The Vacation and Travel Blog

Ghost hunters rejoice, The Houghton Mansion located in Northern Berkshire County Massachusetts has been the destination of many to investigate paranormal activity. Houghton Mansion has been in several books, gained fame on national TV programs and lures many ghost seekers to take part in the hunt. As history tells us, the Houghton Mansion was built in the 1890′s and was occupied by the Houghton family circa 1900. The full family consisted of Mr. Albert Charles Houghton, his wife Cordelia Houghton, and there young child Mary Houghton who was in her early 20′s at the time. They also had a daughter that died as an infant. Around the age of 61, Albert Houghton’s health started to take a turn for the worst, he didn’t retire but cut back on his work load to make life a little bit more manageable. In early 1914, the Houghton’s had saved enough money saved to buy there first automobile. It came in the way of a large 7 passenger Pierce-Arrow touring sedan. On August 1st of 1914, Mr. Houghton and Mary decided to take a day trip to Bennington VT and had there personal chauffeur take the wheel for the drive. As fate would have it, a car accident changed the lives as the Houghton’s would know it. While trying to negotiate the distance to drive around some horses in the road, Mr. Widders (the chauffeur) miscalculated and the car careened over a large embankment resulting in rolling several times. All occupants were thrown from the vehicle except for Mary Houghton. Mary was injured very badly and eventually died of her injuries. Only suffering scrapes and bruises and perhaps some minor fractures, Mr. Houghton was sent home to recover. The chauffeur Mr. Widders was cleared of the accident and was found not to be at fault. Mr. Widders took the death very personally and decided to take his own life the next day in the cellar of the Houghton barn. Mr. Albert Houghton passed away 9 days later on August 11th. All in all, there were 4 deaths associated with the Houghton Mansion. Sybil Hutton died at the car accident scene, Mary Houghton died shortly after the accident, the chauffeur John Widders committed suicide and Albert Houghton.

Many decades have past since the accident and the 4 deaths and many people who have gone to the Houghton Mansion have reported paranormal activity and ghosts. Many have reported running, knocking on walls, female voices, foot steps, lights being turned on and off, yelling, screaming, the overwhelming sense that they are being watched, being touched, experiencing numbness, hot spots cold spots, unexplained breezes and so on. Many psychics have confirmed that the Houghton Mansion is indeed haunted to a disturbing level. The spirits believed to be haunting the Houghton Mansion are A.C. Houghton, Mary Houghton, and John Widders. It is based solely on psychics that the spirits have never left the home. Widders has the guilt of killing himself and fears that he will spend eternity in hell, Mary had a secret love affair with Mr. Widders and Albert Houghton doesn’t want to leave Widders and Mary alone.

If you are a ghost hunter, enjoy paranormal activity or just are curious, paying a visit to the Houghton Mansion could be the time of your life. After all, it is world famous, featured in numerous books, magazines and TV programs.

Houghton Mansion
172 Church St
N. Adams Ma 01247

Website of Interest:
Start Ghost Hunting Now! Click Here!
Ghost Hunting Software Click Here!
The Unexplainable Store Click Here!
Central Berkshire Ghost Hunters Click Here!
Berkshire Paranormal Click Here!

Tags: AC Houghton, Albert Charles Houghton, albert houghton, berkshire paranormal, ghost hunters, ghost tours houghton mansion, houghton mansion, houghton mansion ghost adventures, houghton mansion ghost hunters, houghton mansion history, houghton street mansion, paranormal activity, Paul Oleskiewicz

This entry was posted on Saturday, January 23rd, 2010 at 4:44 PM and is filed under Vacation and Travel, ghost hunters, houghton mansion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.