The Shunned House

"Even from the greatest horrors, irony is seldom absent."

Rating: Four shoggoths out of five

Nutshell: A Providence, Rhode Island resident teams up with his beloved, antiquarian uncle in studying why a decrepit 18th century house has been left vacant for so long. It appears that anyone who lives in the house long enough goes crazy and/or wastes to death. Of course, our protagonists decide to spend an evening in the cellar of the house...

Setting: Providence, RI

Commentary: "The Shunned House" is one of my favorite haunted house tales. A great deal of the piece is spent describing the research into the history of the place; the detail is so minute (including a brief tie-in of Edgar Allen Poe), that the following debacle inside the house is made all the more real. It's probably not the story for someone who likes constant action (there's a lot of genealogy explained), but it should spark an interest in anyone who is tickled by weird family histories.

History, Esoterica, and Factoids: "The Shunned House" was written October 16-19, 1924, but the publication history of the tale is somewhat confusing due to conflicting information. S.T. Joshi and Peter Cannon contend in More Annotated Lovecraft that the story was rejected by Weird Tales, so it was given to Lovecraft's friend W. Paul Cook to publish as a book. 300 copies of the book were printed, but never bound. Around five years later, Cook sent the copy to Robert Barlow, who bound eight copies, including a leather-bound one for Lovecraft. The unbound copy was not issued until many years after Lovecraft's death, when Arkham House got hold of the loose sheets and finally issued a proper edition. It's an interesting and sad story, but I have read elsewhere that "The Shunned House" actually was published in Weird Tales, in October 1937 -- seven months after Lovecraft's death. Either way, "The Shunned House" did not get published during Lovecraft's short life.

The unusual home in "The Shunned House" is still standing in Providence, RI. Known as the Stephen Harris house, it stands at 135 Benefit Street, considerably restored since Lovecraft's day. From 1919 to 1920, Lovecraft's aunt, Mrs. Lillian Clark, lived in the house as a friend of Mrs. H. C. Babbit. The same house also inspired Lovecraft to write his poem, "The House" in 1920.

The "gifted poetess, Mrs. Whitman" refers to the widowed Sarah Helen Power Whitman (American, 1803-78), who became engaged to Edgar Allen Poe in 1848. Poe wrote the second of his "To Helen" poems to her. The courtship failed when Sarah's mother intervened, concerned about Poe's drinking. Lovecraft noted in a 1934 letter that Mrs. Whitman was a "very passable" poetess, though nothing special. She is buried in the North Burial Ground, also mentioned in "The Shunned House".

St. John's churchyard (known as King's churchyard before the American Revolution) was founded in 1723 and still stands at 271 North Main Street in Providence. Both Poe and Lovecraft were fond of wandering the graveyard, and Lovecraft loved taking visitors there at night. One visitor, a pretty young thing named Helen Sully, fled the churchyard in fright one evening when Lovecraft began telling ghost stories. (And we wonder why a guy with a name like Lovecraft was never popular with women...) Ms. Sully wrote a brief memoir that can be read in a book named Lovecraft Remembered, edited by Peter Cannon.

The character of Elihu Whipple is likely based on Lovecraft's dear grandfather, Whipple Phillips, who died when Lovecraft was 14 years old. Lovecraft also had two very learned uncles, Dr. Franklin Chase Clark and Edward Francis Gamwell, who also likely contributed to aspects of Elihu's character. Elihu Whipple is probably the most benevolent old man in Lovecraft's entire body of writing, and the loss of his character in the end causes genuine grief for the protagonist -- which is unusual for Lovecraft's work.

"Indian pipes" refers to the plant Monotropa uniflora, a rather bizarre species from the rhododendron family (Ericaceae). It looks like and acts like a fungus. It has no leaves and contains no chlorophyll, instead living off nutrients from the decaying roots of other plants, particularly trees. Thus, indian pipes thrive in shady and dark areas. The plant turns black when cut or bruised, and will ooze a clear, jellylike substance at the wound. The plant was used by the Native Americans as a salve for swollen eyes, bunions, and warts. Extracts of the plant are bactericidal. The plant is likely toxic, as it contains glycosides in abundance.

Nitre refers to potassium nitrate (KNO₃), which is also known as saltpeter. It is a white, naturally occurring, crystalline salt that is very soluble in hot water. It has been used since the 12th century in gunpowder, matches, and fertilizers. It is also used as a preservative for meat, and in medicine as a diuretic.

