Location: Cornwall, Connecticu Map
Found: 1740's
Abandoned: early 20th century
Dudleytown, located in a secluded valley known as the Dark Entry Forest in Cornwall, Litchfield County, Connecticut, is one of New England’s most infamous ghost towns, often called the “Village of the Damned.” This abandoned 18th-century settlement has garnered a reputation for being cursed, haunted, and plagued by tragedy, attracting historians, paranormal enthusiasts, and thrill-seekers. However, its history is a blend of documented fact, debunked myths, and persistent folklore. Below is an in-depth exploration of Dudleytown’s origins, development, decline, physical remnants, paranormal lore, and modern status, drawing on available historical and cultural context while critically examining the narratives surrounding it.
Founding and Origins (circa 1740s):
Dudleytown was never an
official town but a small, isolated section of Cornwall Township
settled in the early 1740s. The area was named after members of the
Dudley family, who were among the first settlers, though the precise
origin of the name is unclear. The settlement began with Thomas
Griffis, who acquired land in the region around 1741, followed by
Gideon Dudley in 1747. By 1753, Gideon’s brothers, Barzillai and
Abiel Dudley, joined him, along with Martin Dudley (from a different
family line) a few years later. Other families, including the
Tanners, Joneses, Pattersons, Dibbles, and Porters, also settled in
the area, forming a modest farming and mining community.
The
settlement was situated in a valley surrounded by three hills—Bald
Mountain, Coltsfoot Mountain, and an unnamed ridge—creating a
shadowy environment dubbed the Dark Entry Forest due to the dense
tree cover and limited sunlight. The land, originally occupied by
the Mohawk Nation and considered sacred, was rocky and poorly suited
for agriculture, which shaped the community’s economic struggles.
Community and Economy:
Dudleytown’s residents primarily
engaged in subsistence farming and small-scale mining. The discovery
of iron ore in the region shifted focus from agriculture to timber
production and charcoal making, which fueled Litchfield County’s
iron furnaces in Cornwall and nearby towns. The community’s peak
population, recorded in an 1854 map, was approximately 26 families,
making it a small but functional settlement. The absence of
essential amenities like shops, schools, or churches meant residents
relied on nearby Cornwall for supplies, education, and burials, as
Dudleytown lacked a cemetery.
The settlement’s isolation,
nestled between hills, made transportation and trade challenging.
Roads like Dark Entry and Dudleytown Roads were narrow carriage
trails, now reduced to hiking paths. Despite these hardships, the
community thrived modestly for a time, with families building homes
and stone walls that still dot the landscape.
Social and
Cultural Context:
Dudleytown’s residents were typical of early
New England settlers, facing harsh winters, limited resources, and
the cultural anxieties of the time, including fears of Native
American conflicts and superstition about witchcraft. The presence
of the Dudley family, in particular, has fueled much of the
settlement’s lore, with myths linking them to a curse originating in
England. However, historical records show no genealogical connection
between the Cornwall Dudleys and Edmund Dudley, an English nobleman
executed for treason under Henry VII, debunking claims of a
transatlantic curse.
Development and Decline
Peak and
Challenges (1740s–1800s):
At its height, Dudleytown was a small
but active community, with families working the land and
contributing to the regional iron industry. The settlement’s economy
relied heavily on timber, burned to produce charcoal for iron
smelting, as the rocky soil was unsuitable for large-scale farming.
The community’s remote location, lack of clean drinking water, and
poor soil quality posed constant challenges, limiting growth.
Several documented tragedies occurred during this period, though
many have been exaggerated in folklore:
Nathaniel Carter
Family (1759–1764): Six members of the Carter family died of a
mysterious illness, likely cholera, during their time in Dudleytown.
After relocating to Binghamton, New York, surviving family members
were reportedly killed by Native Americans, though some accounts
claim this occurred in Dudleytown.
Gershon Hollister (1792):
Hollister died while building a barn for William Tanner, who later
claimed to see strange creatures in the woods and reportedly went
insane.
Sarah Faye Swift (1804): Sarah, wife of Revolutionary War
General Heman Swift, was struck by lightning on their porch and
died. Swift reportedly went mad from grief.
Mary Cheney Greeley
(1872): Mary, wife of presidential candidate Horace Greeley,
committed suicide in Dudleytown, where she had lived, a week before
the election. Greeley died a month later.
These events, while
tragic, were not uncommon in early American settlements, where
disease, accidents, and harsh conditions claimed many lives.
Historians argue that Dudleytown’s decline was driven by practical
factors rather than supernatural ones.
Abandonment (Late 19th
to Early 20th Century):
By the mid-19th century, Dudleytown’s
population began to dwindle. The opening of fertile lands in the
Midwest, coupled with the decline of the local iron industry,
prompted residents to leave for better opportunities. The
settlement’s unsuitable farmland and isolation further accelerated
its decline. By the early 1900s, Dudleytown was completely
abandoned, with the last family, the Broes, leaving after a series
of misfortunes: the mother died of tuberculosis, the sons fled after
theft accusations, and the patriarch, John Broe, disappeared after
his home burned down.
In 1924, Dr. William Clarke, a New York
cancer specialist, purchased 1,000 acres, including Dudleytown,
intending to use it as a summer retreat. According to legend,
Clarke’s wife went insane during his absence, though historical
records suggest she lived out her life in a mental hospital for
unrelated reasons. Clarke helped establish the Dark Entry Forest
Association, a private land trust that reforested the area and has
owned the property since.
