Joseph Peace Hazard, an eccentric Spiritualist, built the Druid’s Chair and Witch’s Altar in the 1880s. He claimed the designs were dictated by spirits, though he never fully understood their purpose.
Joseph Peace Hazard was inspired by his interest in Druidism, mysticism, and spiritualism. He believed spirits guided the design of the Druid’s Dream house and the stone monuments, though he admitted he never knew their exact purpose.
The Druid’s Chair and Witch’s Altar are mysterious because Joseph Peace Hazard built them under spiritual guidance but never explained their purpose. The site’s enigmatic nature and its connection to Druidism and spiritualism continue to intrigue visitors.
The site features eight granite pillars arranged in a 27-foot circle, with half of the pillars designed to collect rainwater for birds. A central monument and a large L-shaped rock, called the Druid’s Chair, complete the unique design.
Spiritualism played a significant role in Joseph Peace Hazard’s life. He attended séances, communicated with spirits, and believed that spirits guided his architectural and artistic endeavors, including the construction of Druid’s Dream and the stone monuments.
Joseph Peace Hazard was not buried in the tomb he designed because he was interred in the family burial ground in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, instead of the Druid’s Dream site.
The Druid’s Dream house is significant as it reflects Joseph Peace Hazard’s spiritual beliefs and eccentricity. He built it under spiritual guidance but never lived in it, leaving its purpose open to interpretation.
Joseph Peace Hazard’s travels to Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and South America deepened his interest in Druidism, mysticism, and spiritualism. These experiences shaped his philosophical and spiritual outlook, which influenced his later architectural projects.
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 90 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the woods of Narragansett, Rhode Island, in search of a strange configuration of stone monuments locals call the Druid’s chair and Witch’s Altar. In the 1880s, these monuments and the house across the street were built by eccentric Spiritualist Joseph Peace Hazard. Though Hazard built these structures, he would tell you the design was dictated by spirits, but for what purpose? He never knew. This episode first aired March 25, 2021
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