Notable ghosts: Amasa Sprague, Charlie the butler
One of Cranston’s most prosperous families, the Sprague family, owned Cranston Print Works, a textile mill that was the first to make calico prints and help pioneer chemical bleaching. When William Sprague died in 1836, he left the business to his two sons, Amasa (photo) and William II. Amasa concentrated on the family business while William II focused on politics, serving as a U.S. Representative, Governor and United States Senator. On Dec. 31, 1843, Amasa was found shot and beaten on the road between his textile mill and his mansion. A man was hanged for the crime, but later found to be innocent. The true killer was never found. The Sprague family’s fortunes eventually faded and the Sprague Mansion changed ownership many times until the Cranston Historical Society saved it from demolition in 1967.
Hauntings of the mansion most often observed include Amasa in the wine cellar and a spirit thought to be “Charlie the butler” descending the main stairway. Legend goes that Charlie’s hopes and dreams of riches were dashed when his daughter did not marry the wealthy homeowner’s son. (Photo of Sprague: thedotconnector)
The Legend of Charlie
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