Accused of witchcraft in 1654, Lydia Gilbert may still haunt the Old State House of Hartford, CT. The scents of popcorn and colonial fear linger for those with a nose for mystery and injustice.
In 1654, a musket misfired, a Goodman died, and Goody Lydia Gilbert paid for it. Fear wanted a villain; a widow with fiddle fingers would do.
Someone muttered about Satan’s fancy. Someone else nodded. That was the evidence.
She refused to confess, which proved to alarmed townspeople that she was very committed to being guilty.
The magistrates called it order. History calls it panic in buckled shoes.
Now the Old State House creaks, chairs scrape, and something smells faintly like melted butter and historical slime mold. Justice may have failed…but the snacks, at least, endure.
Follow the devil down the rabbit hole:
Print Lydia’s story for your haunted road trip to Hartford
Paths to Wander
