A Night at the Opera: Thomaston, CT
They moved the graves. It sounds like a familiar horror movie plot, but in
Thomaston, it is history.
As a growing community, on a direct railroad line to New York, it was decided
that the town of Thomaston would benefit greatly from the construction of a multi-
use building. The ideal place was in the center of town, which is where the
original town cemetery was located. Construction of the Opera House began in
1883, after the remains of the dead were unearthed and relocated. Those bodies
now reside in the ancient section of Hillside Cemetery.
Perhaps some of the ghost stories attributed to the Thomaston Opera House stem
from the idea that it stands on the site of the old cemetery. But what is most
interesting is the similarity of stories, from different people, over the decades.
Construction was completed in 1884, at a cost of about $50,000. Materials came
from the Seth Thomas Brick Factory and the Plymouth Granite quarry. Some of
the features included gold filigree railings, frescos and ornate moldings.
Removable seats allowed for the space to be transformed into an elegant
ballroom. It gave ordinary citizens a chance to experience luxury, while the
railroad supplied means for traveling shows. It was also used as a meeting place
for a variety of community groups before it was converted into a movie theater in
the 1930’s.
After a while, the building fell into disrepair and was condemned in 1963. Talks
of demolishing it moved the town to action and the Opera House Commission
was created 1967. Great efforts were put into the restoration and it became
home to a beautiful Marr & Colton Theater Organ in 1971. The organ itself is
the center of several of the ghost stories, as it is rumored to play by itself during
the night of a full moon.
The most common story is that the Opera House is haunted by the ghost of an old
man. Locals call him “Butch”, possibly referring to a fireman named Butch
Wehrle, who allegedly hung himself in the attic of the attached firehouse. A
quick search of the internet will yield you claims that eight people perished in a
fire here, while another site states those same eight people died in the flood of
1955. There is no evidence to support that anyone died in the Opera House
itself. Several people have described a feeling of being watched, hearing
footsteps, smelling pipe tobacco, doors closing and lights turning off by
themselves. Many have stated that they get a ‘creepy feeling’ when they are in
the old box office, which is located over the dirt section of the basement.
During our pre-investigation, the manager described that same feeling of being
watched and has also heard unexplained footsteps. We were told that once
during a rehearsal, when everyone was on stage, several of the cast members
witnessed something move in the balcony. One woman heard her name called
from the horseshoe, which is the area above the stage, but no one was up there.
Others claimed to have seen a shadowy figure standing in a doorway at the end
of one of the hallways.
On the night of our investigation we set up video feeds from several different
angles to capture as much area as possible. We explored every section with our
handheld infrared cameras and EMF (electromagnetic field) detectors. We ran
EVP (electronic voice phenomenon) sessions on the stage, horseshoe, dressing
room, basement, and even in the clock tower. Our K-9 investigator didn’t pick
up on any unusual activity, but she was attracted to the same area of the balcony
where our Sensitive indicated that she saw spirits.
With the political turmoil surrounding the Opera House, which included a huge
debt to the town of Thomaston, the NWCPS decided to incorporate our
investigation, and any findings, into a fundraising presentation to benefit the
Opera House. We teamed up with Digital-i Productions to create a mini-
documentary, which the Opera House could sell on DVD for additional
fundraising. With the exception of one photo that we are analyzing, we did not
find any evidence to support any of the stories. However, we were not able to
debunk any of the myths either. With a space this size, we truly need several
days to do a proper investigation. Unfortunately, with rehearsals and show
scheduling, we were not able to go back in for a follow-up and did not collect
enough footage to finish the documentary before they closed for business. The
Thomaston Opera House Commission is currently seeking a private theater group
to take over and utilize the space. The Northwest Connecticut Paranormal
Society is looking forward to the opportunity to perform an encore investigation
in this beautiful, historic landmark.
By, Laura Fitch
They moved the graves. It sounds like a familiar horror movie plot, but in
Thomaston, it is history.
