The Haunted Charlestown Bridge

Posted: 05.07.2025 | Updated: 05.07.2025

When it comes to hauntings in Massachusetts, Salem is the first place that typically comes to mind. However, the site of the 1692 Witch Trials is far from the only haunted location in the state. 

On the Charlestown Bridge in Boston, there is a legend of a ghostly figure in a colonial coach who clatters across the bridge. The story of this haunting has been a part of New England folklore for over 250 years due to the chilling nature of the story.

Want to add some spookiness to your next Boston adventure? You can book a ghost tour with Boston Ghosts to learn all about the city’s haunting past!

Is The Charlestown Bridge Haunted?

The Charlestown Bridge is said to be haunted by the ghost of Peter Ruggs, his young daughter, and his black horse. The trio vanished on their way back to Boston during a treacherous storm in the 1770s. They were never seen alive again, but Ruggs and his companions have been spotted riding along the Charlestown Bridge. 

Sightings of Ruggs’ phantom coach are usually accompanied by a severe storm. In fact, Ruggs’ ghost earned the nickname “The Storm Breeder” due to his supernatural powers over weather. 

History of The Charlestown Bridge

Officially called the William Felton “Bill” Russell Bridge, Bostonians know the Charlestown Bridge as the city’s easternmost connection across the Charles River. The Charlestown River is a culturally significant location since it’s part of the Freedom Trail: a path linking 16 historic landmarks that shaped US history. 

The Charlestown Bridge is the connecting path between the USS Constitution and Bunker Hill. For locals, it leads to Boston’s Charlestown and North End neighborhoods. 

The first bridge in this area was simply known as the Charles River Bridge, which opened in 1785. Before that, ferries had been carrying Bostonians across the river dating back to the 1630s. Revenue from the ferry helped fund and build Harvard University for over a century.  

In 1900, a state-of-the-art bridge replaced the decaying Charles River Bridge. This bridge helped carry the Charleston Elevated railway along with vehicle traffic. It remained this way until the closure of the railway, but the bridge continued to operate for vehicles into the 21st century.

In 2018, a $180 million construction project began on a new bridge to replace the 118-year-old Charlestown Bridge. Completed in 2025, the bridge was named after Bill Russell of the Boston Celtics. 

The name was chosen after Russell received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Joe Biden in 2024. However, locals still regularly refer to it as the Charlestown Bridge or North End Bridge.

The Haunting of The Charlestown Bridge

The story of how the haunting at the Charlestown Bridge came to be goes back to before the signing of the Declaration of Independence. In 1770, there was a man named Peter Ruggs who lived with his wife and daughter on Boston’s Middle Street. 

Ruggs was described as peculiar, to put it mildly. He was known for his hot temper and bursts of profane language. He knew how to make an entrance, often kicking in doors rather than simply opening them. He could bite nails in half with his teeth. It seems as though that even in death, Mr. Ruggs has remained lively.

In 1770, Ruggs and his daughter embarked on a trip to Concord, Massachusetts. On the ride home, they were caught up in a ferocious storm. They managed to find refuge with a family friend, but Ruggs was soon determined to resume the journey. He said to the friend, “Let the storm increase. I will see home tonight in spite of it, or may I never see home!” 

Ruggs and his daughter weren’t seen for days, but one night, the clatter of their carriage was heard. Neighbors saw Ruggs approach, looking windswept and disheveled, but it seemed as though as soon as he appeared, he disappeared. Ruggs and his daughter were never seen alive again. His wife died the same year, apparently from a broken heart. 

While Ruggs and his daughter likely succumbed to the storm he refused to wait out, sightings of a man and a young girl in a carriage pulled by a black horse began cropping up all over New England. These sightings were followed by terrible storms, which earned Ruggs the nickname “The Storm Breeder.” 

The Toll Taker’s Story

Following the construction of the Charlestown Bridge in 1785, a toll taker would feel and hear the boards of the bridge vibrating as if a carriage were passing over it. However, he never saw anything. 

One night, he decided to sit on a stool in the middle of the bridge to catch the toll evader. To his shock, he saw a carriage pulled by a black horse carrying a man and a girl. The toll taker threw his stool at the horse to make it stop. To his horror, the stool passed right through the ghostly horse, which proceeded to pull its passengers across the bridge and into the night. 

Since this sighting, some say you can still hear the sound of a carriage approaching on the Charlestown Bridge.

Fact, Fiction, or Both?

Due to the nature of oral traditions, it’s impossible to pinpoint when the story of Peter Ruggs was first told or how he became associated with the Charlestown Bridge. After all, the bridge wasn’t built until 15 years after his death.

The first known written account of this story comes from a fictional short story written by William Austin in 1824. While this may make it seem like the whole story of Peter Ruggs is fabricated, there is no denying that the legend has persisted for centuries and is still told to this day. 

The tale even inspired a play called “The Storm-Breeder” by Brian C. Billings. It also wouldn’t be the first time that a real event inspired fiction.

Haunted Boston

The legend of Peter Ruggs and his ghostly crew is a testament to Boston’s rich history of ghosts and hauntings. Whether Ruggs’ story is true or not, it has become an integral part of New England’s haunted history. However, it is just one of the area’s countless terrifying tales.

Still want more ghost stories? You can learn all about the hauntings Boston has to offer by booking your ghost tour with Boston Ghosts today! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, and keep reading our blog for more real Massachusetts hauntings.

Sources:

• https://www.bartleby.com/lit-hub/a-library-of-american-literature/peter-rugg-the-missing-man/

• https://www.celebrateboston.com/ghost/peter-rugg-ghost.htm

• https://historicbridges.org/bridges/browser/?bridgebrowser=massachusetts/charlestown/

• https://mass.streetsblog.org/2023/12/18/eyes-on-the-street-an-upgraded-freedom-trail-across-the-new-north-washington-street-bridge