The Real Estate of Charles Dexter Ward

Via Rue Morgue's blog comes this interesting post highlighting a recent Real Estate posting for Providence, RI. It seems the house at 140 Prospect Street, which was the inspired setting for a good chunk of HP Lovecraft's tale "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward," has gone on sale. A gorgeous and allegedly haunted residence, it retails for just three million dollars. The official listing for the house is here.

Lovecraft himself was well aware of the house's eerie rumors. After his Aunt sent him information on it, he replied, ""So the Halsey house is haunted! Ugh! That's where Wild Tom Halsey kept live terrapins in the cellar--maybe it's their ghosts. Anyway, it's a magnificent old mansion, & a credit to a magnificent old town!" Live terrapins...ghosts of terrapins? Hmm...perhaps the house gave HPL's tale more impetus than one might think. Imagining ghostly terrapins squirming in the cellar puts me in mind of the story's horrible things in the pit called up from Saltes in Ward's underground lair, uncovered by Dr. Willet.

Too bad there aren't a great deal of fabulously wealthy Lovecraftians. One day, it would benefit every admirer for a great philanthropist or even the HPL Historical Society to save up enough to purchase a site like the Prospect Street mansion. Even one of HPL's former dwellings would do. Turning either into a fitting museum would be a boon to every lover of weird fiction, and a great atmospheric spot for the type of Lovecraftian pilgrimages many of us dream of.

-Grim Blogger