Most of us have heard of the 2013 horror movie hit known as The Conjuring. Not everyone knows that the haunted house featured in the film is based on a legendary haunted country home right here in Rhode Island. Here's the backstory!
Few people would suspect a place like Harrisville to be the site of such a long history of paranormal activity. This small and charming village is found in the northern part of the state in Burrillville and features beautiful ponds, nature trails, and other lovely attractions.
Though the town is a peaceful home for most that live there, the former residents known as the Perron family reported a series of terrible happenings related to paranormal activity. The family moved onto the then 200 acre property in 1970. Legend says the family began to investigate after a general sense of uneasiness in the home and discovered that more than a handful of families had all lived and died often mysterious deaths on the property.
After various encounters with ghosts ranging from harmless to full on harassment of the children the family brought in investigators. Loraine (pictured above) and Ed Warren, now famous paranormal investigators visited the Harrisville home in 1971.
Their visit and ghostly experiences with the Perron Family are the focus of the movie. The investigation determined that the home is confirmed to be haunted by a woman known as Bathsheba Sherman, a practicing satanist who lived in the home in the 19th century. Nightmarish activity like doors slamming, ghostly screams, and hair pulling at night and more were common events for this haunted family.
The Harrisville haunting was so terrifying the entire Perron family decided to flee the home shortly after the investigation. Many Rhode Islanders wonder if the house is still haunted. The answer is, we may never know. This home remains a private residence and does not accept visitors, but we encourage you to see the Conjuring soon if you're having the urge to feel utterly terrified.
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