acquiring new period pieces, such as paintings, children’s toys, and furniture, dating back to the the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
“It’s actually got a tremendous amount of East Lyme history in it. Much more than just the history of these people,” curator of the house Annah Perch said.
In 1974, a group of volunteer residents in town were concerned with the disarray the house fell into, and after raising money and support, they finally began a major restoration in 1979 with the goal of reforming the house to its original state. With lots of hard work and help from townspeople, the Smith-Harris House, also known as the Brookside Farm Museum, is now in pristine condition.
While the witnesses and paranormal investigators are set on the belief that ghosts and spirits are roaming the house, current caretakers such as Perch are open to the idea, however haven’t seen anything out of the ordinary. Whether you are a supernatural fanatic or a non-believer, you can visit the Smith-Harris House on Sundays from 1-3 p.m. to decide for yourself if you think ghosts are real.
