Maine Paranormal - Weird Legends at the End of the U.S.

Maine is reknowned for its fall foiliage (Camden, Maine photo courtesy freefoto.com).

It's among the oldest places in the U.S., so it’s apt to have its legends of the weird and creepy. Maine has numerous tales of something unworldly all over its lovely, ancient lands.

Among the freakier finds was the Mackworth Island Tree, on Mackworth Island – an area that has a rather sinister history involving the nearby deaf school. Eventually cut down to nine feet and gutted, there are mysterious faces carved into the tree, believed to be the work of native tribes. One national TV show touted it as a haunted tree, but plenty disagree on that description, as the place is a well-known, postcard-beautiful state park.

The tree is supposedly gone now, but nearby sits a small pet cemetery which has been the cause of some rumors. Apparently, a man living in the area lovingly buried his dogs and a horse there after they passed on, setting their graves within a stone circle. Tales have grown and then flown about the local area of sightings of phantom pets because of it. Photos here.

In the little town of Boothbay, on the southwestern coast, there is the Boothbay Opera House building, built in 1894, home to some fraternal orders over the years and now apparently has an ectoplasmic resident. It’s said to wander the second floor, something talked about since the late 40’s. Sometimes it manifests itself by playing the piano, according to witnesses in 1957 and then again in 1977. This has led some to believe the musically inclined spirit is a pianist who was employed there during its time as a theater in the 1900’s.

Kennebunk is host to a ghost at the Kennebunk Inn. Even the inn’s own website describes their unpaid former employee: “Another distinctive feature of The Inn's is its ‘haunted heritage. Rumor has it that Silas Perkins, one of The Inn's clerks who passed away in the mid-twentieth century, continues to inhabit his place of former employment - his presence being made visible occasionally by flying or falling wine glasses and other objects.”

The occurrences don’t seem healthy for the employees. One incident was supposedly witnessed by several guests, as a wine glass rose off the waiter’s tray and fell to the floor. The waiter took the rest of the day off. Goblets behind the bar move or fly off the shelf – one caused a lump on an employee’s head. Chairs move around by themselves. And one ghost hunter was apparently kept awake at night by a moaning, raspy voice, among other experiences.

Perhaps the ghost was a heavy smoker.

The inn dates back to 1799.

A creepy local tale in the rural areas of Bangor talks of an 18th century witch named Eliza who terrorized those who lived in her home after her death in 1831. The house burned down in the 40’s, but some say she still did a bunch of screeching on the site afterwards. It’s a popular tale that many have grown up with, but no one seems to know where the site actually is.

Bangor is also supposedly the site of the haunting of the Brady Gang leader, Al Brady, said to haunt the downtown area.

The Lucerne Inn in Lucerne, Maine, has rumors of ghosts. Which room is spook-filled differs with each telling.

The Marshall Point lighthouse in Port Clyde has a tale of two ghosts haunting the road leading to it. It’s said a teen was murdered by a dark-bearded man once, and you can hear the man running down the road in his boots.

A cottage in town has many tales of a woman haunting the vicinity as well.