The Ancient Evening Halloween Season Graveyards Walking Tour in Farmington isn't just about getting a good scare but offers an opportunity to learn about the history of the town.
Participants of the graveyard visits, sponsored by Heritage Trails Sightseeing Tours, will hear stories of the town's earlier residents, see old gravestones which include that of a former captive on the famous slave ship Amistad as well as Sarah Porter, founder of Miss Porter's School.
Ernest Shaw is the owner and operator of Heritage Trails Sightseeing Tours and has been taking groups to visit Riverside Cemetery for over 20 years.
"One of the highlights of being in this cemetery is seeing all the old gravestones and learning about some of the people buried there. They don't make monuments like that anymore," Shaw said. "There are different types of stones; limestone, granite, marble and brownstone and I show people how to read the inscriptions on the stones despite the erosion on some."
Shaw states that the tour of the Graveyard enables him to give an oral history of the town of Farmington from its days before the Tunxis Indians to the first colonial settlers and continuing to the wealthy that lived in the homes which still line Main Street. Riverside cemetery is partially built over the now filled-in 1800s Farmington Canal.
Aside from the historical aspect of the cemetery there is another reason why many people take the tour. Over the years there have been many rumors of paranormal activity there. The Heritage Trails tour website backs this rumor up by showing several pictures in the graveyard that contain alleged ghostly activity. Orbs are seen around groups of people and in one photograph a strange mist is seen near a gravestone.
Despite these sightings, Shaw is not convinced of paranormal activity in Riverside Cemetery. He is adamant that he is only a relayer of information. On his tour he does recite several ghost stories that go all the way back to the 1700s.
"We try to make it specifically clear that the Farmington Graveyard tour is not a haunted ride or attraction. There are no people dressed up as monsters hiding behind graves waiting to scare people. I am totally respectful," Shaw said. "I believe that there could be paranormal activity in the cemetery but the main reason we do the tours is to show people what life was like in Colonial and Victorian Farmington."
The tour also goes by the "Memento Mori" cemetery near Miss Porter's School campus on Main Street. "Memento Mori" is a Latin phrase that translated to English is "Remember Death." The tour takes visitors outside the cemetery but not in it. Despite not entering, Shaw still relays many interesting stories about several people interred there plus methods of early burials. Unlike Riverside Cemetery, there are no reports of any paranormal activity at Memento Mori.
"We don't go in because some gravestones are broken and are very low and we don't want to cause any damage to the gravestones," Shaw said. "The oldest gravestone in there is dated at 1685."
Shaw encourages people to take the tour so they can understand what life was like in Farmington hundreds of years ago.
"There are many things that most people don't know about Farmington, founded in 1640, and about Connecticut itself. We even had one woman from Farmington that was hanged as a witch years before the Salem Witch Trials," Shaw said. "The town also has links to slavery both for it and against it."
Visitors on past tours have come from as far as Hawaii, Florida and even England. The tour costs $20 per person and tours are limited to 15 people. Advance reservations and payment is required. The minimum age is twelve and patrons of the tour should bring a working flashlight and a digital camera. Departure time is 5:45 p.m. and the group returns about 7:15 p.m. Available and possible tour dates are available by contacting the company. For more information call (860) 677-8867 or visit their Web site at www.charteroaktree.com.