As a growing community, on a direct railroad line to New York, it was decided
that the town of Thomaston would benefit greatly from the construction of a multi-
use building. The ideal place was in the center of town, which is where the
original town cemetery was located. Construction of the Opera House began in
1883, after the remains of the dead were unearthed and relocated. Those bodies
now reside in the ancient section of Hillside Cemetery.
Perhaps some of the ghost stories attributed to the Thomaston Opera House stem
from the idea that it stands on the site of the old cemetery. But what is most
interesting is the similarity of stories, from different people, over the decades.
Construction was completed in 1884, at a cost of about $50,000. Materials came
from the Seth Thomas Brick Factory and the Plymouth Granite quarry. Some of
the features included gold filigree railings, frescos and ornate moldings.
Removable seats allowed for the space to be transformed into an elegant
ballroom. It gave ordinary citizens a chance to experience luxury, while the
railroad supplied means for traveling shows. It was also used as a meeting place
for a variety of community groups before it was converted into a movie theater in
the 1930’s.
After a while, the building fell into disrepair and was condemned in 1963. Talks
of demolishing it moved the town to action and the Opera House Commission
was created 1967. Great efforts were put into the restoration and it became
home to a beautiful Marr & Colton Theater Organ in 1971. The organ itself is
the center of several of the ghost stories, as it is rumored to play by itself during
the night of a full moon.
The most common story is that the Opera House is haunted by the ghost of an old
man. Locals call him “Butch”, possibly referring to a fireman named Butch
Wehrle, who allegedly hung himself in the attic of the attached firehouse. A
quick search of the internet will yield you claims that eight people perished in a
fire here, while another site states those same eight people died in the flood of
1955. There is no evidence to support that anyone died in the Opera House
itself. Several people have described a feeling of being watched, hearing
footsteps, smelling pipe tobacco, doors closing and lights turning off by
themselves. Many have stated that they get a ‘creepy feeling’ when they are in
the old box office, which is located over the dirt section of the basement.
During our pre-investigation, the manager described that same feeling of being
watched and has also heard unexplained footsteps. We were told that once
during a rehearsal, when everyone was on stage, several of the cast members
witnessed something move in the balcony. One woman heard her name called
from the horseshoe, which is the area above the stage, but no one was up there.
Others claimed to have seen a shadowy figure standing in a doorway at the end
of one of the hallways.
On the night of our investigation we set up video feeds from several different
angles to capture as much area as possible. We explored every section with our
handheld infrared cameras and EMF (electromagnetic field) detectors. We ran
EVP (electronic voice phenomenon) sessions on the stage, horseshoe, dressing
room, basement, and even in the clock tower. Our K-9 investigator didn’t pick
up on any unusual activity, but she was attracted to the same area of the balcony
where our Sensitive indicated that she saw spirits.
With the political turmoil surrounding the Opera House, which included a huge
debt to the town of Thomaston, the NWCPS decided to incorporate our
investigation, and any findings, into a fundraising presentation to benefit the
Opera House. We teamed up with Digital-i Productions to create a mini-
documentary, which the Opera House could sell on DVD for additional
fundraising. With the exception of one photo that we are analyzing, we did not
find any evidence to support any of the stories. However, we were not able to
debunk any of the myths either. With a space this size, we truly need several
days to do a proper investigation. Unfortunately, with rehearsals and show
scheduling, we were not able to go back in for a follow-up and did not collect
enough footage to finish the documentary before they closed for business. The
Thomaston Opera House Commission is currently seeking a private theater group
to take over and utilize the space. The Northwest Connecticut Paranormal
Society is looking forward to the opportunity to perform an encore investigation
in this beautiful, historic landmark.
By, Laura Fitch
Above: our group sets up for the investigation.
Below: Investigator "Lady" walks to see if she senses anything.
Below: Investigator "Lady" walks to see if she senses anything.