E-Newsletter | October 30, 2020 |
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Things that go Bump in the Haunted Schoolhouse |
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“It would seem, then, that at last we have a veritable ghost - a pure and unquestionable visitor of semi-spiritual material. It has appeared, at various times, in a small school-house on Charles Street, in Newburyport, and the evidence regarding it is too lucid and consistent to be passed by.”
These enticing words, from a pamphlet entitled The Haunted Schoolhouse at Newburyport, Mass., promises a real-live ghost story. During the early years of the 1870s, a school on Charles Street apparently endured a particularly vigorous poltergeist. The tale has all the hallmarks of a proper haunting, complete with spectral sightings, inexplicable thumps, bumps and rattles, disembodied hands, violent bell ringing, ferocious buffeting wind and items moving of their own accord. The question remains, were the brave young schoolteacher, Miss Lucy Perkins, and her students the targets of a malevolent spirit or the victims of an elaborate prank?
The School on Charles Street was a one-roomed structure that served the neighborhood’s male youth. The class was made up of about 50 boys of all ages who came from working-class families, “of the humbler sort, they being sons of mill-operators, or of fishermen, or of tradesmen.” The building was in sorry repair, perhaps making it the perfect setting for a ghost story.
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Extract from a letter written to the Springfield Republican by Miss Lucy A. Perkins, school teacher at the haunted schoolhouse. From the collections of the Museum of Old Newbury. |
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“The door-posts are soiled, the weather-boards are covered with all sorts of scratches and cuts…the bare yard and the broken fences, and the homely building itself, there is a somber dreariness that oppresses the beholder.”
Judging by The Haunted Schoolhouse account, written in 1873 when the supernatural incidences became public knowledge, Miss Lucy Adelaide Perkins must have been a determined, committed and faithful young teacher. She grew up right down the street, at 248 Water Street, Newbury and was the daughter of a fishermen. At the ripe-old-age of 20, she became school mistress of a group of rowdy young boys and took on a protector’s role when unexplained things began to occur.
Starting with loud thumps on the door and roof, someone or something began to interrupt lessons in about 1870. The knocking became increasingly violent and repetitive, with no distinguishable source. The school room’s stove then started moving around of its own accord, its cover levitated, and the utensils and cleaning supplies were knocked from their places regularly. This was often accompanied by the heavy school bells on Miss Perkins’s desk ringing without any discernible help and random violent air currents buffeting the building repeatedly. Most disconcerting of all, the boys would be distracted from their lessons by a bloodless hand or a gaunt face in the window.
Soon enough, according to The Haunted Schoolhouse and newspaper reports, Miss Perkins testified that she was confronted by an actual apparition, despite asserting that she did not believe in spiritualism or mysticism. “The figure was that of a boy of thirteen. The visage was remarkably pale, the eyes were blue, the mouth sad and the whole effect was that of extreme melancholy. The general picture was that of a child prepared for burial.”
With the thought of her student’s safety, “she did not pause; with a resolution and bravery that can hardly be surpassed, she advanced with outstretched arms. She endeavored to grasp it, but her fingers felt nothing.” The sighting became a regular occurrence and was sometimes accompanied by disembodied laughter and voices calling the names of her students.
The School Committee apparently tried to ignore reports from the “haunted” schoolhouse for years, but eventually they became too disturbing or notorious to overlook. Miss Perkins was questioned extensively, as were many of the older boys. Their stories seem to be corroborated by a janitor at the school and soon their experiences were being written about in newspapers around the country.
Newburyport became known for the Charles Street School ghost. When police became involved, some of the boys admitted to small bits of mischief, but no great architect ever came forward to claim an elaborate prank. Strangely enough, however, the haunted happenings ceased when locks were placed on the school doors. The infamous schoolhouse still exists but has been converted into a private home. No reports of the apparition have been made since 1875 and all seems quiet on Charles Street today.
Editor’s note: A special thanks to Emily Hoffman and the Newburyport Archival Center for research assistance.
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Exterior and interior stereoviews of the infamous Charles Street Haunted Schoolhouse. From the collections of the Museum of Old Newbury.
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We are excited to introduce the first annual Cushing House Calendar.
Each page features a crisp, clear image from the collections of the Museum of Old Newbury. January is a magical view of High Street after an ice storm; May features a lone cow grazing by the Merrimack; and August fittingly sports clammers and the shanties of Joppa. Colleen Turner Secino shares, "Each image is really quite spectacular."
The 8.5"x11" wall piece features heavy grade, high quality, tear off pages for each month and includes a "Notes" section for handwritten reminders. Perfect for holiday or anytime gifts.
$16.50 per calendar, shipping included (for orders of more than 4, please contact us).
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"Yeat Yeat, Don't Tell Me!" Celebrates All Hallows Eve Weekend with an Extra Creepy Episode
"Watch out for things that go bump in the afternoon!" co-host Jack Santos warns. High noon on Friday, October 30, 2020 "Yeat Yeat, Don't Tell Me!" kicks off All Hallows weekend featuring only spooky and creepy Newbury-area queries. Zoom in here for all the fun! |
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Puzzle Me This...Bayley the Beloved
Captain Charles March Bayley commanded and co-owned a number of ships in the mid-19th century, including the brig Cedric and barks Panchita and William Schroder.
Bayley and his brother, Captain Robert Bayley, Jr., joined the Marine Society of Newburyport in 1849. Together with their father, the brothers operated Robert Bayley & Sons, a successful West Indies shipping firm based at a wharf near the foot of Fair Street.
Charles Bayley was a beloved Newburyport ship captain, and his obituary, dated March 14, 1892, read: “Captain Bayley was a man who was loved and respected by all who came in contact with him. He was of a genial disposition and was a great lover of children, many of whom will miss his pleasant smile and kind words they so often saw and heard.”
About Captain Charles March Bayley (1814-1892) - Watercolor on ivory, artist unknown, circa 1840. From the collections of the Museum of Old Newbury.
Click on the image to begin.
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Something is Always Cooking at the Museum
As the temperature dip lower and lower, could there be a better time to indulge in a rich, delicious lobster dish? Greg White spares no calories in this gem.
Lobster Newberg
2 cups cooked lobster
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash of cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons sherry
3 egg yolks
1 cup light cream
Baked puff pastry shells (find in the frozen food aisle)
Heat lobster for a few minutes in melted butter. Add salt, cayenne and sherry. In bowl, beat egg yolks. Mix in light cream. Add to lobster mixture; cook over low heat until thick. Do not boil. Serve over baked puff pastry shells (follow package instructions). Serves 6.
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Register today!
VIRTUAL EVENT: A Newburyport Travelogue
Everyone's favorite history buff, Jack Santos, has prepared a 40-minute travelogue that connects Newburyport to places spanning the globe. The virtual event will feature a live introduction, followed by the travelogue, then live questions and answers with the traipsing troubadour, himself. Okay, he won't be singing, but he will wax lyrical about Newburyport’s connections to the world – right from the comfort of your desktop!
Save the date! Part Two: Tuesday, January 12, 2021 | Registration to follow.
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During this difficult period of COVID-19, we rely on your support more than ever. We are working to reschedule many of the programs that we have had to postpone, as well as develop new, online programs for you to enjoy and keep us connected. We hope, if you are able, that you will consider a donation to the museum. Thank you for your continued support.
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Museum e-Newsletter made possible through the
generosity of our sponsors:
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Museum of Old Newbury
98 High Street
Newburyport, MA 01950
978-462-2681
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