Aerial survey · USDA NAIP · public domainAn 18th-century burial ground deep within Otter River State Forest — the sole surviving remnant of the village of New Boston, abandoned when the Birch Hill Dam project displaced the community in the 1940s.
Otter River State Forest, New Boston Road, Baldwinville, MA 01436
Research updated May 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$
Massachusetts State Forest day-use fee may apply. Campsite fees separate.
Access
Limited Access
Unpaved forest trail; moderate walk from state forest entrance.
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1700 · Sole surviving remnant of the village of New Boston · Community displaced by Birch Hill Dam flood control project (1940s) · Otter River State Forest — first land acquired by Massachusetts State Forest Commission (1915) · CCC reforestation site (1930s)
The village of New Boston in north-central Massachusetts was a small agricultural community that developed in the 18th and 19th centuries. As with dozens of New England communities, it was gradually displaced in the early 20th century by state and federal land acquisition programs. The surrounding forest was the first area acquired by the Massachusetts State Forest Commission in 1915. During the 1930s, Civilian Conservation Corps workers transformed the land into Otter River State Forest, planting extensive pine groves and building campground infrastructure that remains in use today.
The Birch Hill Dam flood control project, part of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' effort to manage the Millers River watershed, accelerated the final abandonment of New Boston in the 1940s. Farms and homes that had been part of the community for generations were cleared. The New Boston Cemetery, surrounded by stone posts and chain, was left in place — the sole surviving landmark of the village.
Today the cemetery sits in the forest interior, accessible by unpaved trail from the state forest's main campground area. Graves within the cemetery date as early as the 1700s. The site is maintained as part of the state forest but has no formal visitor infrastructure of its own.
Sources
According to accounts shared among paranormal enthusiasts and documented independently by regional editorial sources, the New Boston Cemetery carries a reputation for unusual experiences. The most specific recurring claim involves a man identified only as 'Rudy,' whose spirit is said to linger near the cemetery. Saying 'Rudy, give me a sign' in the cemetery area may elicit a response — a motif common to New England cemetery folklore.
A second reported phenomenon involves a specific tree near the cemetery: according to The Pulse Magazine (October 2017), 'you can only see this ghost if you stand with your back against a particular tree within the cemetery. Once you have your back up against the tree, you will have a frontal view of a dead man hanging from a tree.' The Pulse Magazine is a central Massachusetts regional lifestyle publication; the account was written by staff writer Victoria Hope McAuliffe and is presented as local legend rather than a citation of paranormal databases. The origins of this tradition are unclear and not traceable to a documented historical event. Visitors also generally report an uneasy feeling at the site, consistent with the remote and isolated character of the location.
The cemetery's genuine historical significance — as the last surviving remnant of the village of New Boston, displaced by the Birch Hill Dam project — gives it an inherent melancholy that regional sources have noted as a backdrop to the lore.
Notable Entities
Where this legend is told
Hike into Otter River State Forest to find the New Boston Cemetery, the last physical trace of the village of New Boston, a community displaced by the 1940s Birch Hill Dam flood control project. Graves date to the 1700s.
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