When I think of Huntress Hall, the first thing that comes into my mind is the fact that it’s haunted.
Harriet Huntress is known to roam the building, terrorizing couples late into the night. I did not learn about Harriet until after I moved into Huntress, which I can admit scared me a little bit. But like every horror movie that exists, when you hear of a ghost, you need to know more. I did some research with the aid of a friend, freshman Lily Rose, and after extensive research of the ghost stories in Huntress, we realized we probably should not have done this at night right before going to bed, but nonetheless, we figured out Harriet’s story.
She was born in what is now Center Harbour, N.H. on Nov. 30, 1860. Her father was the owner of the Senter House, a resort on Lake Winnipesaukee. Being born there myself, hearing she was from the same area frightened me a little. The Senter House was a staple and tourist attraction until it burned in 1887, and it was replaced by the Colonial Hotel, which also burned in 1919. The site remains unoccupied, except for a gondola and a lawn.
Harriet’s ancestors were Irish, some of the first people in the United States. Harriet graduated from Prospect Hill School in Greenfield, Mass. in 1879. She moved to Concord, N.H., where she was highly respected.
She went on to become the deputy superintendent of public instruction in New Hampshire, becoming the first woman to do so in New England. Additionally, she was the treasurer of the New Hampshire Equal Suffrage Association and a supporter of the Unitarian church. She had an active role in the community, at our very own Keene State, originally known as the Keene Normal School in 1909 and changed to Keene Teachers College until 1963. She was confined to a wheelchair for the last few years of her life before she passed away at the age of 61 in 1922 from spinal cancer, and Huntress Hall was named in her honor.
Harriet’s hauntings began during WWll, when U.S. Naval pilot trainees were moved into Huntress Hall. This building was an all-female dorm at the time, and when Harriet was alive, she was one to enforce the rule that girls and boys should be separated because of the standards of woman and marriage in the 19th century.
Women were seen as inferior at the time, and that they were a gift from God to aid their future husbands. It was very strict that their clothes would cover every inch of their body so they wouldn’t “excite” the single men. Women were not allowed to touch men with their bare hands until marriage.
The hauntings are usually on the third floor, because of the rumor that Harriet’s wheelchair was kept in the attic in a cage bolted to the floor. It was said that couples would be haunted when they were alone, and that sometimes people could see her apparition standing in the corner of the room or her face would appear in a mirror near the couple.
The most typical thing reported is the squeaking of her wheelchair in the attic. People also reported sounds of whispers while they were alone in the bathrooms, as well as screaming. Doors have also mysteriously slammed, as well as lights flickering whenever a couple was present. According to the Director of Community Living at Huntress Kevin Ingram, hauntings would only happen after a boy would leave, and the girl would be haunted instead. My orientation leader, senior Hannah Owen, said that when she lived in Huntress as a first-year, objects would randomly fall over in the rooms. An anonymous community assistant (CA) said that he was here alone in the building once, and he heard footsteps echoing in one of the hallways.
That’s probably the side of the story that you have heard, but what if I told you there was more? After finishing reading, I knew there was something that seemed off. Harriet died in Concord N.H., making me curious why her wheelchair was brought to Keene.
I asked Ingram about it, and he said the wheelchair was moved out of the building a few years ago, making me curious if it was moved to a historical site or museum, a more suitable place for this piece of history.
My friend, freshman Nick Sillo, said he heard the wheelchair was in the Hale building. When arriving at the building, the receptionist told us it was in the basement, and offered to bring us down. There it was. I was within five feet of a historical artifact hidden in a storage room. I can only hope I haven’t been cursed by Harriet herself.
Following my intense inquiries and adventures, a single question still lingered: Does Harriet Huntress actually haunt Huntress Hall?
After extensive research, I’ve come to the conclusion that it is not Harriet haunting this building.
She died in Concord, N.H,. and she was buried in Cambridge, Mass. Her death was four years before Huntress was built in 1926, making her and the building mutually exclusive. If there was any chance she was haunting this building, her spirit must have been attached to that wheelchair, which resides in the Hale Building.
What interests me are the footsteps heard instead of the squeaking of the wheelchair. She was in a wheelchair long before she died, meaning the footsteps could be one of two things: Either a living being or a different spirit haunting Huntress Hall.
I am led to believe that there was an accident that happened in the building during WWII that led to the death of a misfortunate pilot trainee, and it’s him that’s haunting the building instead. I refer to this ghost as ‘Jerry.’ My main suspicion of his death is alcohol poisoning, but I cannot find anything about any deaths in this building.
This incident would explain the footsteps, and the fact the hauntings are on the third floor because of that common room being on that floor. However, there is no solid evidence that this building is haunted at all, other than the paranormal activities that have been reported in this building. Even with the lack of solid evidence, I believe this is more of a reasonable explanation than Harriet haunting this building.
Hayley Doda can be contacted
at hdoda@kscequinox.com
