The Ridge Historical Society
The Paranormal Ridge: Part 14 – Save the Castle Ghosts
By Carol Flynn
Thank you to the members of the Beverly Unitarian Church (BUC) for being such good sports for the last few years while the Castle ghost folklore was researched and shared with the public. As much as folklore is an important part of history, it is recognized that the BUC has more important things to deal with than female phantoms with Irish brogues who don’t leave footprints in the snow.
Before we get to a final word about the Castle, there is one more category of ghost stories to look at – experiences that couldn’t and shouldn’t have happened.
There are several websites on which people post paranormal experiences and occasionally stories about the Castle show up. Here are two that fall into the “couldn’t and shouldn’t” category that were edited slightly to make them more readable:
“My friends and I would sometimes ditch school to go smoke some bud and we would often go to the abandoned castle. I’ve heard the voice of a woman talking, almost like shouting, as if in an argument with someone. She didn’t sound like an American; she sounded English or Celtic of some sort, with very proper speaking. I did not see anything but had a feeling of being watched.”
‘It is definitely haunted. I found a way inside and I did indeed hear a woman speaking aggressively in an English accent, or she sounded Irish.”
In response to these stories, first, the Castle has never been abandoned in its entire 130+ years of existence. BUC bought the Castle in 1942 and has used and maintained the building consistently for almost 80 years. Second, the building is kept secure and it is very doubtful anyone casually “found a way inside.” This is the “couldn’t” part of these stories – they just do not ring true.
More importantly, the Castle is private property. “Ghost exploration” does not justify trespassing, violating any laws, or invading someone's privacy. This is the “shouldn’t” part and applies to any location, not just the Castle.
The final word about the Castle is that the BUC is currently undertaking a major restoration project. After more than 130 years, the turrets, or tops of the round towers at the Castle's corners, were found to be deteriorating. Work to repair them began this past summer.
The BUC continues to reach out to the community for financial support for the preservation work. Donations to the Castle Restoration Fund are used solely for that purpose and not for church operations. For more information on the restoration project, including information on funding and donating, visit the website at givinsbeverlycastle.org or see the Facebook page Givins Beverly Castle.
Castles stir the imagination, especially a medieval castle perched on a hill in a modern American city. The towers and turrets conjure up images of another time and place, of knights and fair maidens, thrones and dungeons. Ghost stories are part of the mystique of a castle, and the Givins Beverly Castle is no exception.
The Castle is the best known and loved landmark in Beverly. Even though the building is owned by BUC, the entire community gets to enjoy its presence. Saving the Castle means saving history and folklore – and the ghosts themselves. If the Castle deteriorates, where will the Irish lasses go?
Happy Halloween.