Rhode Island is one of the oldest states, so it should come as no surprise that Rhody is riddled with ghost stories. But our most famous haunted house is not the old home of one of our founding fathers, or even H.P. Lovecraft’s former place of residence. It’s the house that was featured in the movie The Conjuring. And the most disturbing part of all of it is that those stories are largely true… and that it remains the most haunted house in Rhode Island. If you’ve been wondering, “Why is the Conjuring House haunted,” here’s your answer.

The house in question is located in Burrillville, a small rural town in Providence County.
Ailton Brito / Google
The farmhouse dates all the way back to 1736, so it comes as no surprise that quite a bit of paranormal activity has been reported.
There are many rumors surrounding this house, many stemming from a woman named Bathsheba.
kathy Allen/Google Local
Bathsheba was a woman who was born in 1812 in Rhode Island. In 1844, she got married and moved to this home. The couple had a son named Sherman, followed by three other kids who died during childbirth. At some point, a child who died in Bathsheba's care (not her own) was found to have been stabbed with a sewing needle. That was when rumors began to fly that Bathsheba was practicing witchcraft. Although Bathsheba was found not guilty, rumor has it that she hung herself in 1885.
The story that inspired The Conjuring stems from Carolyn and Roger Perron's time in the house.
kathy Allen/Google Local
They moved in in 1970 with their five daughters, and it didn't take long for the paranormal activity to begin.
The Perron family started to see pictures taken off the wall and the broom moving from place to place on its own.
Doom64/Flickr
Soon, the children started seeing -- and even interacting with -- spirits. But before long, things turned dark. The family would constantly smell a terrible, rotting stench, and the children's beds would shake in the middle of the night. Roger Perron, who would regularly have to go into the basement to fix the furnace, swore he felt a cold presence behind him.
Eventually, paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren were brought in to help.
Burrillville, Rhode Island / Google
Lorraine, a clairvoyant, picked up on the name Bathsheba right away. She led a seance, and allegedly Bathsheba left the building. Not long after, the Perron family left as well.

In 2022, the Conjuring House, hailed as the most haunted house in Rhode Island, was sold to a Boston developer with an interesting stipulation: nobody is allowed to live in the house full-time due to the high paranormal activity. Luckily for ghost hunters, this means the residence is open for tours, though you’ll have to sign a waiver to even enter the building. Bring your camera, too.

Have you been to this real-life Rhode Island haunted house? We’d love to hear about your experiences! Looking for more spooky spots around the Ocean State? This road trip visits some of the most haunted places in Rhode Island!

 

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Most Haunted House In Rhode Island

Sarah M. | September 02, 2022

What are some other haunted places in Rhode Island?

The Castle Inn is a real-life haunted house in Rhode Island that you can actually stay at. Here are some interesting facts about this haunted inn:

  • This stunning inn was built in 1875 and has seen so much over the years, once even being utilized as a naval base during World War 2. With all that history, it's hard to imagine a few spirits aren't lurking around.
  • People report seeing the ghost of a woman who throws china, as well as that of the hotel's founder. Seems like the perfect place to do a little ghost hunting as it is one of the most haunted hotels in Rhode Island.
  • Many famous people have stayed in the hotel, like Grace Kelley and Thornton Wilder. Enjoy the same decadent rooms near the water as ghosts and celebrities alike.

Another notoriously haunted place in Rhode Island is White Horse Tavern in Newport:

  • It's the oldest tavern in Rhode Island, and...
  • The oldest "continuously operating" tavern in the United States...
  • One of the oldest taverns in the world, and a notoriously haunted place in the Ocean State.
  • Originally built as the home of Francis Brinley in 1652, the two-story tavern was transformed into a tavern in 1673.
  • For the next century, it served as the meeting place for the City Council, the Colony’s General Assembly, and the Criminal Court.
  • With a history of nearly 350 years, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that, in addition to a scrumptious menu, White Horse Tavern serves up several tales of the paranormal.
  • One of those tales tells of a man who, in the 1700s, died mysteriously in one of the tavern’s second-floor rooms. No one knew the man’s name, where he came from, or how he died, although authorities feared it was smallpox that took his life. And this isn't even the only ghost associated with this haunted tavern in Rhode Island...

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