Why is Maine so spooky? Maybe its rich maritime history, cultural heritage, and the eeriness of its vast woods and rugged coastlines all lend to storytelling. Ghost stories were a way that communities bonded during the shorter days and longer nights of October.
That’s why this month’s blog will focus on three of the best-known spooky stories and haunted places — in case you have enough courage to visit them and find out if they are true!
Nelly Butler
According to American Ghost Walks, the first documented ghost story in Maine began in 1799 in the coastal town of Sullivan. It featured a sea captain’s wife who came back from the dead. Nelly Butler was the wife of Captain George Butler. She was only 21 years old when she died in childbirth.
Captain Abner Blaisdell and his family, who lived close to the Butler residence, first began hearing strange noises in their cellar in 1799. In the following year, when he heard a voice, he asked it to identify itself. The voice replied, “I’m the dead wife of Captain George Butler, born Nelly Hooper.” Blaisdell’s daughter Lydia, 15, began communicating with the spirit of Nelly Butler. Townspeople were poised to accuse Lydia of being a witch until other witnesses confirmed hearing Nelly’s voice and messages.
George Butler was finally convinced to come to the basement and converse with the spirit. To his amazement, the ghost of Nelly Butler told him things only he would have known about as her husband. The spirit further convinced him he must marry Lydia, who was quite young for him, but he did so anyway. The spirit told him, “Be kind to your wife: for she will not be with you long. She will have but one child and then die.” Indeed, the young Lydia died in childbirth 10 months later. Read more about Nelly Butler.
Marshall Point Lighthouse
This lighthouse, made famous in the movie “Forrest Gump,” also has a dark side. According to American Ghost Walks, during the Prohibition era, a young boy mistakenly stumbled across rumrunners who were using the area for their illegal operations. When they discovered him, they killed him. Locals have spoken of a ghost who roams the road leading to the lighthouse and on the ramp leading to the light. So go at night… if you dare. Read more about the haunted lighthouse.
The Tomb of Colonel Jonathan Buck
Locals and ghost story aficionados know that in the small town of Bucksport, right before you get to Ellsworth, there is a small cemetery with a tomb prominently visible with an odd stain that looks like the outline of a leg and foot. Over the years, caretakers made several attempts to remove the stain, but it always comes back. The tomb belongs to Col. Jonathan Buck, who happened to found the town of Bucksport.
The legends vary on how the leg appeared, but they all trace back to a woman with whom Buck supposedly had an illicit affair. When she became pregnant and threatened to tell the town, he accused her of witchcraft and arranged to have her either burned or hanged to death, depending on what version of the story you read. One grisly detail includes an anecdote on how the woman’s leg rolled out from the bonfire and landed at Buck’s feet. Another variation of the story, according to New England Folklore’s website, verified by The Haverhill Gazette on March 22, 1899, claims the woman cursed him and prophesied she’d leave her mark on his grave. However, those who don’t subscribe to ghostly legends maintain that the stain is actually due to a natural flaw in the stone.
But it’s more fun to think of the witch’s curse, don’t you think? Read Catching Marbles and Enchanted New England for other variations of the story.
Come visit Maine this November and December with plenty of fall festivals and holiday community events planned. Stay tuned to www.mainelobsterfestival.com each month for lobster recipes, fun things to do, and details on our summer 2025 event!
