Tales of hauntings and supernatural happenings are common all over the world including the legend of the haunted Chestnut Hill Cemetery, aka, the Chestnut Hill Baptist Church Cemetery in Exeter, Rhode Island. This ancient,10-acre Chestnut cemetery was opened in 1838, with approximately 1,000 interments.

When we see or hear something out of the ordinary, we try to find an explanation. In some cases, history gives us plenty to work with. To date,12 historic accounts documenting vampire beliefs and activities in 18th and 19th century New England have been located. Eleven of the 12 accounts report consumption as the cause of death of the deceased relatives and the vampire. The most recent report came from the haunted Chestnut Hill Cemetery in Rhode Island, where the ghost of a young girl is said to wander among the headstones.

Visit the Chestnut Hill Baptist Cemetery in Exeter and you just might see a ghost.
Swampyank/Wikimedia
A young girl who was laid to rest in the Chestnut Hill Cemetery in 1892, is said to roam the grounds. Folks began spotting the ghostly apparition after her body was exhumed, which occurred after the townspeople decided that she was a vampire. What followed next was truly horrifying.
In the late 1800s, cases of consumption, now known as tuberculosis, were common in New England. The disease was devastating and without cure.
Public Domain/Wikimedia
George and Mary Brown farmed outside the town of Exeter. Sadly, three women in the family died from the disease, starting with the family's matriarch Mary in 1883. The following year, the oldest daughter Mary Olive died of the disease at the age of 20. After several years, the boy Edwin's health began to dwindle and he and his wife moved out west to recover. In the meantime, his 19-year-old sister Mercy died in 1892.
At the time, no one understood how diseases like tuberculosis spread. When multiple members of the same family became sick, it was believed that deceased family members had returned as vampires to claim the lives of their loved ones.
Public Domain/Wikimedia
Eventually, Edwin's health began to fade too, showing symptoms of consumption. George decided that it was time to take action and believed Edwin was suffering from the "Vampire's Grasp." He received permission to perform the ritual and exhume the bodies of his wife and daughter Mary Olive in in the spring of 1892.
The ground was frozen at the time of Mercy's death in January 1892, so her body was placed in this receiving house at the haunted Chestnut Hill Cemetery to await burial, a fact that played a role in what followed.
Josh McGinn/flickr
When George's wife Mary was dug up, her body was completely decomposed, and their daughter Mary Olive's body was in a state of advanced decomposition. But when Mercy's coffin was opened, her body had not decomposed as expected (likely because her body had been stored at freezing temperatures for more than two months). She was also turned sideways, supporting evidence that she was a vampire. George removed her heart and discovered that it still contained blood — a supposed sign that she was a vampire.

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New England folklore believes if blood is found in the heart of an exhumed vampire, the protective remedy is to burn the heart which rids the family of the vampire's actions. Consequentially, Mercy's heart and liver were thrown into a fire.
Brenna Cade/flickr
After the organs were burned, George retrieved ashes from the fire and mixed them with liquid, which he gave Edwin to drink. It was supposed to ward off his vampire sister should she come calling, but the superstitious practice didn't work, and Edwin died two months later.
What was left of Mercy's body was buried in the Chestnut Cemetery but some say that the desecration of her body disturbed the resting of her soul.
matt/flickr
Many believe that the ghost of Mercy Brown haunts Chestnut Hill Cemetery to this day.
Mercy's exhumation and the subsequent burning of her heart made national headlines at the time, and vampire enthusiasts often stop by Mercy's grave to visit. Many claim that Mercy's unsettled spirit is present.
Josh McGinn/flickr
People who are standing at the gravestone report being pushed very hard away from the spot. Some say that they've heard strange noises around the gravesite, and there are also reports of orbs and other strange lights in the area.
Religious visitors often stop by to bless Mercy and say a prayer at her gravestone, and it's common for them to smell an overwhelmingly strong scent of roses right after their prayers are uttered.
Viv/flickr
Some people in the countryside around the cemetery even claim to see the ghost of Mercy walking around at night.

The “Bioarcheological and Biocultural Evidence for the New England Vampire Folk Belief”, written in 1994, sheds more light on the belief of vampires in New England and the haunted Chestnut Hill Cemetery. Do you believe in the haunting of Chestnut Hill Cemetery? We’d love to hear your stories in the comments!

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More to Explore

Haunted Places In Rhode Island

Carolyn Harmon | August 29, 2022

Where is another haunted cemetery in Rhode Island?

This article discusses six creepy cemeteries in Rhode Island including the Elder Ballou Meeting House Cemetery, aka, Rhode Island Historical Cemetery in Cumberland. In 1749, Obadiah Ballou gave the approximately two-acre gift of land to the Meeting House and Burial Ground Society to create a burial ground for him and his fellow worshipers. If you visit bring a friend as you may feel like someone is watching you. It may be the spirit of a man in gray, who is said to wander the grounds, presiding over the cemetery.

Where is the best place to see a ghost in Rhode Island?

Belcourt Castle, of Newport, Rhode Island, is a former summer cottage. Construction took place from 1891 to 1894 to complete the vast space for Oliver Hazard Perry Belmont, designed by architect Richard Morris Hunt. Designed in a variety of European styles and periods, it was intended for use for six to eight weeks out of the year. The change in ownership over the years has created an even more eclectic style. The first tours of Belcourt were given in 1957 and continue today with a guided 50-minute trip through the carefully restored building. But be on guard, as some spirits are said to have attached themselves to the castle, such as a moaning suit of armor, two enchanted chairs, a wandering spirit of a monk, and other moving objects and disembodied voices.

Where is a haunted hotel near me in Rhode Island?

In Newport Rhode Island you'll also find the Castle Hill Inn. Established in 1875, this unbelievable hotel by the ocean offers cozy cottages or elaborate beach houses. Surviving its rich history — from during World War II when it served as an impromptu base for naval officers, to a summer hotel to a year-round retreat — it retains its old-world charm. Over time, it seems some of the folks were left behind, as the ghost of a woman has been seen haunting the halls at night. Others have seen some china flying around and breaking supposedly from a spirit of a girl ghost who throws tantrums. If you are a fan of the paranormal — add this to your list of visits.

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Chestnut Hill Baptist Church Cemetery, Exeter, RI 02822, USA