In the early 1970s, residents and staff at the Restmore Convalescent Home, 1738 Elm Street, Stratford, Connecticut, had a bothersome unseen guest. Activities included fire alarms sounding for no reason, rappings on the walls and gurgling sounds. Déjà vu 1850 in a gentler way?
The nursing home was closed due to the owners’ financial problems, not because of the unwanted guest. The mansion was left to ruin and, in the mid 1970s, demolished.
Entity Announces Presence
1850: Presbyterian minister, the Reverend Eliakim Phelps, his wife and her children Anna, 16, Henry, 11, an unnamed daughter, 6, and son, 3, were living in the house on Elm Street. Mrs. Phelps didn’t like Stanford or her neighbors and was constantly upset and tired. Anna had a nervous temperament. Phelps was interested in Spiritualism which adheres to the belief that spirits can be contacted by people with mediumistic abilities.
March 4th: A friend of Phelps visited. They began discussing possibilities of contacting spirits and decided to try to conduct a séance. Some disorganized knockings and rappings replied to their questions. The men found nothing extraordinary about this.
March 14th: When the Phelps returned from church, they found the locked doors open. Objects were strewn about and one of Mrs. Phelps’ nightgowns, arms folded over the chest and stockings at its bottom, on a bed.
Phelps stayed at the house hoping to catch the vandals while the rest of the family returned to church. He went into the previously empty dining room and saw effigies of 11 women fashioned from family clothing in postures of religious piety.
Phelps contacted the Reverend John Mitchell for help. The minister suggested the maid or children were playing pranks and took them from the house, but the phenomena continued in their absence.
Paranormal Reigns
The entity’s antics continued:
- Harry was carried across the room and placed on the floor. He was also punched and slapped.
- Anna was pinched and slapped.
- Objects flew and were scattered about.
- Eerie noses emanated from walls.
- A lot of furniture was destroyed.
- Windows were shattered.
- Silverware was bent and twisted.
- More effigies appeared.
Mrs. Phelps and the children spent the winter and early spring in Philadelphia and returned to the house in 1851.
1850 Skeptics and a Theory
Those who doubted the poltergeist’s existence said it was trickery on the Phelps’ part. The entity’s response was to perform more pranks.
Skeptical newspaper reporters visited the house and witnessed phenomena. They became believers.
Some of the locals said Goody Bassett, an alleged witch hanged close to the house in 1651, caused the haunting. There is no evidence of this happening.
Finally, Peace!
There was no more activity after Mrs. Phelps and the children returned. The family lived there until they sold their home to Moses Y. Beach in 1859. The house belonged to the Beach family for years. There were several more owners until Maude Thompson bought the building in the early 1940s and converted it into a nursing home.
In the early 1970s, it returned. Or was this a different poltergeist?
Related topics:
Phelps Poltergeist: Investigations
The Rev. John Wesley and the Poltergeist
Sources:
Historic Haunted America, Michael Norman & Beth Scott, (Tor, 1995)
Mysterious New England, Austin N. Stevens, ed., (Yankee Inc., 1977)
Jill Stefko - I'd rather deal with the paranormal than human abnormal - having dealt extensively with both.
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