Weekend Outlook: Haunted Houghtons, Pumpkin Parades

The Houghton Mansion on Church Street is rumored to be haunted.

Houghton Mansion Get TV Debut

Get your ghost on and tune into The Travel Channel tonight at 9 to watch an expose on the haunted happenings at the Houghton Mansion in North Adams.

The massive mansion on Church Street, built by the city's first mayor, has gained notoriety over the last few years for being the home of haunts. Now the headquarters of the local Mason's chapter, some say the century-old building contains the spirits of Houghton's daughter Mary who was killed in an automobile crash and the family's driver, who killed himself in remorse.

"The Ghost Adventures" team of Zak, Nick and Aaron were locked into the mansion in June; the results of their investigation will premiere tonight. It will also feature a number of residents, including local historian Paul Marino and Berkshire Paranormal members like Josh Mantello.

Marino provided the newspaper clippings, headlines and photos used in the episode. He also took the team on a tour of the house and of the family plot in Southview Cemetery, where the mayor, his wife, their eldest daughter and 35-year-old Mary. The plot also contains the grave of chaffeur John Widders in a far corner. "It's interesting because none of the other servants are buried there," said Marino.

Some have speculated that Widders and Mary Houghton were romantically involved, although there is no evidence of that.

In fact, Marino said one of his paranormal encounters was related to that gossipy tidbit when the New England Ghost Project was at the mansion some time ago. He was doing a walkthrough with them when they entered a back bedroom and medium Maureen Wood asked him if it had been a playroom. She and Mantello grinned at each other.

But in less than a minute, Wood was soon coughing up a storm, as it seemed to get deeper and deeper into her lungs. She gasped that she had to get out and project members rushed her outside and doused her with holy water and sage. Her cough disappeared within a few minutes. Mantello also started coughing but was able to overcome it.

"When she asked about the 'playroom,' what she was visualizing was Mary fooling around with the chaffeur," said Marino. "Somebody didn't like that and punished her. Whether that's true or not I don't know but that's how I interpreted it."

The mansion's interior was used in the 1980s for the made-for-television movie "A Mistaken Charity," about two penniless elderly ladies at the turn of that century who fled an old ladies' home to return to their own home.

Mr. Houghton's study, the kitchen, dining room, front parlor and third-floor bedroom were used for the shots. (The Park-McCullough House in North Bennington, Vt., was used for the exterior shots.) Marino had been helping out at the Masonic Temple and noticed a light on in the bedroom one night after filming was completed.

"I went there after dark with the director to move a refrigerated Coke machine back into dining room where the Masons had had it," said Marino. "When we were finished, I went up the backstairs turning on lights as I went. Just as I was about to step into the room I realized the light couldn't be on because all the light fixtures had been removed and the room had been plastered.

"The only light would have been the light I turned on coming up the stairs — and I'm sure that it wasn't on before. I turned around and did a very fast walk back down the stairs, turning off lights as I went."

Marino went back outside — but no lights were on.

After those incidents, being filmed for a nationwide show isn't a big deal. "It was interesting," said Marino, who's program director at Northern Berkshire Community Television.

This is not the mansion's first brush with paranormal investigators — members of SciFi Channel's "Ghost Hunters" show have appeared at several programs there as The Atlantic Paranormal Society, or TAPS, as well as the aforementioned New England Ghost Project.

The Masonic Temple will be open for a "Houghton Night with the Spirits" on Saturday, Nov. 1. Doors will open at noon and a speaking program begins at 1. For more information, call 413-652-7989.

"The Ghost Adventures" can be seen locally on Time Warner Cable Channel 43.

A Spooky Bedtime Story

The Visitors' Center at Western Gateway Heritage State Park
presents a dramatic reading of the "Legend of Sleepy Hollow," designed for adults Friday at 7. The Washington Irving tale will be retold as a family shadow theater puppet presentation at 2 on Saturday in the Visitors' Center along with a historical talk about Halloween. On Saturday at 7, adults can enjoy "The Haunted Depot," a guided tour of the center's Haunted Railroad Depot. The programs are free; donations are accepted. For information, call 663.6312.

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