The General's Residence May Come Back From The Dead

MADISON, CT — There are legends, historical records and folk tales about the alleged haunted General's Residence on Boston Post Road, the most disturbing of which is the true story of one owner, a slave trader.

According to Madison Historical Society trustee Bob Gunderson, in 1799, a sea captain from Killingworth named Edward Griffin bought the house. He kept two slaves in his basement. One day, when revenue officers came calling, he "walled the slaves up in the cellar and left them to die. When his estate was sold off, the wall was removed, and two skeletons were found. Some say that these two poor souls haunt the place still."

Now, the landmark house may be razed, it's reported, "if developers get approval for their plan." The plan is to create a "new and improved replica of the historic structure," the New Haven Register reports.

The developers are Adam Greenberg and Timothy Herbst, who paid $1.8 million for the site using the name General’s Residence at Madison, LLC. The paper reports the plan calls for erect a new two-unit house and add "seven smallish homes on the rest of the property in a cluster development. "

According to signage outside the property, The General’s Residence at Madison LLC’s proposal to demolish the house is on the agenda at the May 21 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting to be held via ZOOM.