The Beeson Mansion and Crypt

Out of all the legends, I’ve uncovered in Michigan, this one is the saddest and most disturbing.

In 1847, the Beeson Mansion was built in Niles, Michigan. A local whiskey distiller constructed it and sold it to attorney Strother Beeson. Across the street, the family built a private cemetery with a mausoleum. It was the final resting place of Strother’s mother, but as one would expect, she wasn’t the only resident for long.

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A SAD LOSS

Screenshot from Google maps of the Beeson Crypt

In 1870, Strother’s son and daughter-in-law lost their infant son, Job. The baby was placed inside the crypt with his grandmother. Harriet, the baby’s mother was over come with grief. Nightly, she would go to the crypt to care for her deceased son. She would change his diaper, rock him, and try to feed him. Since she believed he was afraid of the dark, she lit a lantern so he’d never be afraid.

The family opted not to dissuade her and Strother ensured the lantern would never go out by installing a pipeline and carbide gas plant.

But as one may guess, this nightly ritual couldn’t last. It took an even more tragic turn when, one night, while rocking the corpse, the eyes fell out. The body had decayed too much. Harriet was, understandably, even more traumatized. She was institutionalized and died at only 28 years old.

Since then, the sound of a weeping woman is said to be heard in the graveyard. Some even claim the infant’s ghost has been seen as well. But the mansion and graveyard is private property so I don’t think anyone has ever investigated.

BUT WHAT IS THE TRUTH?

As for the legend, it is a mix of truth and fiction. Little Job did die at only a year old and it is no doubt that Harriet was traumatized by the death. What parent wouldn’t be? The idea of her visiting her baby in the graveyard isn’t a stretch. Many do this with deceased family to this day. Did she tend to the baby as it was alive? Her odd behavior was cited in newspapers, but not at the time of the infant’s death, so it’s possible those tales were elaborated to get people’s attention.

Lastly, according to records, Harriet wasn’t institutionalized. She moved to South Carolina where she did die at the age of 28 from a “disease of the lungs”. She was returned to Michigan where she was buried with her baby, so at least they were reunited in death.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE BEESON MANSION AND CRYPT LEGEND?

What do you think of this legend and its mixture of truth and fiction? Why do such sorrowful tales end up elaborated into ghostly legends? Let me know your thoughts.

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Until next time, stay spooked!

~Patricia J.L.