The Ghostly Reader
The first spirit encounter happened during the mid-1800s when famous author Nathaniel Hawthorne claimed to see the ghost of the late Reverend Harris in the reading room.
Harris was a Unitarian minister who often frequented the Athenaeum with a copy of the Boston Post. He and Hawthorne did not know each other, but presumably, they saw each other there on occasion. Then one day, Hawthorne’s friend informed him of Dr. Harris’s passing—but Hawthorne saw him later that day in his usual seat.
Recent Sightings
While Hawthorne’s sighting was nearly two hundred years ago, people have claimed to see spirits in the library in recent years. Some reports state that a man dressed in black frequently waits by the elevator. Others say they too have seen the apparition of Reverend Harris, and that he claims to be in good spirits.
With all that jazz, we had to make it one of the stops on our Boston ghost adventure.
Haunted Boston, MA
Boston is rich in history and chock-full of contemporary attractions for bibliophiles, historians, and patriotic tourists excited by its Revolutionary past. But another way to spice up your time in Beantown is to take part in our Boston ghost tour. We’ll take you to the Boston Athenaeum along with several other of the city’s most haunted landmarks.
About US Ghost Adventures
Since 2013, US Ghost Adventures has offered entertaining, historic, and authentic ghost tours of America’s most haunted cities. We deliver fun yet honest accounts of hauntings across the nation for curious people of all ages. Our ghost stories are based on historical research, but that doesn’t mean they won’t send a chill down your spine.
This video gives you a small taste of what you might experience on your ghost tour — subscribe to our YouTube Channel for more.
US Ghost Adventures also offers virtual tours, a self-guided mobile app, and an Alexa voice app.