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The Haunted Oliver House

The Oliver House has a lengthy story, spanning a little over two and a half centuries — not all of which is pleasant. This house holds an important place in U.S. history, acting as a backdrop for a wealth of historical events.

This home predates American independence, with its construction finishing in 1769. An esteemed property, it was known for throwing opulent dinner parties that many historical figures attended, including Benjamin Franklin. 

Even to this day, this historic site holds many secrets. The grand house originally boasted 26 windows, eight fireplaces, and an ornamental garden trailing to the woods. One might never know that far off in these very same woods the Wampanoag tribe once lived. After English settlers introduced the Native Americans to disease, many died, and the property became a burial ground for much of the tribe. 

Reportedly, an estimated 1,500 Native Americans were buried in the woods behind this picturesque house, with many of the burial mounds still being perceived on the property. Yet, this is just the beginning of this structure’s layered past. 

Why is the Oliver House haunted?

The Oliver House remains one of Middleboro’s most haunted locations, thanks to its long and storied history beginning during the origins of the Revolutionary War. It has housed many families over the years and held a prominent role in multiple historical events, including its role as part of the Underground Railroad. 

Journey on to descend deeper into the history of this home’s intricate past that weaves closely with that of our country. Are you prepared to step into the unknown and see some of Boston’s spookiest locales in person? Book a ghost tour with Boston Ghosts.

A Centerpiece of the Revolutionary War

Today, the Oliver House may be known for its haunted reputation among ghost enthusiasts, but it was known for the family who built it in its early era. The Oliver surname was an important one in 1700s Massachusetts. Peter Oliver held the prestigious title of Chief Justice for the State’s Supreme Court with his older brother bearing the position of lieutenant governor. 

The story of the Oliver House is historically dense. Records indicate that the present Oliver House was once called “The Small Oliver House” as it was adjacent to Judge Oliver’s larger home, Oliver Hall. Unfortunately, while the house would survive the political turmoil of the 18th-century colonial period, Oliver Hall would not. 

Historians believe that Judge Oliver likely had the Oliver House built as a wedding present for his son, Peter Oliver Jr. Still, the judge’s son was no layabout himself. Peter Oliver Jr. was a respected doctor, and his bride, Sally Hutchinson, was Governor Thomas Hutchinson’s daughter. Sadly, their time in the house would be relatively short-lived. 

The Oliver family strongly disapproved of the colonial rebellion, remaining firm loyalists to the British Crown. Letters leaked between Governor Hutchinson and the Oliver clan in correspondence with English authorities proposing an increased military presence in the colonies.

An ultimatum issued by the Sons of Liberty to abandon their loyalties or leave, along with intimidation from angry mobs, eventually encouraged the Oliver family to flee back to England.

In 1774, the Sons of Liberty confiscated the Oliver House, auctioning off its valuables and the estate, and used the money to fund the seeds of the Revolutionary War. The larger Oliver Hall suffered a worse fate: being burned to the ground by revolutionaries.

Modern-Day Hauntings at the Oliver House

Ghost walking down stairs
Copyright US Ghost Adventures

Today, the Oliver House is no stranger to eerie occurrences, with paranormal investigators describing the house as “extremely haunted.” EVPs, or electronic voice phenomena, have been recorded at the site, with otherworldly voices coming in loud and clear. One investigator reported hearing the phrase “get out” prominently in her audio while in the basement. She promptly obliged, running up the stairs. 

When another team of paranormal researchers visited the site, they gathered some interesting findings. After asking how many spirits there were at the house, they received an answer — ten. More uncanny voice phenomena were also recorded, including a blood-curdling scream attained by a recorder left upstairs. 

All the volunteers who work at the Oliver House are believers in the spectral world, and those who are not upon hiring soon will be. One tour volunteer reported coming face-to-face with an apparition in a bedroom closet on the second floor. The ghostly figure of a girl simply stared at her for an instant, then disappeared into the wall. 

Many supernatural events have occurred here, several of which have been documented by paranormal crews. The site has been visited by Kindred Spirits and Paranormal Lockdown. Here, paranormal experts have observed shadow figures in the basement, heard footsteps in the night, encountered unexplained voices, and even captured footage of objects inexplicably falling. 

During one such investigation, a session with an Ouija board supposedly led to communication with former ghostly resident Bethania Sproat herself, imparting the benign message “God loves you.” Who is this mysterious figure, and what is her connection to the Oliver House?

Bethania Sproat’s Long Life of Loss

Ghost woman in hallway
Copyright US Ghost Adventures

Since its revolutionary beginnings, multiple families have occupied Middleboro’s ghostly estate, including two distinguished Middleboro families: the Westons and the Sproats. Bethania Sproat is one of many spirits believed to reside here still in ghostly form. 

Bethania Sproat was born the daughter of Thomas Weston, eventually becoming the wife of Earl Sproat. She lived the entirety of her life in Oliver House from birth until death — nearly 70 years. Given that it was her only home, one might understand her reluctance to leave. 

Still, not all of Bethania’s time in the house was joyful. Bethania unexpectedly lost three children within a few years during her time at the Oliver House. In 1841, Bethania experienced a miscarriage in addition to losing her daughter Abigail Sproat. An accident occurred when Abigail was just two years of age in which a kettle of scalding water fell on her, resulting in her unforeseen death.

In 1844, tragedy would strike the Sproat household again. Bethania and Earl’s son, James Sproat would die of pneumonia. The pain and torment Bethania must have carried in the wake of these events is unthinkable. Did the immeasurable anguish born from these happenings eternally lock Bethania to this location? 

Or does she linger in our world for her children, who may also be tied to the home? In this case, like any good mother, Bethania likely remains to care for her beloved children in the afterlife, just as she did in her earthly one. 

Haunted Boston

Why do these persistent hauntings occur with such prominence at the Oliver House? One theory pertains to its location. The house lies in the heart of the Bridgewater Triangle, a 200-square-mile stretch where strange events happen in high occurrences. 

The energy of this location is strong, seemingly undiluted by the fact that this important house has remained in private ownership for so long, only becoming open to the public less than a decade ago when the city acquired it. After passing through many hands, a descendant of the original owner bought the house in 1945 — it remained in the Oliver family once again until 2015, when the town of Middleboro acquired the property. 

It is appropriate to say that the current inhabitants of the Oliver House may be deceased, but their effect on the living is still distinctly felt. Visit our blog for more tales of spectral experiences at Boston’s haunted houses. Ready to voyage into the unfamiliar and embark on a haunting experience in person? Book a ghost tour with Boston Ghosts. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok for more real haunting tales.

Sources:

  1. https://theimpactnews.com/columnists/retired-columnists/to-be-perfectly-frank/2020/12/22/secrets-of-the-oliver-house/
  2. https://www.southcoasttoday.com/story/news/local/the-gazette/2015/04/23/the-oliver-house-story-continues/34711801007/
  3. https://www.southcoasttoday.com/story/news/local/the-gazette/2015/10/29/paranormal-investigators-say-oliver-estate/33194963007/
  4. https://www.heraldnews.com/story/entertainment/2021/10/01/new-bedford-area-haunted-sites-ghost-tales-paranormal-sightings-halloween-haunting-legend-scary/5944160001/
  5. https://wbsm.com/middleboro-oliver-estate-paranormal-ghost-video/
  6. https://www.tauntongazette.com/story/news/2019/10/27/middleboro-s-thriving-haunted-attraction/2435794007/

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