| Taunton is often misunderstood by outsiders to Bristol County. It is often thought of as a small town, confused with other towns of the state. Locals understand Taunton’s place in Massachusetts past an present and see it as the center of that part of the state. Officially a city and not a town, it boasts the largest land area of any city in Massachusetts, including Boston. Like all of the towns in Bristol County there are reports of strange things in the woods and laughter from its rural cemeteries, but the real terror of the city was born in one of its institutions.
Taunton State Hospital first opened in 1854 to alleviate the strain felt by the state hospital in Worcester. Originally named the State Lunatic Asylum in Taunton, it is one of several state building designed by Thomas Kirkbridge, the leading architect of hospitals at the time. Over time most of the hospital has closed due to disrepair. The hospital is now a secure lockup and mental health facility in use by Massachusetts’ Department of Youth Services, Department of Social Services and the Department of Mental Health. It houses convicted juvenile offenders and offers care to wards of the state and the youth of Massachusetts with specific and nonspecific mental health issues that have a history of violent behavior. It now goes by the nickname Taunton Secure and has created fear among its residents and staff. Given the nature of the clientele, the history of the building and the highly emotional energy of the building, it is not surprising you can find several different spirits calling the jail home. During its days as an asylum for the insane there were rumors of cult activity at the hospital. Some even say this caused its initial closing. Staff members would bring their more incapacitated patient down into the basement to conduct bizarre rituals to Satan. The stories even tell of several patients sacrificed and the appearance of the Devil himself. Regardless of the rumors, the basement still has unexplained markings on the walls. What lends credibility to the stories are the numerous accounts of people who have gone into the basement. Staff, uniformed about the history of what has happened there, have reported cold spots that move with them throughout. Many residents, most of whom have been hardened by their history of crime and time spent in similar facilities have lost privileges because of their refusal to go down for chores. One staff member claimed he reached the final step only to feel himself stop. He closed his eyes and felt as if he were experiencing the awful things that had happened there in vivid detail. He quit the next day and still has trouble describing what he saw. The evil does not stay in the basement though. Residents have had their lights turn on and off in the middle of the night. Many have also experienced a shadowy man who appears out of nowhere. At times he is not much more than a shadow having no specific form and moving as if crawling across the wall. Other times he is more solid although somewhat stretched out. Three things remain constant in the report however; his face can never be seen, he is always described as being male and he appears in the corner of the resident’s room in the middle of the night and stands as if watching them. The area outside Taunton Secure has gained a reputation as well. The grounds and the architecture of the buildings has been described as Gothic and beautiful, but the whole property is now off limits to the people with cameras that used to stroll the area and run road races across its lawn. In a cemetery just off the property one resident had an experienced that changed his life. He was able to find a way out of the facility and decided to hide in the cemetery to lay low and plan where he would spend the night. As he crouched near a tombstone he felt cold hands on his shoulder. Thinking he had been caught, he raised his arms and turned around. There was no one there but he heard a faint voice whisper the word, “leave.” He walked back to the building barely able to breath and turned himself in. |
| The Cursed County |
| Taunton |
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