The Tomb
The Tomb refers to a centuries-old mausoleum, built in the early Gothic style, situated on the campus of Litchmoor University in the town of Madbury, New Hampshire. The isolated sepulture stands nestled against the hillside in a secluded grove of oak and maple on the northwestern slope of College Hill, approximately three-quarters of a mile north of the campus center. Shrouded in mystery, the Tomb has served as the final resting place of the extinct Litchmoor family for nearly three hundred years.
Immured within its vaults lie the mortal remains of Archibald Litchmoor (1626-1689), his wife, Eleanor (Grimes) Litchmoor (1631-1668), and four of their seven children, as well as the bones of Archibald's father, Jerald Litchmoor (1594-1649), which he brought to New Hampshire when he immigrated in 1651. Archibald's son, Ichabod Litchmoor (1654-1723), was the last of the family to be entombed there.
An ornate wrought iron gate, held fast with a formidable padlock and chain, safeguards the recessed iron door, notable for its elaborately decorated brass strap hinges and ornate Gothic deadbolt lock, also of brass. Above the entrance a trefoil oculus allows light to enter the main chamber through red stained glass. The pavilion is flanked by two matching wings, 8 feet wide by 12 feet deep, featuring small pointed-arch false windows on the façade and larger ones on the gable ends.
Inside, a catafalque of pure white marble, sculpted in large blackletter with the family surname, and displaying the Litchmoor coat of arms at the head and foot, stands at the center of the black marble floor. Above it hangs a circular iron chandelier bearing twelve stout candles, while iron sconces hold eight more at the corners of the room. The walls on either side of the bier contain four vaults each, six of which are inscribed with the names of their occupants.
At the far end of the chamber, a steep stone stairway spirals downward to a low vaulted crypt below the floor. An iron gate, hinges fastened to the stone of the east wall with heavy staples, and secured with a large padlock, blocks entry to a dark narrow passageway that disappears into the hillside.
Against the west wall of the crypt, in a small alcove, sits a stone ossuary containing the bones of Jerald Litchmoor. They were disinterred and brought to America by his son, Archibald, in 1651, for reasons which will perhaps forever remain unknown.
To add to the mystery, the ossuary has been filled with large amounts of red ochre, which has permanently imparted a deep blood-red color to the bones within. It is unknown when the addition of the red ochre, reminiscent of the burial practices of the ancient "Red Paint People," might have occurred.
There is a small cemetery nearby that is said to hold the hastily buried remains of some of the victims of the 1689 Cocheco Massacre. A section of iron fence, and pieces of a few toppled headstones, are all that remains of that early colonial graveyard. Local legend holds there is also a large Pennacook burial ground close by, but no physical evidence of its location has yet been found.
The earliest surviving record mentioning the Tomb is an inventory of property prepared by the Trustees of the College Trust in 1825, wherein it is referred to as "The Litchmoor Mausoleum and Cemetery," apparently also referencing the nearby "Massacre Cemetery."
Professor Severin Rathbone, in his 1831 history of Litchmoor College, referred to the Tomb as "the resting place of the College's eponymous founder and benefactor, Ichabod Litchmoor, and his closest relations," naming (without citation) the father and son team of Jacob and Samuel Buswell of Bangor Maine as its builders, although the latter assertion has been disputed by several Maine historians and some Buswell descendants.
Since the establishment of the campus on College Hill in 1733, the Tomb has been the source of many rumors, legends, and speculations within the Litchmoor community. Interest in the Tomb among the student body in the early years of the College gave rise to the formation of several fraternal secret societies claiming connection to the Tomb. The oldest and most prominent of these are the Sacred Brotherhood of the Red Skull and the Most Mystick Society of the Lock and Chain.
Immured within its vaults lie the mortal remains of Archibald Litchmoor (1626-1689), his wife, Eleanor (Grimes) Litchmoor (1631-1668), and four of their seven children, as well as the bones of Archibald's father, Jerald Litchmoor (1594-1649), which he brought to New Hampshire when he immigrated in 1651. Archibald's son, Ichabod Litchmoor (1654-1723), was the last of the family to be entombed there.