Sidney Smith Rider (American, 1833-1917) was a leading Providence bookseller and antiquarian. He amassed an impressive collection of books, manuscripts, and newspapers over a period of 50 years, which was then turned over to Brown University Library as the Rider Collection in 1903. The Rider Collection is the largest private collection of materials related to Rhode Island.

Thomas W. Bicknell (American, 1834-1925), was a respected Rhode Island educator and historian. Founder of the National Society of the Sons and Daughters of the Pilgrims, he is also the namesake of Bicknell, UT. In 1914, Mr. Bicknell offered 1000 books to any Utah town that would take his name, and both Thurber, UT and Grayson, UT accepted. The library was split in half, Thurber changed to Bicknell, and Grayson was renamed to Blanding, the maiden name of Mr. Bicknell's wife.

Commodore Abraham Whipple (American, 1733-1809) led the American colonies' very first armed opposition against British forces by burning the ship Gaspee on June 10, 1772. The same incident is mentioned in "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward".

The character of William Harris is likely named after one of the 12 original settlers of Rhode Island, also named William Harris (American, 1615-1681). Harris was apparently quite talented at arguing about property, and was involved in many disputes. He finally met his end when Barbary pirates captured him and held him for ransom (he died of illness before returning home).

Nicholas Brown (1729-91) is the namesake of Brown University, whose 140 acre campus lies a few blocks southeast of "The Shunned House". Mr. Brown was a prominent merchant, brother to John Brown, who organized the raid on the Gaspee in 1772. Nicholas, Joseph, John, and Moses Brown, all brothers, were partners in Nicholas Brown and Co., the leading colonial candle maker. The Brown brothers are also mentioned in "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward".

The reference to the exhumed body in Exeter is drawn from fact. The Providence Journal reported on March 19, 1892 that residents of Exeter had exhumed the bodies of a mother and two teenage daughters, all members of the Brown family, and all who had died of tuberculosis. The "wasting disease" was afflicting the three remaining members of the family, which drove the community to belief of vampirism in the household. An autopsy by Dr. Harold Metcalf showed that Mercy Brown, who died two months earlier, had clotted blood in her heart, which Metcalf maintained was not unusual. However, friends and family members took that as a sign of "a fire being kindled in the cemetery" and had the liver and heart burned to ashes.

Major General Nathaniel Greene (American, 1742-1786) was Rhode Islander and a noted general during the American War for Independence. He was one of only two generals to have served through the entire war, the other being George Washington. From 1780 to 1783, we was commander of the Southern Department, and through some remarkable strategic planning, he successfully waged a war of attrition against the British forces in the South. He died at age 44 of heat stroke after he settled in Savannah, GA, after the war.

Colonel Israel Angell (American, 1740-1832), also a Rhode Islander, was father of a whopping 17 kids and led the 2nd Rhode Island Regiment during the War for Independence. There is an Angell Street in Providence.

Elizabethtown is the former name of Elizabeth, NJ. Lovecraft wrote "The Shunned House" a few days after seeing a house similar to the 135 Benefit Street house in Elizabeth.

In More Annotated H. P. Lovecraft, S. T. Joshi and Peter Cannon erroneously note that "Captain Cahoone" is a "fictional Rhode Island naval captain". In fact, there really was a Captain John Cahoone, who offered the services of a revenue cutter named Vigilant to defeat the British privateer Dart during the War of 1812. The capture of the Dart was quite notable, since the privateer had previously captured between twenty and thirty American merchant ships in the vicinity of Long Island Sound. Captain Cahoone is regarded as a hero by the U. S. Coast Guard.

The "great gale" of September 23, 1815, was an actual storm. The Great September Gale was the strongest to hit New England in two centuries, topped only by the 1938 Hurricane. The storm surge height was around 3 meters, driving flood waters and massive ships onto the streets of Providence. Six people died in the storm.

Fredericksburg was a Confederate victory during the American Civil War, fought at Fredericksburg, Virginia, on December 13th, 1862. The battle pitted General Ambrose Burnside (who replaced General McClellan in the North's army only a month before) against Southern General Robert E. Lee. Burnside had decided to launch a winter campaign against Richmond, VA, by way of Fredericksburg, which held a strategically important spot on the Rappahannock River. Burnside's army, 115,000 men strong, had the power of numbers over Lee's men, but Burnside's attack was stalled for a week because of a supply shortage, which allowed Lee to entrench 78,000 soldiers in the high ground above the town. The positional edge was enough. The battle was incredibly bloody, ultimately resulting in Burnside retreating on December 15th. The Confederacy lost "only" 5,000 men in the battle, compared to the 13,000 Union men lost. The success of the battle raised the morale of the Confederacy, which led to the invasion of the North six months later.

