The recently closed St. Stephen's Church on South Main Street in the Dodgeville was first established as a mission church in 1875. The church became a parish church in 1885 when French-Canadians began settling the area to work in area mills. In May of this year, due to declining attendance and fewer available priests, St. Stephen's merged with St. Mary's in Seekonk forming the new Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Parish at Seekonk site.
"And then, again the ghost of Doris Doucette started walking," Plainville resident, Lyn Gorman said. "Anytime something of significance happened in Attleboro, two year old Doris and her parents, Albertine and Eugene would start wandering the cemetery roadways."
According to several shivery ghost stories, Gorman listened to as a child broadcast on Attleboro's own WARA radio station, spooky events occurred and continue to occur in this cemetery. "When one of the older mayors of Attleboro died, Doris and her parents' footsteps were reported to be heard walking around the cemetery."
Their grave marker or one of their family's grave markers used to glow green! That is until cemetery caretaker readjusted or tilted the stone a bit and then their stone glowed red. Attleboro resident, Ryan Cochrane who lives near the cemetery, debunks the stone part of this story. " I remember the glowing grave actually showing up on television's Unsolved Mysteries, but in the end, people found out that the light was actually being reflected from someone's house back through the woods off the stone," he said. "Sometimes there's extra traffic driving through the cemetery, mostly high school kids trying to get a look at the stone.
"After the stone was moved, I don't think it ever glowed again." Cochrane laughed. "And no, I never did hear Doris's footsteps!"
"I think the stone was limestone which glows at a certain temperature," Gorman said.
There is a hidden message in the Doucette name. DO-U-C-ETTE? Do you see it?? Do you see the glow? Do you see Doris?
In order to gain the full experience, individuals will have to drive into the cemetery from South Main Street and turn left at the large crucifix. Once they drive over a small rise, they will see an orange chain.
Rumor has it that if the driver flashed their headlights two times, turned off the car's engine and waited a man or an apparition of a man will emerge and will tell you where to find the cemetery spirits.
The hours of this cemetery are sunrise to sunset, so in order to try this you must do so during the day.
"I have heard of frequent sighting of apparitions in the cemetery," commented Attleboro resident Gail Marshall. "When the neighborhood kids were younger many of them claimed to see apparitions and feel strange forces or presences. Definitely there are things happening over there not easily explained!"
An urban legend is a contemporary folk tale. It is a story told by a "friend of a friend" who witnessed some sort of unusual but plausible event. It's a pretty good story that circulates around for many years with many believers but with many credibility gaps. The story about strange happenings in St. Stephen's Cemetery is enthusiastically retold by students at Attleboro High School.
Other stories of spooks in Attleboro include a Victorian lady appearing on the landing of the grand staircase at the old 1907 Sweet House, which is now the Literacy Center, a poltergeist moving furniture around in the old Casino in Capron Park, which is now the Forestry Department and one about ghosts of children that appear and disappear at the old Bristol Nursing Home, which is now the Grace Baptist School on Oakhill Avenue.
In This article
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The Literacy Center
80 N Main St, Attleboro, MA -
Capron Park
201 County St, Attleboro, MA -
Grace Baptist Church/ Grace Baptist Christian Academy
1000 Oakhill Ave, Attleboro, MA
stacy pedini
12:16 am on Thursday, November 4, 2010
Ive lived next to these two cemeteries for 20 years. The man that is supposed to appear if you flash your lights was a real man! his name was Bob. Looking back at it now, it is strange that Bob would give anyone who would believe a tour of the cemetery. I, my sister, and my brother have all witnessed strange occurances in these two cemeteries and in the woods between them. About 15 years ago, my brother and his friends were playing in the dirt between the cemeteries and kicked up human bones! apparently there are many unmarked graves and errosion has taken its toll on the cemetery. He has heard a little girl singing "twinkle, twinkle little star" Ihave seen many figures in these cemetries. I have heard native american drums in the dead of night. The hauntings are even in my house as well. Ihave seen figures in daylight in the woods behind the mill. As for the glowing grave, I have never seen it. I believe it was a house light. But things in those woods are just not right and you can feel it anytime of day.
Jo
9:12 am on Saturday, May 21, 2011
I grew up in Attleboro and I've been to ALL of these places. Bristol Nursing Home is creepy, but nobody that I know has ever seen a ghost. I've been in the nursing home many times myself, and there was nothing unusual about it. And there was only a very short time that it was empty. The Sweet House is not the Literacy Center. The Sweet House is a one story building that you can rent out... my aunt had her bridal shower there. I went when I was about 12 years old to the glowing green gravestone... it was glowing green. But if you turned around and faced the direction the gravestone was facing, you could clearly see a white house that had one green lightbulb and one red lightbulb. Even at 12 I figured that one out. I lost faith in Unsolved Mysteries when they had that on the show and didn't reveal the true cause. I've no doubt that it glowed red when the stone was tilted. And I've no doubt that it has stopped glowing, since, the last time I visited, the green and red bulbs on the house were replaced with regular bulbs.
Melissa Riley
11:02 am on Saturday, May 21, 2011
Hi Jo, This story was about Attleboro urban legends (The definition of an urban legend is in the article.) that Halloween readers may or may not have heard before but still would enjoy. There are 2 Sweet Houses in Attleboro. The one I am referring to is now the Literacy Center which was once the home of Mayor Sweet.
David Kuras
10:00 pm on Thursday, June 16, 2011
Wow did this bring back memories of High School. In 98 or 99 we spent a lot of time there with Bob. I also remember Doris' grave always had a stuffed animal or something there. We used to be there all night untill the priest or someone started calling the cops on us. Ill tell you one thing. That place is freaky. I swear i've seen things. Good article.
Elissa Pawluch Roth
7:29 pm on Monday, September 10, 2012
I have heard the leaves rustling like someone started running through them,there was no wind that night,it was a warm fall night. I also witnessed a black looming apparition behind the boy I was dating at the time. He was doing the walk down the path towards the two stone benches toward the dirt clearing in the back. Spirits were not pleased we were bothering them that evening. This was back in '96.
Elissa Pawluch Roth
7:36 pm on Monday, September 10, 2012
Also,the Sweet Mansion is indeed haunted. Back in the 70's or 80's the house was for sale. My mother,grandmother and uncle went to check it out as my grandmother was interested in living there. My mom and uncle went up to the third floor in which the owners reply was go up there if you want...almost with a "if you dare" tone to it. Once up there all the doors to the rooms were open except one. My mom went in first and immediately felt freezing and she stepped in a young misty girl made herself present. She said nothing to my uncle,but let him in next. He experienced the same. The both said nothing until they left the house and when outside,started to freak out a bit and say Oh my God that Room. Did you see that??? They hadn't wanted to scare my Grandmother while she was still in there. My mom says she will never forget the misty face and dress she saw that day up in the room with the circular porch......