Dudleytown, a small settlement in Cornwall Connecticut is probably deceiving, given its name.  Dudleytown is not really a town at all, but the name given to the area settled by generations of the Dudley family.  At its peak, the town was home to about twenty six people.  The area is better known by its nickname, the Village of the Damned.

(images:batto29/flickr)

Settled in the mid 1740s, the town survived just a short time before being completely abandoned in the 1800s.  Looking at the area now, it is hard to imagine what it might have been like for the families who chose to work the dense forest land and make an attempt at farming.  Bound for failure, the land was not ideal.  Because it was located on a high peak, between three large hills, there was very little light.  Additionally, the land was rocky and water was filled with lead.  Additionally, families had to travel far to reach every day amenities like churches and shopping.

The first Dudleys came as descendants of Edmund Dudley.  Unfortunately, Edmund was beheaded by King Henry the Eighth after being discovered as participating in a plot to overthrow the king.  Many claim that was the beginning of the Dudley curse.  Others argued that the curse started long before the time of kings and beheadings with the Mohawk tribes that first settled the area and left a lasting mark.  Despite the cause, death and horror certainly followed the descendants of Edmund Dudley and the curse seemed to take shape and take over for years to come.

Following them all the way to America, the curse took shape in many different forms over the next hundreds of years.  Stories involving the Dudleys always involved abductions, strange creatures from the woods, demons, plague, consumption, child death, murder, fires, being struck by lightening and vanishing into the woods.  First borns had an awful habit of dying and families were often consumed with insanity during their long days at Dudleytown.  Many speculate that these stories, passed down by the family, were how the town got its reputation as the Village of the Damned.

(images:zedzap/flickr)

While the area is now largely protected and restricted, brave hikers still make their way across the heavily wooded areas.  They commonly return with stories of apparitions and orbs.  They see lights and hear sounds that have no explanation.  The woods are suspiciously quiet, as if even the animals are too scared to make a sound.  Mysterious images and objects appear in pictures.  Others describe an overall feeling of terror and even less lucky hikers describe feelings of being pushed or touched.  Some researchers have hypothesized that the area is home to a negative power spot.  In other words, a portal that entities use to enter this world from the other side.

The land is now privately owned by the Dark Entry Forest.  The association of homeowners was formed and offers limited permits for hiking and visiting.  Other than that, access is forbidden.  Some say it is the attempt of homeowners to take back the woody land (and renovate their homes with the help of Florida painting companies), others say it is to keep the dark energy of the forest at bay and away from the new families settling there.  Those courageous enough to enter are warned not to take anything with them, lest they risk carrying the curse of the Dudleys to their own homes.