Hauntings of the Oliver House
The Peter Oliver House in Middleborough, Massachusetts, is a dramatic colonial home full of history and intrigue. Built in 1769, this Georgian-style mansion was the residence of Dr. Peter Oliver, the son of Judge Peter Oliver, a prominent Loyalist of the American Revolution. Over the centuries, the house has witnessed political turmoil, personal loss, and cultural shifts, all of which have made it one of New England’s most haunted sites.
Today, the house is a historic site with a bed and breakfast, inviting people to explore its rich history and witness its ghostly activity firsthand.
Like the notorious Lizzie Borden House, the Oliver House offers ghost tours and overnight stays that appeal to history enthusiasts and ghost hunters. Tourists often experience unexplained voices, apparitions, and shivering feelings that only suggest the existence of remaining spirits from previous occupants.
Book a ghost tour at the Lizzie Borden House for a rare opportunity to encounter the ghosts of this historic haunted home’s restless past.
Who Haunts the Peter Oliver House?
The Oliver House is said to be haunted by a host of spirits, including members of the Oliver and Sproat families, a sorrowful chambermaid and her fiancé, lost children, and even the restless souls of the Wampanoag people.
Visitors and investigators frequently report seeing full-body apparitions, hearing disembodied voices, and experiencing unexplained cold spots throughout the home. Among the most famous spirits is Bethania Sproat, whose life of loss and heartbreak is said to linger in the house to this day.
History of the Oliver House
The Peter Oliver House was built in 1769 by Judge Peter Oliver, the Chief Justice of the Superior Court. He built this home as a marriage gift for his son, Dr. Peter Oliver, and his wife, Sally Hutchinson, daughter of Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Thomas Hutchinson.
The groom and bride were married in 1770 and raised their children in the house. The Olivers hosted dignified guests such as Benjamin Franklin and Governor Hutchinson. The house, a focal point for colonial society, reflected their status as leading Loyalists during a growing revolutionary unrest.
As tensions escalated, the Oliver family grew increasingly hostile targets due to their allegiance to the British Crown. By 1774, mobs coerced Dr. Oliver into renouncing any royal commissions, and by 1776, the family fled to England.
Revolutionaries burned down the larger Oliver Hall during this period, but the smaller Oliver House survived intact. The state seized the site and passed through various hands before Oliver’s descendants restored it to its original condition in the 20th century.
In the 19th century, the estate was home to the Sproat family, led by Bethania Sproat, whose tragic and sorrowful life was stamped upon the property. Today, the property is a historic house with a bed and breakfast and more than a few ghost stories.
Hauntings of The Peter Oliver House
The Peter Oliver House is renowned for its high level of ghostly activity, which draws ghost hunters and curious visitors alike. Activities reported include full-bodied apparitions, unexplained footsteps, disembodied voices heard on electronic voice phenomena (EVP) recordings, and unexplained movement of objects.
The house’s placement within the Bridgewater Triangle, a region famous for ghostly activity, is claimed to heighten its ghostly vibrations. Ghost tours and ghost hunting tours are offered daily, allowing visitors to experience the events firsthand.
Bethania Sproat: The Enduring Matriarch
Bethania Sproat is one of the most prominent spirits believed to inhabit the Oliver House. Born as Bethania Weston, she lived her entire life in the home, marrying Earl Sproat and raising her family within its historic walls.
Her time at the Oliver House was marked by profound sorrow, a miscarriage. She then lost two other children: her daughter Abigail, who died tragically at age two after an accident with scalding water, and her son James, who succumbed to pneumonia just a few years later.
Bethania ultimately passed away in the house at nearly 90 years old, after decades of heartbreak and resilience. Many believe her spirit remains, drawn by her deep attachment to the home and her enduring love for her lost children.
Ghostly investigators have reported communicating with her during séances, receiving gentle messages such as “God loves you,” and several guests have described seeing a thin woman in period dress quietly observing them before vanishing into thin air.
The Ghostly Children
The sorrowful history of childhood loss at the Peter Oliver House is thought to have left a lingering spiritual imprint. Visitors and staff frequently report hearing the faint sounds of children’s laughter echoing through empty rooms, the soft patter of small footsteps on the stairs, and fleeting glimpses of young faces peering from behind doors or windows.
These playful yet poignant manifestations are believed to be the spirits of Abigail and James Sproat and other children who died in the house over its centuries-long history.
Their presence is often felt in the upstairs bedrooms and hallways, adding a bittersweet layer to the estate’s haunted reputation.
The Apparition in the Closet
One of the most unnerving and well-documented encounters at the Peter Oliver House involves the apparition of a young girl seen in a second-floor bedroom closet.
A tour guide recounted a chilling experience of coming face-to-face with the ghostly figure, who stared at her silently for a moment before disappearing into the wall.
Multiple witnesses have corroborated this story, which is frequently shared during ghost tours. This further fuels the house’s reputation for full-bodied apparitions and unexplained phenomena. Such encounters leave a lasting impression on visitors, many of whom describe the experience as life-changing.
The Wampanoag Spirits
Far earlier than the Olivers or Sproats, the land upon which the house stands was home to the Wampanoag tribe. With English settlement and disease, the woods behind the house were used as a cemetery for an estimated 1,500 Native Americans.
Many of these visitors have spoken about being watched among the trees, hearing whispered chanting, or even sensing flashes of black human-like shadows.
The strongest and most evocative feelings of unease come from a pair of still apparent Wampanoag burial mounds behind a structure.
The Loyalist Presence
The previous Oliver family, particularly Judge Peter Oliver and his son Dr. Peter Oliver, is rumored to haunt the mansion, too. As Loyalists, their forced evacuation from America in the American Revolution left them a legacy of displacement and loss.
Some researchers have experienced hearing voices with a British accent ordering them to “Who walks there?” or “Get out,” especially downstairs and in the bedrooms. Dark male figures are standing in doorway positions and at the top of the stairs.
Unexplained footsteps have been heard late at night, suggesting that the Olivers may still be patrolling their old house, unable or unwilling to leave the grounds of their salacious family drama.
Haunted Middleborough
The Oliver House is a testament to Middleborough’s rich history and ghostly lore. Its blend of colonial grandeur, revolutionary drama, and haunting tragedies creates an atmosphere unlike any other in Massachusetts.
Whether you are a history buff, a ghost enthusiast, or simply curious, the Oliver House offers an unforgettable experience filled with mystery and intrigue.
Book a tour at the Lizzie Borden House to explore more spine-tingling tales, where history and hauntings intertwine.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, and keep reading our blog for more real Massachusetts hauntings.
Sources:
- https://theimpactnews.com/columnists/retired-columnists/to-be-perfectly-frank/2020/12/22/secrets-of-the-oliver-house/
- https://theclio.com/entry/73514
- https://wbsm.com/middleboro-oliver-estate-paranormal-ghost-video/
- https://paraflixx.vhx.tv/videos/the-ghost-finders-peter-oliver-s-house-episode-03-season-11-paraflixx-paranormal-plus
