In a town that has a history as old as Newmarket, there are bound to be several tales of ghostly happenings and things that go bump in the night. While information around these sightings may be hard to come by, if you dig a little deeper there are several reports of sightings of ghosts and other paranormal activity.
A good place to start is the Hill House, considered one of Newmarket’s oldest houses, which was originally relocated from beside Fairy Lake, where the hydro building was located, west to Church and Eagle streets. The ghost story revolves around Mr. Hill, who returns to the area around Cachet Restaurant, lantern in hand, looking for his home and presumably something he has lost. The assumption is that his home was relocated after his death, and he is searching for his home.
Our next stop is the Cawthra building on the northwest corner of Main and Water streets, where there was once a bank attached to the house on the north side and now known as The Jennifer Jones Team. We have heard stories of an ‘accounting clerk’ seen walking through the wall from the building next door periodically, carrying a ledger and seemingly unaware of others in the room. SPOOKY!
The Cawthra House was built in 1830 by the Cawthra family following a fire that destroyed the general store that had previously sat there. In 1865, the family opened Newmarket’s first bank in the building. In 1876, it became Danforth Roche’s General Store until closing in 1923.
Another building said to have multiple ghosts is our Old Town Hall. A ghostly figure of an old woman in period garb and holding a lantern has been seen standing in the window over the Botsford Street entrance. The basement, where the old jail was located, is said to contain a spirit that bangs and moans.
Have you experienced a presence or entity in your travels around Newmarket? Send us an email with all your experiences, we would love to hear them.
Written by: Michelle Francis-Turcotte (michelle@jj.team)