THE STORY
Reported Haunting
The historic Lincoln County Courthouse in Wiscasset gained national attention in 2011 after a motion-activated security camera captured a mysterious translucent object moving through an otherwise empty hallway. Courthouse employees have also reported seeing the shadowy figure of a man during the late afternoon and evening.
Built in 1824, the Lincoln County Courthouse in Wiscasset, Maine, is one of the state's oldest continuously operating courthouses and has developed a reputation for unexplained activity. In September 2011, technicians reviewing footage from newly installed security cameras discovered an unusual recording from a motion-sensitive camera. The footage reportedly showed a misty, translucent object emerging near a wall, drifting along a hallway, passing through a closed wooden door, and later returning through the same doorway. County Commissioner Sheridan Bond examined a still image and said he believed he could make out a face within the object, although others were less certain. Employees in the District Attorney's office have also reported seeing the shadowy shape of a man inside the courthouse during the late afternoon and early evening. Historical accounts note that the courthouse once contained jail facilities and that prisoners were hanged outside the building, although no particular individual has been conclusively identified as the source of the reported activity. The strange security footage remains unexplained and is one of the best-known modern ghost stories associated with the courthouse.