THE STORY
Reported Haunting
Located in Tolland, Connecticut, this 18th-century homestead is haunted by Elisha Benton, a Revolutionary War soldier who died of smallpox, and his lover Jemima Barrows, who succumbed to the same disease shortly after. Their melancholic spirits are frequently seen wandering the property together, accompanied by the chilling sound of disembodied weeping.
Built in 1720 by Daniel Benton, the location was home to six generations of Bentons. Daniel’s grandson Elisha is known as a possible source of the hauntings here. Elisha was captured while fighting the British in the Revolutionary War, and caught smallpox on the prison ship. When he came home he was tended by his true love Jemima Barrows, who was 12 years younger. Both died of smallpox, and the family agreed to bury the couple near each other, but because they weren’t married, they were buried on opposite sides of the carriage path. Witnesses say ghostly figures move in the home’s windows at night, a girl is heard crying, and a soldier’s apparition has been seen, as well as that of a young woman in a wedding dress. Vibrations and knockings have been heard as well.