Visit Chestnut Hill Cemetery, A Hidden Cemetery That Feels Like Rhode Island's Most Haunted Secret
By E Jamar|Published January 02, 2020
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E Jamar
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E Jamar is a published writer based in Milwaukee, WI. Despite being a Midwesterner at heart, you can often find them trekking throughout the states and discovering new hidden gems. When they're not traveling, you can find them discussing disability issues, cuddling their pug puppy, and checking out new local spots.
A good ghost story around the campfire is always a spooky activity to enjoy, but you can also go visit some of the most haunted locations for a truly creepy experience. Hidden in Exeter, Rhode Island, you’ll find Chestnut Hill Baptist Church Cemetery, which has been reported to be one of the most haunted cemeteries in our state. This is mostly due to the spirit of Mercy Lena Brown, who was said to be exhumed from the ground and then gruesomely desecrated because the family believed she was a vampire. You can visit the grave as well as the graves her parents at this hidden but shockingly haunted cemetery in Rhode Island.
Chestnut Hill Baptist Church Cemetery, also known as Chestnut Hill Cemetery is a hidden cemetery in Exeter that is tied to some of Rhode Island's most haunted history.
This hidden cemetery is home to the grave of Mercy Brown and her family. In 1880's, the entire Brown family contracted what we now know to be tuberculosis.
Tuberculosis used to be called "consumption". The mother was the first to die from the disease. Mercy, her brother Edwin, and father George all contracted tuberculosis as well. Mercy died after the mother in 1886 and the crypt that her body was said to be kept still remains at the cemetery, as well as her grave.
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Variations of the Mercy Brown story vary, but it's said that the town started believing that one of the dead family members may have been a vampire, which lead to the disease.
The superstition at the time was that if more than one family member died, it was tied to the undead. The father was then convinced to allow the town to exhume Mercy's body.
After Mercy's body was exhumed in 1892, they saw that she still had blood in her heart. Though this was probably just due to the cold conditions in the crypt, they thought it meant she was a vampire and cut out and burned her heart and liver. The ashes were turned into a tonic and given to her brother, to cure him of "consumption" and stop the evil spirits.
What remained of Mercy's desecrated body was reburied in the cemetery.
Have you ever visited Chestnut Hill Cemetery? Did you know about the Mercy Brown incident? We’d love to hear about your thoughts and experiences in the comments!
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