By STEVEN JUPITER
PROCTOR—Summer isn’t even officially over and yet Halloween season has clearly begun: there’s an entire aisle of trick-or-treat candy at Hannaford. There’s no point in resisting. Put away the flip-flops and start planning your costume now.
For those of us who dig the dark and spooky side of life, Halloween season presents a cherished opportunity to indulge these tastes with abandon. And Wilson Castle in Proctor is the perfect place to do so this year.
If you haven’t yet visited, Wilson Castle is a massive Victorian estate perched on a hill in the southern part of Proctor, almost to the Rutland line. The main house was built by the Johnson family in 1885 and encompasses 32 rooms over 13,000 square feet, 84 stunning stained- and etched-glass windows, richly painted ceilings, masterfully carved woodwork, and 13 fireplaces with exquisite tile surrounds. It originally sat on 150 acres (now 95), took over seven years to construct and cost $1.3 million (roughly $32m today). The castle is worth a visit just for the sheer opulence of it all.
But owner Denise Davine (“DAH-vin”) and her longtime assistant, Andy Probst, are ready to reveal something else about the house: it’s haunted. And they’re happy to let the public share in the delight during the Halloween season.
“I’ve been part of the castle my whole life,” said Ms. Davine on a recent afternoon. Sunlight streamed through the stained-glass windows, sending brilliant streaks of color across the Renaissance-inspired interior. “But I didn’t really have paranormal experiences growing up here. It was just home.”
Denise’s grandfather, Colonel Herbert Lee Wilson, bought the castle from the town of Proctor in a 1939 tax sale. The Johnson family had abandoned the place in 1900 and it had changed hands numerous times. Colonel Wilson had hoped it would be a safe haven for his family during WWII. The Wilson family maintained the place as their private residence for decades, opening it up for tours beginning in the 1960s. When the Colonel passed in 1981, the house remained in the family.
After the Colonel’s daughter, and Denise’s mother, Blossom Davine (née Wilson), passed in 2009, Denise and her siblings inherited the castle and Denise started for the first time to experience the occult magic of the house.
“My siblings weren’t interested in keeping the place,” said Denise. “They loved it but didn’t have the passion for it that I did. But it’s a money pit and I wasn’t always sure I was going to be able to afford it. Once I asked my late mother for help deciding whether to keep it. I said, ‘Mom, can you give me a yes?’ And the dinner bells rang twice.”
Denise then understood that she wasn’t alone in the castle after all.
“We hear conversations sometimes,” said Andy. “Music and distant voices. One time we heard furniture being dragged across the third floor, which was locked.”
“We definitely heard it,” confirmed Denise.
“But when we went up to check, nothing had moved,” said Andy.
There have been numerous other inexplicable events. A vacuum cleaner turned on by itself (“I interpreted that as my grandfather telling me to get to work,” laughed Denise). Mysterious figures appear in photographs taken in mirrors throughout the house, though especially in the “Pink Room,” which had once been Denise’s mother’s room and had originally been the bedroom of Lady Johnson, the rich British noblewoman whose money had financed the house at the behest of her husband, who was eventually exposed as a fraud and disappeared without a trace.
One of the mysterious figures photographed in a mirror by a guest bears an uncanny resemblance to Denise’s late brother, Chris. Another photo appears to have a woman with her hair up in the style of the 1890s. In yet another photo, a little boy in breeches seems to be standing in a doorway.
“People send us these photos when they get home and really examine them,” said Denise. “Something goes on in the Pink Room. Even my brother, who’s a real skeptic, admits there’s something different about that room.”
It wasn’t long before paranormal hunters started inquiring if they could come explore the castle.
“The first time Steve and Dylan [of Haunted Nights] came, we were blown away,” said Denise. With all sorts of devices to detect paranormal presences, the duo (who post videos of their work on YouTube) were able to communicate with the spirits of the house.
And now Denise and Andy welcome the public to join these events every fall. On Friday, September 20, there will be Haunted Legends of New England: The Witching Hour at Wilson Castle, presented by Third Eye Event Productions. The event will include a paranormal investigation and a VIP seance. On Saturday, September 21, there will be Witches of Wilson Castle event hosted by Brandie Wells, The Breakthrough Medium. Music, food, vendors, spiritual readers, potions, and spell casting. See Wilson Castle’s Facebook page for links to purchase tickets.
There are also candlelight tours available on select dates in September and October. Call the castle at (802) 773-3284 for details.
“We get excited by all of this, too,” said Andy.