Description
The massive walls of the Tomb are constructed of rusticated red sandstone, likely from the quarries at Bas du Fleuve, 500 miles away in eastern Québec, with accents of local New Hampshire granite. The projecting central section is 12 feet wide by 16 feet deep and stands 25 feet high at the peak of the cross-gabled roof. Two granite steps lead to the pointed-arch doorway.An ornate wrought iron gate, held fast with a formidable padlock and chain, safeguards the recessed iron door, notable for its elaborately decorated brass strap hinges and ornate Gothic deadbolt lock, also of brass. Above the entrance a trefoil oculus allows light to enter the main chamber through red stained glass. The pavilion is flanked by two matching wings, 8 feet wide by 12 feet deep, featuring small pointed-arch false windows on the façade and larger ones on the gable ends.
Inside, a catafalque of pure white marble, sculpted in large blackletter with the family surname, and displaying the Litchmoor coat of arms at the head and foot, stands at the center of the black marble floor. Above it hangs a circular iron chandelier bearing twelve stout candles, while iron sconces hold eight more at the corners of the room. The walls on either side of the bier contain four vaults each, six of which are inscribed with the names of their occupants.
At the far end of the chamber, a steep stone stairway spirals downward to a low vaulted crypt below the floor. An iron gate, hinges fastened to the stone of the east wall with heavy staples, and secured with a large padlock, blocks entry to a dark narrow passageway that disappears into the hillside.
Against the west wall of the crypt, in a small alcove, sits a stone ossuary containing the bones of Jerald Litchmoor. They were disinterred and brought to America by his son, Archibald, in 1651, for reasons which will perhaps forever remain unknown.
To add to the mystery, the ossuary has been filled with large amounts of red ochre, which has permanently imparted a deep blood-red color to the bones within. It is unknown when the addition of the red ochre, reminiscent of the burial practices of the ancient "Red Paint People," might have occurred.
There is a small cemetery nearby that is said to hold the hastily buried remains of some of the victims of the 1689 Cocheco Massacre. A section of iron fence, and pieces of a few toppled headstones, are all that remains of that early colonial graveyard. Local legend holds there is also a large Pennacook burial ground close by, but no physical evidence of its location has yet been found.
History
The history of the anomalous structure is obscured by a veil of mystifying secrets. Most sources agree it was probably built between 1668 and 1670, presumably at the direction of Archibald Litchmoor, former owner of the property, upon the untimely death of his wife Eleanor in 1668. However, the exact circumstances of its construction, as well as the identities of the builders, remain in question.The earliest surviving record mentioning the Tomb is an inventory of property prepared by the Trustees of the College Trust in 1825, wherein it is referred to as "The Litchmoor Mausoleum and Cemetery," apparently also referencing the nearby "Massacre Cemetery."
Professor Severin Rathbone, in his 1831 history of Litchmoor College, referred to the Tomb as "the resting place of the College's eponymous founder and benefactor, Ichabod Litchmoor, and his closest relations," naming (without citation) the father and son team of Jacob and Samuel Buswell of Bangor Maine as its builders, although the latter assertion has been disputed by several Maine historians and some Buswell descendants.
Since the establishment of the campus on College Hill in 1733, the Tomb has been the source of many rumors, legends, and speculations within the Litchmoor community. Interest in the Tomb among the student body in the early years of the College gave rise to the formation of several fraternal secret societies claiming connection to the Tomb. The oldest and most prominent of these are the Sacred Brotherhood of the Red Skull and the Most Mystick Society of the Lock and Chain.
The Tomb
MAUSOLEUM
"The Tomb"
Litchmoor Family Mausoleum
Litchmoor Family Mausoleum
Jerald Lichmoor (1594-1649)
Eleanor (Grimes) Litchmoor (1631-1668)
Susan Litchmoor (1652-1677)
Archibald Litchmoor (1626-1689)
Margaret Litchmoor (1655-1702)
Olivia Litchmoor (1658-1721)
Ichabod Litchmoor (1654-1732)
Eleanor (Grimes) Litchmoor (1631-1668)
Susan Litchmoor (1652-1677)
Archibald Litchmoor (1626-1689)
Margaret Litchmoor (1655-1702)
Olivia Litchmoor (1658-1721)
Ichabod Litchmoor (1654-1732)
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