This centuries-old farmhouse in Harrisville, Rhode Island, has been known by many names over the years, including the Dexter Richardson House, the Old Arnold Manor, and the Old Brook Farm—but these days, it's primarily Known as the so-called haunted house that inspired The Conjuring . Now, it has new owners: Cory and Jennifer Heinzen just bought the “conjuring house” — and they say it’s a real-life house It's just as haunted as you imagine.
"The Conjuring," released in 2013, dramatized (and fictionalized) the events the Perron family allegedly experienced while living in Harrisville in the 1970s. Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren took on the case - and while it didn't go as smoothly in real life as it did in The Conjuring, it remains infamous. The owners, who lived in the house for decades after the Perrons moved out in the 1980s, said nothing horrific happened while they lived there; however, the sea that closed the house in June The Inzens said they have experienced some strange things.
The Heinzens themselves are paranormal enthusiasts. In fact, Cory Heinzen, a former Marine who grew up in western Maine, has been investigating the allegedly haunted site for nearly a decade, The Sun reports. During the day, he and Jennifer had been repairing the house; Eventually, they hope to open it to the public for tours. "A day at the house usually consists of routine maintenance like vacuuming and sweeping, making sure the outside looks good, and then taking care of small home projects that may need repairs," Heinzen told INSIDER. They sat on the back porch as the sun set. — but Heinzen said, "As soon as it gets dark outside, we start investigating."
By the way, the house doesn't look like the one in the movie. The film was shot in North Carolina. This is a real farmhouse in Rhode Island:
According to Cory Heinzen, so far he and Jennifer have experienced "doors that opened on their own, footsteps, disembodied voices, electronic voice phenomena, and some awesome spirit box sessions." , he recently told Insider. (Electronic Voice Phenomenon, often shortened to EVP, includes things like hearing voices in recordings or other sounds that were not present at the time of recording; meanwhile, spirit boxes allegedly allow spirits or other entities to pass through.) Heinzen also told The Sun ” , they often heard knocking sounds that are often considered evidence of a haunting. “I didn’t have any sinister feelings, but it was very busy,” he told The Sun. “You could tell there was something going on in the house. a lot of things.”
The house rose to prominence after the Perron family (parents Roger and Caroline, and children Andrea, Christine, Nancy, April and Cindy) moved into the house in 1971. Their claims that they began experiencing strange and unusual events soon after arrival were believed to have increased significantly over time. Activities reported by family members include items moving or missing, voices coming from empty rooms, doors closing on their own or refusing to open, disembodied sounds, strange smells, and even the occasional ghost. However, when it started taking its toll on the body - with Caroline bearing the brunt - they knew they were in trouble.
In The Conjuring , the Perrons go directly to the Warrens and ask for their help. In real life, however, Ed and Lorraine Warren showed up unannounced at the family's home one day, Andrea Perron told ProPublica in 2013. Almost as soon as she arrived, Lorraine announced that the house was occupied by a vicious man, Widenszeitung said. The deity known as "Bathsheba". The Warrens later identified "Bathsheba" as Bathsheba Sherman, who they said was a practicing witch or Satanist.
A fictionalized version of House Perron as seen in 2013's The Conjuring.
Bathsheba Thayer Sherman did exist; she was born in 1812 and died in 1885 at the age of 73. She is buried in Harrisville Cemetery, along with her husband (who died in 1881 at about age 70) and son (who lived into his 50s). However, according to local historians, there is no evidence that she was a witch or a Satanist, or that she did any of the reprehensible things often attributed to her in the legend, which may have been the alleged part reason. Bathsheba is no longer believed to be the soul of the land.
Of course, the underlying identities sometimes linked to so-called spirits these days can also be inaccurate. Some now believe the ghost may be Mrs. John Arnold, who committed suicide in a barn on her farm in the 18th century, the Providence Journal reported . However, according to some historians, the only person to die in this manner in Harrisville, Mrs. John Arnold, died in 1866—in the 19th century, not the 18th—and about a mile away of her own home, not the 18th century. Perrons' former home.
Whatever the true identity of the alleged spirits, the Warrens ultimately chose to hold a séance—and unlike the fictional exorcisms in The Conjuring that replaced real-life séances, this one had a less dramatic ending. success. "[Caroline] was possessed," Roger Perron told the Providence Journal in 2013. "Her whole body was contorted. ... This went on for hours until they de-demonized her. Then I kicked [the Warrens] out," he added.
After sending the Warrens away, the family lived in the house until the early 1980s—all the time, it is said, they lived with all the ghosts who allegedly occupied the house.
But of course, not everyone believed the Perrons and the Warrens' claims about what happened in that house; the Warrens, while once widely known (and still are even after both of their deaths), are not well known even in the paranormal community , also remains controversial. The jury is still out on whether the house is actually haunted, and whether such a thing as haunting exists.
What's more, when it comes to ghosts, it's hard to change anyone's mind about them —whether you believe in them or not. For example, according to a 2002 study, people who said they believed in ghosts were more likely to report paranormal activity when visiting supposedly haunted places in the UK than those who said they didn't believe in ghosts. A lot of this has to do with confirmation bias: If you already believe in ghosts, you're more likely to interpret new information as supporting your belief that ghosts exist, whereas if you're a skeptic, you're more likely to interpret new information as supporting your belief that ghosts exist. Interpreted as supporting the belief that ghosts exist. New information supports your belief that ghosts don't exist.
Is it possible that the Heinzens interpreted the strange noises and doors opening and closing as paranormal because they already believed in the paranormal? Yes. Is it possible that a skeptic would look at what the Heinzens say they experienced and say, “Well, this is an old house; this is an old house;” this might just be the fundamental fix” would Those same noises and doors opening and closing explained as plain normal phenomena because they clearly don't believe in the paranormal? Again, yes.
Still, there's no denying the historical appeal of the Dexter Richardson House/Old Arnold Manor/Old Brook Farm/ Magic House, whether you view ghosts as interesting fiction or a real phenomenon. What if the Heinzen family finally manages to open the place up to tourists? You better believe I'm going to visit Harrisville myself.
