The Legend Of Hillbrow

Takes On A New Form

By Shannon Hicks

The legend of Hillbrow — the majestic formal Georgian (one of the oldest surviving in the state) at 74 Main Street in Newtown— is one of the town’s favorite ghost stories. The ghost of a dead Tory continues to haunt the home of Richard and Dorethy Mulligan. Fortunately it’s like Casper — it seems to be a friendly ghost.

In a nutshell: The home was built in 1715 by Ebenezer Blackman. By the Revolutionary War another family was living in the home. Apparently while French soldiers under Rochambeau’s command were in town, they fell under the spell of the odor of fresh-baked bread emanating from the home and demanded a share of the food.

When the elderly homeowner refused to share, the French — already enraged at encountering a Tory — chased and harassed the sickly man around Main Street. The man, who was only dressed in nightclothes, collapsed upon returning home and died soon after. It is his ghost that continues to live at Hillbrow.

“He never left,” Dorethy Mulligan said recently. “He’s our ghost,” her husband agreed.

Hillbrow has always held public fascination, not only for its history but also its beauty. Its yard is always well maintained, and the Mulligans continue to keep up the interior of the home as well. The couple recently added to the charm of their home when they hired the artist Daniel Duffy, who also lives in Newtown, to create a mural within their home.

Dorethy Mulligan said recently she had always wanted a mural along the front entryway’s wall, a wall her husband called “uninspiring” that ran alongside an otherwise lovely curling stairway. Mr Duffy went into the project knowing a little bit about the home’s legend, and he worked closely with the couple in creating a work of art that now greets guests who enter Hillbrow through the front entryway.

Using muted colors, the artist created a night scene that shows a group of soldiers walking away from Hillbrow. A man is seen collapsed at the gate, while a female figure stands in the building’s doorway, looking outward while holding up a lamp. A ghostly face can be made out in the clouds in the upper right portion of the mural.

The winter scene kept the colors muted, which fits in well with the home’s interior — too many bright, primary colors would not have fit in nearly as well. Using the moon as the main light source for the scene also helped tone down its overall colors. It is a gorgeous piece of art, certainly something any family could live with for generations.

“This is a magnificent house,” Mr Duffy said. “I wanted to come up with something they could go up and down past 1,000 times. It needed to be something they could live with on the walls. Knowing how proud they are of this place, I wanted it to be a jewel for them.”

The Mulligans seem very happy with their new mural. The public will have a chance to decide for itself on December 2, when Hillbrow once again is a stop on the walking tour of the Annual Newtown Holiday Festival.