63°
The Raymond-Fitch house and the Betts house — both part of the Wilton Historical Society’s Heritage Museum — were the subject of a full paranormal investigation conducted last weekend by NPIS Founder and Director Adam Shefts and members of his team. The findings of the investigation will be presented at the Historical Society on Saturday at 8 p.m.
“We did find some evidence [of paranormal activity] that we will be sharing with everyone,” said Shefts.
For example, those who attend will hear an audio recording of what sounds like a female voice captured in the Suzanna Lambert Room of the Raymond-Fitch House, Shefts said. The presentation will also showcase the best pieces of paranormal evidence Shefts and his team collected at historical societies across the northeast over the years.
Following the presentation, there will be a question and answer session, Shefts said. Then, there will be opportunity to tour the houses with Shefts and members of his team. During the tour, people will be encouraged to try and capture paranormal evidence using their own cameras or smartphones, so guests are encouraged to bring cameras.
“It won’t be a full investigation like the one we did last weekend, but people can walk through the properties with us and take picture so they can see what it’s like to take part of a professional investigation,” Shefts said. “It should be a fun program and we’re glad the Wilton Historical Society reached out to us.”
Built in 1740, the Betts House has been home to numerous prominent residents, said Katherine Ward, education and program coordinator at the Wilton Historical Society. Some of the home’s occupants included the Rev. Sylvanus Haight, the family of Erastus Sturges and the “eccentric” Sarah Davenport, Ward said. The home also served as the Green Lantern Tea Room, and was last occupied by Dana Blackmar before being acquired by the Historical Society in 1991. The Raymond-Fitch House, built in 1772, also has a rich history. Ward said notable occupants included Clapp Raymond, Benjamin Strong Comstock, Ashahel and Zardok Raymond, Elias Sturges, Jospeh Fitch and Philip Van Wyck.
“The ghost hunt is something we’ve never done before, and we thought it would be interesting to do because so many families lived in those homes and they are so full of history,” Ward said. “And it was something we were curious about.”
On Sunday, the Historical Society is hosting a tour of the Sharp Hill Cemetery, the oldest cemetery in Wilton, Ward said. From 3:30 to 5 p.m., visitors can tour the cemetery and learn about prominent residents buried there. Re-enactors will be present at the gravestones of certain residents, Ward said.
Both the paranormal investigation and the cemetery are free and open to all. The Wilton Historical Society is at 224 Danbury Road. The Sharp Hill Cemetery is at intersection of Danbury Road and Sharp Hill.
For questions or more information, call the Historical Society at 203-762-7257.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Wilton and receive free news updates.
