Dudleytown, CT

by Brian McIntyre

Dudley town is no longer open to the public due to the fact that it is private property and as a result of fires which were set at the site, leveling many acres. Those who go to the site will be fined or arrested and cars will be towed and impounded by the police.

The Dudley Curse

Gideon, Abiel, and Barzillai Dudley, three sons of Joseph Dudley of Saybrook, Ct. moved to what was Cornwall, Ct. As time went on it was known as Dudleytown due to the fact that so many Dudley's lived there. Their great grandfather, Edmund Dudley, had been minister to King Henry VII, and President of the King’s Council. He was caught stealing from the king’s treasury, convicted of treason, and was decapitated on August 18, 1510. A curse was allegedly placed on the Dudley's for their treason and would find themselves surrounded by horrors. Did the Dudley curse follow the brothers to this settlement.?

Dudleytown Troubles Begin

Some think it had to with the hard times, Dudleytown was never easy to live in. many things went wrong for all of the people and the land . Are all the events unexplainable or was it the curse. One of the town’s first prominent citizens was General Herman Swift. He was advisor to General George Washington but went insane when news reached him that his wife had been killed by a bolt of lightening at Dudleytown. An epidemic had struck, which killed an entire family by the name of Adoniram Carter. Horace Greeley, founder of the New York Tribune had married Mary Cheney, who was born in Dudleytown. and their union ended when Mary Cheney took her life in the 1872, one week before Horace Greeley lost his bid for the presidency of the United States. Only one family, the Brophys, were living in the town by 1892 John Brophy wife died suddenly of unknown causes, or some say consumption. A few weeks later his two little children disappeared, never to be seen again. A week later, his house burned to the ground, John Brophy walked away from Dudeytown and never retuned. is Dudleytown cursed from something so long ago ? It can be I believe curses are real, and work on families and land for many generations to come.

From the very first time I walked down the Roads of Dudleytown , I felt a strong urge to leave. You'll never have such an eerie sensation or feeling like that anywhere else. My first time there, was in 1986, and I've been back there at least forty times since. Many of the groups that have accompanied me down through the winding roads inform me that they have the feeling of something is watching their every move, especially as they look through the remains of the old stone foundations. many of these have been covered by a tremendous amount of overgrowth of trees and bushes. You can almost visualize the many houses, the church, and store, that were once in this town. To this day people will feel very cold, even on a hot summer day, and the silence... not one sound can be heard. It seems to come over everything. You almost expect to look over your shoulder and see somebody there. There has been so much recognition given to this location over the years from the many people going through there, with its rich history, how could it not be haunted?

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Dudleytown Today

What stands out today for those who have dared to tread into the confines of Dudley town is the amount of activity which has taken place at the site. People from all walks of life have reported strange encounters when entering this heavily wooded area. Walking up Dark Entry Road is just like walking on any other old New England roadway, until the top is reached. When the trail leading up into Dudley town is penetrated, the atmosphere changes drastically. All animal sounds and movements are slight to non-existent. The area seems completely void of life even though wildlife should thrive in such conditions.

Stumbling upon the old stone foundations brings many to questions. How could such an established area become so decrepit and never gain back it’s initial integrity? It appears from it’s history of strange events that the area is seemingly destined for constant disaster as time has proven again and again. Photographs tend to be what most people have a hard time explaining when venturing into this forested tract. Many images such as smoky forms, strange colors, and many other unexplained shapes are caught on film but go unseen to the naked eye.

Even stranger many have the sensation of being watched, touched, or followed. Many have reported that nothing happened when entering the area known as Dudleytown. It is when departing that the forest takes on a mind of it’s own. On both sides of the path rustling occurs but no wind is present. The noises will often intensify then subside totally when crossing out of the area and back on to the roadway. On a personal level I feel this place absolutely has validity. It was in the fall of 1999 when I entered the site for the firs time. It was still daylight and I with many others began up the trail.

​One camera, while a picture was being taken, mysteriously opened up and spit out the batteries. Nothing else occurred on the way up the trail or for the hour or so spent in the woods. Nightfall was beginning to set in and myself and others present felt it was time to go. Heading down the trail there was a complete cold spot noticed by all present, unbeknownst at the time that all felt it in the same spot: the area where the trail meets the roadway, marked by a rock which must be crossed. As it became vocalized that the cold wall was present, we began to snap photos in the direction of the cold wall. At this time darkness had heavily set in and a white smoky form could be seen with the flashes, creeping down the hill. It crept closer and closer until it began to form around one of the women. Truly strange and still is to me. To see this whitish cloud as clear as day, moving closer and closer with absolute preciseness was something remarkable to see. Others have not been so lucky though. Many have fled the woods after hearing growls and yelps in their immediate vicinity without any visual being to attribute the sounds to. Others too, have been assaulted by presences which remained totally shrouded in invisibility. Dudleytown remains a great mystery but the area is without a doubt one of the spookiest places I’ve ever been to.