Sarah Winchester's Grave: The Resting Place of a Mad Heiress

Sarah Winchester

I want to talk about a place that is not necessarily haunted, but is still a great stop for paranormal enthusiasts–SarahWinchester's grave. Located at the Evergreen Cemetery in New Haven, Connecticut, this woman's grave is not only beautiful, but it is connected to one of the most famous haunted houses in American history. Heading to San Jose, California to see the Winchester Mystery House might be out of the question for some New England ghost hunters, so this grave is the next best thing.

Sarah Winchester was born into well-off society in Connecticut. She married into an even wealthier family by the name of Winchester–the producers of the ever-popular Winchester rifles. Sadly, she lost a daughter in infancy and later lost her husband. She may have gone a little mad, as she reportedly moved to California to start non-stop construction on a home to appease the spirits of those killed by Winchester rifles because a psychic told her to.

Sarah was quite wealthy, earning a reported $1,000 a day after her husband's death. She had the means to obey her whims. She lived a life of wealth and eccentricity until she died on September 5, 1922 of heart failure. She was 83 years old. She was buried in New Haven because that was her home. Apparently, she felt more connected to New England than to California, where she built her famous house.

Sarah Winchester's grave towers over visitors at a whopping 8 feet tall. However, it is still a little tough to spot. Look for a rough-cut stone with flowers and a cross bearing her surname carved into the right and top sections. In the bottom left is a more traditional marker carved with the names of her husband and her daughter alongside her own. It's actually quite a beautiful piece of art befitting such an interesting woman.

Captain Fairchild Inn: A Ghost Host

I find this painting actually quite creepy.

Not every haunted tale in New England involves a scary ghost. At least one, coming out of Kennebunkport, Maine, is a bit more hospitable. Visitors to the Captain Fairfield Inn sometimes claim to have seen the ghost of the home's eponymous original owner playing the role of host in his unearthly form.

Captain James Fairfield was a seaman who started a privateering operation during the War of 1812. During one of his voyages, he wrote to his wife Lois to inform her that he was taken prisoner by the British. He was brought to the infamous Dartmoor Prison. In fact, he was there during the April 6, 1815 massacre. He lived to see his release and was back on American soil on July 3, 1815.

Two years earlier, the Captain began construction at a piece of property given to him by Lois' father on the corner of Pleasant and Green Streets in Kennebunkport. By the time he came home from his misadventure, he was able to begin his life there with his wife, sister and brother-in-law. Interestingly, a portrait of Captain Fairchild that was meant to grace the home was lost at sea. It didn't make its way home until after his death from pneumonia at the age of 36. He enjoyed the home, which has been an inn since 1991, for roughly five years.

Today, a copy of the original portrait of Captain Charles Fairfield hangs over the mantle of the inn. Those who sight the ghostly visage of Fairchild are able to make a positive identification based on this replica and the original, which is held in the Brick Store Museum. They say he seems pleased with the current state of the home, though ascribing that much feeling to a fleeting apparition might be a stretch.