Built in 1720 by Daniel Benton, the location was home to six generations of Bentons. Daniel’s grandson Elisha is known as a possible source of the hauntings here. Elisha was captured while fighting the British in the Revolutionary War, and caught smallpox on the prison ship. When he came home he was tended by his true love Jemima Barrows, who was 12 years younger. Both died of smallpox, and the family agreed to bury the couple near each other, but because they weren’t married, they were buried on opposite sides of the carriage path. Witnesses say ghostly figures move in the home’s windows at night, a girl is heard crying, and a soldier’s apparition has been seen, as well as that of a young woman in a wedding dress. Vibrations and knockings have been heard as well.
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Geographic Information
- Address:
- 154 Metcalf Rd
Tolland, CT 06084
United States
Get Directions » - GPS:
- 41.85169519999999, -72.37668480000002
- County:
- Tolland County, Connecticut
- Nearest Towns:
- Tolland, CT (1.4 mi.)
Rockville, CT (3.9 mi.)
Crystal Lake, CT (5.5 mi.)
Coventry Lake, CT (5.9 mi.)
Ellington, CT (6.0 mi.)
South Coventry, CT (6.7 mi.)
Storrs, CT (7.2 mi.)
Stafford Springs, CT (8.1 mi.)
Manchester, CT (9.1 mi.)
Mansfield City, CT (9.5 mi.)
Contact Information
- Web:
- http://tollandhistorical.org/daniel-benton-homestead/
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Disclaimer: The stories posted here are user-submitted and are, in the nature of "ghost stories," largely unverifiable. HauntedPlaces.org makes no claims that any of the statements posted here are factually accurate. The vast majority of information provided on this web site is anecdotal, and as such, should be viewed in the same light as local folklore and urban legends.
A few years ago, I visited this location after i saw it on tv. I have done Massage Therapy and Reiki for many years. I am not psychic, but i do pick up on energies. I remember driving down the road a few miles out from the Homestead and my chest began to get really heavy. The closer i got, the stranger i felt. I got there on a Sunday thinking tours were in progress, but i was mistaken. No one was there. I parked my car and walked the grounds. It kinda felt weird and i was hoping no one would call the police. I walked around the house and tried to remember where the graves were. I instantly found Jemima’s. I paid my respects and started to look for Elisha’s. The ground was covered with a thick ground cover of fall colored oak leaves. After a few minutes of searching i started to get a bit frustrated. I stopped and said out loud “Where are you? I am just trying to find your gravestone so I can pay my respects”. I swear, on my Grandfathers grave, all of a sudden a huge wind stirred up at my feet. When i looked down a tiny part of a grey stone exposed itself. I reached down and pushed all of the other leaves away. It was his grave. That was a pretty intense moment for me. I picked up a leaf, smiled, walked to my car. When you go out of the homestead, the road is narrow and if you come out of the driveway and go left, you come to a 4 way stop. I had my windows down and i looked and listened for traffic. I thought it was clear and started to go. All of a sudden a white car came speeding from the left and soared right through the intersection almost t-boning me. I still wonder if it was just a nutty driver or someone from the Homestead didn’t want me to leave. Regardless, I hope to get back in October to actually experience a tour.
How amazing you got shown the gravestone that way.
my friends and I went to check out the homestead after hearing about the ghostly happenings there. My ex girlfriend had told me about hearing a story of people picking up voices on tape. So we went and let a recorder run the whole 15 minutes we were there. While we were there nothing happened just some weird feelings…..when we got home we listened to the tape. At one point the tape played a loud thump to which my friend holding the recorded asked “did you hear that”, and at the time myself and my other friend had not. Then came the really creepy part. a few minutes later you can hear my friend ask “so what do we do now?” followed by myself saying “i dont know lets go to the grave” then my friend holding the tape stated “yeah lets go the grave” and audible when cranking the tape at full volume you hear a fourth voice, in a different inflection clear english (not garggel or static filled) say “lets go to the grave”
Wow!
I lived on old kent rd south a connecting road at the end of metcalf about a half mile from benton homestead and as kids we would go there at night. Me and many kids from our neighborhood have seen and heard ghostly happenings on several occasions. One night we shined a flashlight in the front basement window and saw an old cotton wheel spinning all by itself and we ran like crazy lol i always thought that place was haunted so its awesome to find this on here.