Paranormal researchers investigate Huguenot House in Martin Park

Experts say that the Huguenot House has some active spirits, and Mary Dowden believes she knows one of them. Photos by Frances Taylor.

Footsteps, voices, sounds of doors opening and closing – for a house that hasn’t been lived in for many decades, the Huguenot House in Martin Park would seem to be a rather busy place.

According to a group of Rhode Island paranormal investigators, the former home of the Bemont family has proven to be fertile ground for their research.

The East Coast Paranormal Research Team has visited the Huguenot House several times in the past year. The team - Matthew Bird, Joseph Fontaine and Frank Soltys - presented its findings to the Historical Society of East Hartford on June 4 at the East Hartford Community Cultural Center.

Using full-spectrum cameras, digital voice recorders and electromagnetic field detectors, the researchers captured unexplained phenomena such as whispering voices, sounds of banging and loud footsteps. In one recording, a whispering voice says Soltys’ full name. “And I never said my name while I was there, and yet there it is on the tape,” Soltys said. “That is an indication that there is more going on there than just residual events replaying over and over.”

In another recording, which the team calls one of its best, a stationary camera showing pictures of an empty room captures the sounds of a door being unlatched, heavy boots walking on stairs and sounds of woodworking that goes on for several minutes. The sounds stop, the boots again walk on the stairs, the door opens and then latches. And then there is silence.

Craig Johnson, vice president of the historical society, called the team's results “very impressive.”

Johnson said the Huguenot House has been visited by several paranormal researchers over the years, but the Rhode Island team is the first to share such complete findings with the group. Sounds of stone masons and woodworkers have also been recorded in the house in years past on the electronic security system of the home, Johnson added. “We are very grateful to be provided with this information,” he said.

The Huguenot House was built in 1761 by Edmund Bemont. His son, Makens Bemont, became wealthy from a saddle-making business and lived in the house with his wife and 10 children. Descendants of the family and renters lived in the home through the 19th and early 20th century. The house was boarded up for almost 50 years when it was acquired by the historical society and moved from its original location on Burnside Avenue to Martin Park. It is not known why the residence has the nickname “Huguenot,” which refers to French Protestants.

Mary Dowden, whose mother and stepfather were original members of the historical society, thinks she knows who is making the woodworking sounds in the house. “I think it’s my Uncle Anton Gellert, who worked there for many years, starting about 1919,” said Dowden, who is a volunteer docent at the house when it's open on Sundays during the summer. Dowden also said she has heard upstairs windows closing just before a rain storm began, when she and her mother were the only people in the house.

After the presentation, a small group accompanied the Rhode Island team back to the house for another round of paranormal investigation. Steve Cone and his daughter Stephanie walked around with EMF detectors and digital recorders in the dark rooms, asking questions of potential spirits. “I find this kind of thing very fascinating,” Cone said.

Soltys said that the team has not detected any “bad” spirits in the house. “There is nothing evil there,” he said. “It’s a great place to visit for you and your family.”