Haunted Museum: The Paine House in Coventry, Rhode Island

One of the main characteristics of most haunted New England locations is age. Homes, bridges and businesses pass through decades and then centuries, leaving their marks on the collective history of the region. Stories accumulate with the scars of time, some of them involving ghosts and paranormal activity. Such is the case with the Paine House, now a museum in Coventry, Rhode Island's Washington Village.

In the past few hundred years, the Paine House and surrounding property has passed hands numerous times. Much of the home's history is traceable
through deeds. Samuel Bennett built the first part of the structure, likely a one-room shack, around 1691. In 1748, one Francis Brayton, who added much more to the structure, owned it. A few decades later, his son ran a tavern in the house. In 1797, a man named Charles Holden took ownership and had his own tavern there. Thomas Whipple followed in 1849. It wasn't until 1866 that the Paine family moved in. It stayed in the family until 1953 when it was gifted to the Western Rhode Island Civic  Historical Society.

The Paine House carries some of the town's earliest history within its walls. It was the location of the first town meeting and election. It was a place where people gathered for generations, being an inn, tavern and/or place of entertainment under several owners. There is no doubt that a lot has happened in the rooms of the Paine House. The question is, what among those events led to the paranormal activity that happens now?

Colonial furniture and decor give the Paine House an aged feel, lending to the idea that it is haunted. Walking through the house, it's easy to imagine a colonial specter gliding out from the walls. Nothing so spectacular has occurred, but several paranormal investigators and visitors claim to have recorded electronic voice phenomena, seen furniture move or experienced other strange events in the home, particularly on the second floor.

According to a video posted by NinjaCthulhu on YouTube, the group in the video caught EVP while at the house. To be honest, I didn't really catch anything, but you might hear what they're talking about it if you watch the video yourself. The folks at parahunter.com say they recorded EVP of a girl named Sarah, who may have died in the house. You can listen to the audio here, but I didn't hear anything clearly. Also, it could have easily been one of the investigators speaking in the sewing room upstairs.

You can visit the Paine House any Saturday from May until September, if you want to see or hear these ghosts for yourselves. Feel free to share your experiences in the comments section below. Happy hunting.