It’s late October and Halloween is in the air. The days are getting crisper, the nights are getting longer, and ghosts and goblins are paying visits to the yards of many neighborhoods in town. It is a time when scary stories abound and two of Windham’s older cemeteries have some fascinating tales of their own.

The Brown Cemetery, located at 9 Chute Road, is one of the most famous so-called haunted places in Windham. The story goes that many years ago, two little girls were out playing in an area near the cemetery when they suddenly disappeared. It is thought they fell into an old, abandoned well or mine shaft, but their bodies were never found.

Some say that in the early morning light, the apparitions of the two little girls can be seen playing in the cemetery among the gravestones and their laughter echoes through the morning air.

Anderson Cemetery is also known to have had its share of haunted happenings. Located down a long, unmarked dirt road across River Road from the Parson Smith House, this eerie resting place is Windham’s oldest cemetery and is said to have had some paranormal activity over the years.

There have been accountings by people who have visited the cemetery and upon return to their cars, discovered that their vehicles had mysteriously moved five or six feet forward or back from where they had originally been parked. Others have rfound their car doors, which they were sure that they had shut, to be wide open when they went back to their vehicles after exploring the old graveyard.

Another tale from Anderson tells about a male spirit who occupies the old receiving tomb that is against the back wall of the cemetery. The tomb dates back to 1872 and was a gift of the Union Circle, a group composed of local women who wanted to provide a temporary resting place for the dead while their graves were being dug. According to legend, the spirit who inhabited the tomb could sometimes be heard making loud noises from inside when people visited the site.

Also at Anderson Cemetery, some have heard the sounds of children laughing and cheering nearby, though there is no school in sight. Could they be the ghosts of students who attended the long-gone Anderson School that was once located nearby?

Perhaps we’ll never know if these stories are true or not, but it does pique one’s interest to pay a visit to some of Windham’s many old and interesting cemeteries. You may not find any ghosts, but there is a lot of history in those old stones and in any case, a visit is a fascinating way to spend a little time.

Haley Pal is a Windham resident and active member of the Windham Historical Society. She can be reached at haleypal@aol.com.

Brown Cemetery on Chute Road is said to be haunted by the ghosts of two young girls.

The Anderson Tomb in Anderson Cemetery located off of River Road.

The receiving tomb in Anderson Cemetery is rumored to be occupied by a male spirit.

Copy the Story Link