Ep 313: The Stratford Poltergeist
"Finally, Phelps asked why the spirit was causing such a disturbance in the house, and the spirit replied: 'For fun.'" -- From Troy Taylor’s book "American Hauntings: The Rise of the Spirit World and the Birth of the Modern Ghost Hunter"
In 1850, the quiet town of Stratford, Connecticut, was shaken by a bizarre and terrifying haunting that gripped the world’s attention. Reverend Eliakim Phelps and his family were tormented by objects falling from nowhere, cryptic messages, and strange effigies crafted from household items. As the phenomena escalated—turning violent and targeting the children—skeptics, spiritualists, and investigators descended on the mansion in search of answers. Was it a hoax, psychic energy, or something truly supernatural? This episode dives into the enduring mystery of the Stratford Poltergeist.
“The Stratford Poltergeist” article from the American Hauntings website www.americanhauntingsink.com/stratford
PDF: Click here for the American Homes and Gardens magazine, April 1908, featuring the Phelps mansion
Troy Taylor’s American Hauntings website
The Stratford Poltergeist from Tess’ Astonishing Legends blog
The Haunted Phelps Mansion, Stratford, Connecticut” from Myths, Mysteries, & Monsters
1850 in the United States from Wikipedia
Zachary Taylor, 12th president of the United States
“Phelps Mansion, Stratford” from Damned Connecticut
“Modern Spiritualism: Its Facts and Fanaticisms, Its Consistencies and Contradictions” by E.W. Capron on Google Books
Timeline and background of the Phelps mansion haunting by Jude McLaughlin
Stratford, Connecticut on Wikipedia
The Fox Sisters entry on the Psi Encyclopedia
The London Dialectical Society on the Psi Encyclopedia
Ep 281: The Elusive Force – A Powerful Polish Poltergeist Part 1 on Astonishing Legends
Ep 215: The Watseka Wonder Part 1 on Astonishing Legends
Ep 194: The Siren Call of Hungry Ghosts Part 1
Ep 217: The Vertical Plane Part 1
The Rain Man episode, S1 E6 of Paranormal Witness
Click here to Register now for Troy Taylor’s
HAUNTED AMERICA CONFERENCE
Returning to Alton, IL in 2025!
Our 28th Year! June 26-29, 2025!
From the Astonishing Legends Network:
Click this text to find all Astonishing Legends episodes and more on our Youtube Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/Astonishinglegends
Click HERE or go to patreon.com/astonishinglegends to become one of our Patreon members and receive exclusive offerings, like our bonus Astonishing Junk Drawer episodes (posted every weekend the main show is dark) commercial-free episodes, and more!
SPECIAL OFFERS FROM OUR SPECIAL SPONSORS:
FIND OTHER GREAT DEALS FROM OUR SHOW’S SPONSORS BY CLICKING HERE!
Episode 313: The Stratford Poltergeist. Produced by Scott Philbrook & Forrest Burgess. Audio Editing by Sarah Vorhees Wendel of VW Sound. Music and Sound Design by Allen Carrescia. Tess Pfeifle, Producer and Lead Researcher. Ed Voccola, Technical Producer. Research Support from The Astonishing Research Corps, or "A.R.C." for short. Copyright 2025 Astonishing Legends Productions, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