Incidentally, Lovecraft sympathized with the Confederacy. In 1917, he wrote an ode named "Lines on Gen. R. E. Lee".

The Rhode Island Historical Society was founded in 1822 and currently runs several museums in Providence and the vicinity.

The Shepley Library was established in a Providence church in 1921 by Col. George Metcalf. When the museum closed in 1938, it's holdings were sold to the Rhode Island Historical Society. Lovecraft himself had visited the library while it was open, and was impressed with the number of antiquities in the collection. The same library is also mentioned in "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward".

The Huguenots were French Protestants, members of the Reformed Church. In 1536, a general edict was issued in France that ordered no less than the extermination of the Huguenots, as they were deemed heretics. This did not stop the first Huguenot church from being established in 1555 by John Calvin. In 1562, 1,200 Huguenots were slaughtered at Vassey, France, igniting the French Wars of Religion. Conflicts ended when Henry IV issued the Edict of Nantes in 1598, which established certain freedoms for the Huguenots. The Edict of Nantes was later revoked in 1685 by Louis XIV, which caused a rebirth of the persecution. Hundreds of thousands of French Protestants fled France, many to America. It wasn't until the Edict of Toleration in 1787 that the Huguenots' rights were reestablished in their homeland.

Sir Edmund Andros (1637-1714) was governor of New England from 1686-1689. His interference with local customs, rights, and charters made him quite unpopular, and led to his deposition by a popular revolt. He later returned to America as the governor of Virginia. He is also mentioned in "Pickman's Model".

"Jacques Roulet, of Caude" refers to a vagabond captured near Caude, France, in 1598. Some townspeople happened upon the mutilated corpse of a boy in the woods near Caude, and chased after two wolves that had apparently been rending the flesh of the body. However, at the end of the footchase, the townsfolk found not a wolf, but Jacques Roulet, a disheveled beggar, who apparently had clawlike, bloodstained hands. Under duress, Roulet admitted that he, his brother, and his cousin were all werewolves, and had killed and eaten many women and children. The judge in Angers, France, condemned Roulet to death, but the case was appealed and Roulet instead landed in an insane asylum.

The "curvature of tree roots" possibly refers to a bizarre incident that involves the corpse of British clergyman Roger Williams, the founder of both the city of Providence and the state of Rhode Island. When Roger Williams died around 1683, he was buried out behind his old home. In 1860, a group of Providence citizens got together and decided to build a monument to Williams and his wife, and so they exhumed the bodies... only to find there were no trace of them save a couple rusty coffin nails. However, the nearby apple tree had sent some roots into the site, and tree roots had literally taken on the shape and features of the two missing bodies. The townsfolk carefully removed the roots, and bestowed the grisly things upon the Rhode Island Historical Society. Apparently, the RIHS still owns the roots, but chooses to store them in a basement rather than put them on display. Too bad, because I that's something I'd like to see.

The "Crookes' tube" is a vacuum tube invented by William Crookes (British, 1832-1919) in 1875. The use of this particular tube, which achieved pressured less than one millionth of an atmosphere, later led to the discovery of X-rays and the electron. The tube consists of a glass tube, closed at the ends, with an electrode at each, and with an outlet connected to a vacuum pump. After air is removed from the tube, the cathode is heated via a small electric current. The large potential difference across the electrodes causes the emittance of an eerie light. Crookes erroneously thought he had created ectoplasm with the tube, when in fact, he had succeeded in creating the Northern Lights in a glass bulb. The Crookes tube is an immediate forerunner of the oscilloscope and the TV tube.

Revue des Deux Mondes is a French journal, founded in 1829, that continues today to be a major literary review. Translated, the name means "The Review of the Two Worlds", referring to the fact that it was originally established as a bridge between French and American policies and cultures.

When Uncle Whipple sees "three-cornered hats" in a dream, he is seeing the tricorne hat, which was fashionable near the end of the 18th century.

The Athenaeum, named for the Greek goddess of wisdom, Athena, still stands today at 251 Benefit Street, just south of the Stephen Harris House. It was first established in 1753 as the Providence Library Company, then became the Providence Athenaeum in 1836. The current building, a handsome Greek Revival designed by William Strickland (American, 1788-1854), was completed in 1838. The library owns a copy of the American Review in which Poe signed below his anonymously published poem, "Ulalume."

Availability: "The Shunned House" can be found both in More Annotated Lovecraft (S.T. Joshi and Peter Cannon, eds.) and in The Road to Madness. More Annotated Lovecraft provides full footnotes, but The Road to Madness contains more stories