Plymouth Cordage Company

A Brief History: The building at the Mystic Seaport Museum in Connecticut is a 250-foot segment of the Plymouth Cordage Company’s ropewalk. It was built in 1824 by the company’s founder, Bourne Spooner. The ropewalk was operated by the firm until 1947 when technological advancements made its function outdated. The original building was in Plymouth, Massachusetts and was more than 1,000 feet long. Its primary function was to create rope needed for the sailing industry. Natural fibers would be spun into yarn with many strands of yard twisted together to form a strand and then three strands would be twister together to form a rope. The reason for the extreme length of the building was because the rope needed to be twisted in a straight line and long lengths of rope were needed.

Haunted History: With the Cordage Company building’s close connection to the sailing industry, it would be easy to suspect the spirits of sailors hanging around. It was also a very dangerous job making rope and many people would lose fingers, hands or whole limbs in the process and that trauma could also lead to a spirit being around.  Over the years visitors have also reported seeing apparitions of men, women and children who used to work in the building along with disembodied voices, laughter and distant music playing, all accompanied by uneasy feelings for those witnessing the activity.