Dudleytown’s remnants are minimal, swallowed by the dense forest of
the Dark Entry Forest. The site includes:
Cellar Holes and
Foundations: Scattered stone foundations and cellar holes mark the
locations of former homes, though no intact buildings remain. These
ruins are overgrown with moss and leaves, blending into the forest
floor.
Stone Walls: Low stone walls, built by settlers to mark
property lines or contain livestock, snake through the woods, a
testament to the area’s agricultural past.
Dark Entry and Dudleytown
Roads: Once carriage trails, these are now narrow hiking paths, barely
discernible in places, leading through the forested valley.
Natural
Setting: The valley’s dense tree canopy and surrounding hills create a
perpetually dim, eerie atmosphere, with the Housatonic River and nearby
mountains adding to the remote feel.
Access and Preservation:
Dudleytown is private property, owned by the Dark Entry Forest
Association since 1924, and closed to the public due to vandalism,
littering, and trespassing. The association has worked to restore the
forest to its pre-colonial state, but the site’s haunted reputation has
drawn unwanted attention. Trespassers face fines starting at $75, and
local police actively patrol the area, particularly along access roads
like Dark Entry Road. The Cornwall Historical Society has attempted to
preserve the site’s history while debunking myths, but access remains
strictly prohibited.
Origins of the Curse Myth:
Dudleytown’s haunted reputation stems
from a supposed curse linked to the Dudley family, allegedly originating
with Edmund Dudley’s execution in England in 1510. The myth claims the
curse followed the Dudleys to America, causing madness, death, and
misfortune in Dudleytown. However, genealogical research by Reverend
Gary Dudley and others confirms no connection between the Cornwall
Dudleys and Edmund Dudley, whose descendants remained in Europe.
The curse narrative gained traction in 1926 with Edward C. Starr’s
History of Cornwall, which included fictionalized accounts of
Dudleytown’s residents. The myth exploded in the 1970s when paranormal
investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren declared the site “demonically
possessed” in a televised Halloween special, drawing comparisons to
their Amityville Horror investigations.
Reported Phenomena:
Visitors and ghost hunters have reported a range of supernatural
experiences, though many are anecdotal and unverified:
Auditory
Phenomena: Disembodied voices, whispers, and screams, often attributed
to the Carter family or Gershon Hollister. Some report an unnatural
silence, with no wildlife sounds, which is unusual for Connecticut’s
forests.
Visual Apparitions: Shadowy figures, orbs, and silhouettes,
including sightings of a “demon-like creature” in the woods.
Physical
Sensations: Feelings of being watched, sudden cold winds, phantom
touches, and unexplained scratches or bruises.
Environmental
Anomalies: Malfunctioning electronics, such as GPS devices spinning
erratically near the site, and a supposed toxic mist called “Devil’s
Breath,” blamed large rockfalls along the Mile of Ledges trail in
Burlington, CT, provided an enclave of temporary safety for these
fleeing loyalists. But the small caves here weren’t enough to quell the
indifferences of brutal colonial Connecticut winters. Many Tories who
took refuge in these caves met a tormented and frigid end in this
forest. So it’s no wonder that formless whisperers and apparitional
sentries guard the caves’ entries and torment hikers brave enough to
enter these dark and soot-soiled bunkers.
Skeptical Perspectives:
Skeptics, including the Cornwall Historical Society and residents like
Dr. John F. Leich, argue that Dudleytown’s tragedies were typical of
colonial life. Poor soil, isolation, and diseases like cholera explain
the settlement’s decline, while moldy rye (containing hallucinogenic
ergot) may have caused visions of “ghosts.” The eerie silence could
result from the valley’s acoustics, and orbs in photos are likely dust
or moisture. Locals view the curse as a fabrication, amplified by media
and ghost-hunting culture.
Cultural Impact:
Dudleytown’s
legend grew with media coverage, notably after Dan Aykroyd called it the
“most haunted place on earth” in a 1993 Playboy interview (mistakenly
placing it in Massachusetts) and the 1999 release of The Blair Witch
Project, which increased interest in haunted forests. The site has been
featured in books, podcasts, and paranormal TV shows, cementing its
status as a New England folklore staple. However, locals resent the
attention, citing vandalism and disruption by ghost hunters.
Trespassing and Vandalism:
Since the 1980s, Dudleytown has faced
rampant trespassing, fueled by its haunted reputation. Ghost hunters,
inspired by the Warrens and The Blair Witch Project, have littered,
started fires, and damaged ruins, prompting the Dark Entry Forest
Association to close the site. Police arrests and fines are common, and
locals are vigilant about reporting suspicious activity.
Historical Research:
The Cornwall Historical Society, led by figures
like Harriet Clark and Michael Gannett, has worked to debunk the curse
myth, emphasizing Dudleytown’s mundane decline. However, limited primary
sources and the allure of the supernatural keep the legend alive.
Paranormal Investigations:
Modern investigations, like those by
Nicholas Grossman, report an “inter-dimensional” energy and phenomena
like waving ferns without wind, though skeptics dismiss these as
imagination or natural effects. The site’s inaccessibility limits formal
studies, and most accounts are anecdotal, shared on platforms like
Reddit or paranormal blogs.