Sprague Mansion

Sprague Mansion in Cranston, Rhode Island is one of America’s most haunted mansions. It was built by the powerful Sprague family who ran a textile mills and printing business in Rhode Island. The business brought them riches, but it also brought them tragedy.

On New Year’s Eve, Amasa Sprague was found dead in the street outside his mansion. He had been murdered. Amasa’s corpse was brought into the house while police searched for the murderer.

Police arrested an Irish man named John Gordon and charged him with the murder. In those days, there was a lot of racism against Irish people and Gordon did not receive a fair trial. He was found guilty by the jury and executed by hanging. However, in a tragic turn of events, police discovered that John Gordon had been innocent all along. They had executed the wrong man and the real killer was never found.

The mistake had lasting effects on Rhode Island, and capital punishment was outlawed, making the Irishman John Gordon the last man ever executed in the state.

Since that time, there have been many disturbances in Sprague Mansion and ghostly apparitions have been reported. The ghost of a man dressed all in black has been frequently seen walking down the stairwell in the house. Other places of phenomena include the wine cellar, where visitors claim to feel cold winds and see the ghostly image of Amasa himself.

Blankets have been pulled off beds, making sleeping difficult for some who’ve stayed in the house. Another room where phenomena has been recorded is the “Doll Room,” so called because of the large collection of dolls that adorn the walls. In this room, some report hearing footsteps or seeing the lights go on and off by themselves. Still more complain of a “presence” that exists in the room. Visitors often get strange and creepy feelings in the Doll Room and some claim they have seen the dolls moving on thier own.

In 1968, a séance was held by a medium, where two spirits were contacted and claimed responsibility for the paranormal phenomena. One was Amasa Sprague and the second turned out to be a butler from the 1890s who, according to legend, had expected but did not get a large inheritance from his employers. The séance ended when the ouija board being used began hastily spelling out “My Land!” over and over, frightening those present. When the medium askedthe ghosts what they needed to be at peace, they responded saying “Tell my story.”

Ghost Hunters investigated Sprague Mansion and experienced some strange things while there.