Miraculous powers and terrible curses: Brunswick Springs in Vermont (12 photos)

Deep in the woods of Vermont, near the town of Brunswick, there are six small springs known as Brunswick Springs. They are nothing special and are actually a small waterfall that flows into the Connecticut River in six different places.





Each of them contains different substances: iron, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, bromide and arsenic. Why did these sources appear in the press in 1984 under the title of the eighth wonder of the world?



The local population, the Abenaki Indians, have considered the land around the springs sacred for centuries. And the springs themselves are rumored to have special healing properties. People also chatter that this area is cursed and anyone who tries to build a building here is doomed.

The Legend of Brunswick Springs





Abenaki

The belief that there is something special about Brunswick Springs dates back to the local Abenaki tribe. For centuries they considered the springs and the lands around them sacred.

The Abenaki once made long treks to the springs to benefit from their healing waters. However, they did this exclusively during daylight hours.



View of the Connecticut River from the Brunswick Mineral Springs Hotel

The reason for this is that the springs were considered a place of spiritual balance. In the light of the sun they were believed to be a place of light and healing, but with the onset of darkness at night the springs became dangerous. The Abenaki believed that something terrible and eerie was roaming these parts.



The first documented evidence of the healing properties of Brunswick Springs dates back to 1748. Supposedly, the Abenaki led a wounded French soldier to the springs. He badly injured his arm and was afraid that he might lose it. The shaman put the soldier under a stream of water, and miraculously his hand was healed.

According to local legend, after the war the Frenchman returned and tried to bottle the water to monetize its miraculous healing properties. The Abenaki objected to this, considering it disrespectful to nature, and a fight began. In the ensuing chaos, an Abenaki man and his child were killed.



In response, the man's wife, a witch from this tribe, placed a curse on the springs. From that moment on, anyone who tried to use the water was doomed to failure. If we look at local history, her curse seems to have worked.

Hotel fires



Over time, rumors about the magical properties of the spring spread. The first house was built on the hill in 1832, and by 1860 the Brunswick Spring House Hotel was built. The hotel was built right above the springs, and magical water was supplied directly to each guest.

The hotel's brochures advertised "the healing waters of the Great Spirit" and "60 guest rooms supplied with water from Brunswick Springs." The advertising campaign worked, and the hotel flourished for several years: people from different parts of the world came here to try the healing waters.



Eventually, the hotel was purchased by a dentist named Dr. Rowell, and it became so popular that in 1894 the owner decided to expand the building. Soon after, it burned down under mysterious circumstances.

Undeterred, he rebuilt the hotel, and it remained in business until his death in 1910. After Rowell's death, the land was purchased by John Haskins, who also took over management of the hotel, renaming it Pine Crest Lodge.



He lived happily for several years until 1929, when the hotel burned down again. Not wanting to lose his investment, Haskins quickly built up. But less than a year later, in 1930, the hotel burned down again.

Haskins apparently didn't believe the rumors that the springs were cursed because he rebuilt the hotel. His efforts were rewarded by another fire in 1931, which destroyed the building down to its foundations. This fire was enough to put Haskins out of business forever.



Records show one of the fires was caused by paint fumes in a storage area. Apparently, the causes of the other fires were never determined. Today all that remains of the hotel is a cement foundation and a few rotting stairs leading to the basement. Another old staircase leads to the springs, and on the embankment you can find an old, destroyed spring house.

Other strange incidents



It wasn't just the hotel fire that made locals believe the area was cursed. Since the hotel burned down, two men have hanged themselves in the area, and one woman drove her car (seemingly on purpose) into the lake and died. Most disturbingly, a baby was once found strangled near Brunswick Springs.

The nearby lake, called Silver, is bottomless according to Abenaki lore. And some tourists claim to have seen the ghost of a witch walking along its banks at night. Locals also believe that Roger's Rangers (a company of New Hampshire soldiers who were allies of the British during the French and Indian War of 1754-1763) hid some of the treasure looted here from their brutal raids. They never returned for them, getting lost and dying in the nearby wilderness.



Of course, there is no scientific evidence that the waters of Brunswick Springs are healing, or that the land is cursed.

The Abenaki again became the legal owners of the land and prohibited its development. A few years ago they formed Wabanaki Inc and bought the land. They then sold the development rights to the Vermont Land Trust. The agreement stated that no more buildings could be built on this territory. And no enterprises other than those currently operating here will ever appear.