Beverly Cove

Three 17th century homes in Beverly Cove are reputedly haunted. They are all in close proximity to each other and are all part of the estate originally owned by Thomas Lathrop.

Lathrop was a central figure in Essex County--a local hero and revered leader who led a regiment of ardent soldiers in Western Massachusetts. His young troop was known as the "Flower of Essex." Unfortunately, Lathrop's life was cut short in a bloody battle during King Philip's War.

In the 1671 dwelling, phantom pranksters liked to lift the owners' belongings and hide them. When the residents got mad enough and demanded their things back, the objects magically reappeared.

The culprits may be the spirits of two children who supposedly froze to death in front of the fireplace in the 1800s.

Workmen in the house felt as if someone was looking over their should while they worked, and a playful spirit locked one of them in the cellar scaring him silly.

In this same house, the spirit of an elderly woman likes to rock the days away in the living room rocking chair. She's a dear and sweet presence.

The woman of the house thinks the uninvited guest may be the spinster who lived there in the 19th century. According to local historicans, the spinster liked to knit. The revenant is especially fond of taking knitting needles and yarn into her nether world until the Mrs. demands them back.

The owners winter in Florida and invited the specter to come with them. Apparently she did just that. Another family joined them as well. One evening their geusts' daughter let out a blood-curdling scream. The girl was terribly upset by the vision she had of a woman in a high-collared prairie dress and white bonnet floating in the doorway, her feet inches off the floor.

At the next house on the former Lathrop property, telephones ring off the hook, but when answered no one is there. This happened constantly and duplicated the ringing experience that occurred in the first house. The sound of imperceptible men walking filled every floor of the old mansion.

This was not a happy house. A malicious and angry presence seemed to permeate the structure.

The third house is a waterfront home and the resident ghost known as "Peter" pushed the owner out the door trying to keep him from entering on moving day.

The old servant bells rang incessantly so they had to be disconnected. THen the motion detector kept on going off for no reason (or was it detecting an unseen predator?).

The most bizarre event was when water poured from the kitchen ceiling and walls. When plumbers were called in, they could not detectd a problem nor find the source of the water.