Abandoned Villages and Ghost Towns of New England

by Thomas D'Agostino

Abandoned villages hold mysteries that only ghosts can reveal. Read accounts forgotten places, such as flooded Flagstaff, Maine, that contains the spirits of former residents still clinging to homes now nothing more than foundations or cellar holes. Visit Dudleytown, Connecticut, where residents fell victim to demons, murder, and insanity. Stroll through Massachusetts's Dogtown Common, a dead village of witches, werewolves, and ghosts. Whether you decide to explore these ghost towns or just read about them, you will not forget the people who made them history. Some still await your arrival--if not in person, then in spirit.

Genres: History

192 pages, Paperback

First published August 28, 2008

Reviews

[Jennifer Lavoie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hoping this book was better than it ended up being, and while the premise was okay, it was the writing that threw me off. There were a lot of errors throughout the book in spelling, grammar, punctuation, and some variances in facts. The writing was also redundant at times and I felt in dire need of an editor. Sentences were choppy throughout one page, and the next there was purple prose flying.

I did find some of the history interesting, but again, it was varied throughout the book. Some were short (I appreciate the fact that some did not have much history, but then why include them when there are surely better examples?) and others were full of information. More pictures would have been nice as well.

For a starting guide to abandoned villages and "ghost towns" this is a good reference book, but I would also try to find something else or do my own research as well. Will check out some of the more local places with friends and family.

[Hannah Ruth Hawley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read the book, now I need to start exploring!

[James Bowman · Rating 3 out of 5]

The subject is exactly what it says on the cover, and a lot of different locations across New England are covered. The amount of coverage, however, is uneven. For example, some states get shockingly little attention. (Maine - a rather sizable state - gets just two listings, one of which largely repeats info from historical newspapers.) Most location histories are a decent length, but some are barely a page, while others are so detailed they become a drag to read. The author tries to find a weird or supernatural angle for most locations; he does quite well in some instances, but other accounts are clearly stretching. This isn't bad as an overview of the title subject, and more interesting than it could have been, but still could have been better. (B)

[Katherine Hebert · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars for interesting content. Thinking I'd like to visit some of these old sites. Visiting should be relatively easy, given the author's very specific directions getting to and then walking around the sites.
2 stars for a serious lack of editing. Way too many word choice errors as well as difficulties with apostrophes, sentence structure, and some spelling.

[Vincent Reilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first book by Thomas I ever read. I was so intrigued, I emailed him directly. He's quite friendly, and, well educated.

Some complain that a few entries are very short. This is either because access is not granted, or, Thomas wanted to keep the information to a minimum to discourage trespassing. And sometimes, things are just lost in the circuits of time.

[Francesca · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read. I'm going to us it to help plan a vacation with my bff, we like history and abandoned places. The book has several grammatical errors that will throw you until you catch them, but beyond that it's well written and researched.

[BookAddict · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this up at Sturbridge Village. Pretty neat stories of abandoned villages in New England. Great fodder for a road trip!