The Great New England Vampire Panic | History & Archaeology | Smithsonian Magazine

 The Great New England Vampire Panic | History & Archaeology | Smithsonian Magazine

This is a really fascinating article about supposed vampires in northeastern New London County, Connecticut and eastern Rhode Island in the late 19th century.

As described in the article, Lena Brown's grave in the Chestnut Hill Cemetery in Exeter, Rhode Island still receives visitors.

The Vampires Rescue a Pirate from a New London Jail

In Chapter 10 of Whaling City Vampires: Love After Death, vampires Amy and Ruthie decide to slip into a jail cell in the New London Courthouse building to meet an actual pirate. After meeting the pirate and learning more about his situation they decide to free him and help him escape his appointment for execution.

Here's an image of the courthouse as it may have looked in 1850 when the story takes place:

http://jud.ct.gov/external/news/NL_rededication.htm

Here's the link to the page where I found this image: http://jud.ct.gov/external/news/NL_rededication.htm

The courthouse was built in the 1780's and still stands and is in use today. I have no idea whether it once had jail cells in the basement, but it does in the story. In the story it was also built earlier and survived the burning of New London by the British led by the local traitor Benedict Arnold.

Notice the tree on the corner. This is the tree where Susie and Amy hide behind in Chapter 6 when Amy shows Ruthie the house she grew up in.

Here's what the courthouse looks like today:

http://newlondonlandmarks.org/NLLguidebook/blueTour11.html

 

The tree was replaced by roadsigns! Actually, the tree was probably killed by disease or a hurricane.