THE STORY
Reported Haunting
Boston Common is tied to centuries of ghost lore surrounding its former gallows and turbulent history, including stories associated with accused witch Margaret Jones and reports of two women in Victorian dress walking together across the park.
Founded in 1634, Boston Common is America's oldest public park and historically served many functions, including military ground and a site of public executions. Boston ghost lore connects the Common to people executed there, including Margaret Jones, who was hanged for witchcraft in 1648, and describes two female apparitions in Victorian-style clothing walking arm-in-arm. Because the historic gallows locations changed and the paranormal stories concern the broader Common, this marker represents the park as a whole rather than a claimed exact apparition point.