The Conjuring House

Author: Jewls Krueger

On a quiet stretch of Round Top Road in the village of Harrisville, part of the town of Burrillville, Rhode Island, sits a weathered colonial farmhouse that has become one of the most recognized homes in America. Built in 1736 and long known as the Old Arnold Estate, it drew international attention after the 2013 horror film The Conjuring dramatized the experiences of the Perron family, who lived there in the 1970s. The house itself was not used as a filming location, but its reputation as a paranormal site has made it a magnet for horror fans, ghost hunters, and curious travelers.

The Old Arnold Estate

The farmhouse dates to 1736 and was originally the center of a working farm that once spanned roughly 200 acres. Over nearly three centuries it passed through generations of local families and several later owners. Today the property sits on about 8.5 acres of fields, stone walls, and woodland along a river. Its plain clapboard exterior looks like countless other New England farmhouses, which is part of what makes its modern fame so striking.

The Perron Family

Roger and Carolyn Perron bought the farmhouse in December 1970 and moved in with their five daughters, Andrea, Nancy, Christine, Cindy, and April, in January 1971. According to the family, strange things began almost immediately. Over the next decade they reported unexplained noises, foul odors, objects that moved on their own, and apparitions. The most troubling accounts centered on Carolyn, who described sudden fits of rage and a sense of a hostile presence in the home. The family remained in the house, in part because of financial constraints, until they moved to Georgia in 1980.

Andrea Perron, the eldest daughter, later chronicled the family's experiences in a three-volume series titled House of Darkness, House of Light. Her account became a primary source for the film that followed.

The Warrens and the Haunting

At Carolyn Perron's request, paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren became involved in the early 1970s. The Warrens, who built their careers investigating alleged hauntings including the Amityville case, described the Perron investigation as one of their most significant. Accounts of their involvement include a seance held in the house in 1973. By the family's telling, Roger Perron grew alarmed for his wife's wellbeing and asked the Warrens to leave. Lorraine Warren later said that she and her husband did not perform exorcisms, which she maintained could only be carried out by Catholic priests, a detail that differs from the film's dramatized ending.

Bathsheba Sherman

The film and the surrounding folklore tied the haunting to Bathsheba Sherman, portrayed as a witch who sacrificed a child and hanged herself. The historical record tells a very different story. Bathsheba Sherman was a real woman, born Bathsheba Thayer in 1812, who lived on a nearby farm and died in 1885 following a stroke. She was eulogized by a minister and buried in consecrated ground at the Harrisville Cemetery. Historian J'aime Rubio and others have found no evidence that she was ever accused of witchcraft during her lifetime, and no documented connection between Sherman and the Perron property. After the film's release, her grave was repeatedly vandalized. Her damaged headstone was removed in 2019, and a fundraising effort led to a new one being installed in early 2024.

The Conjuring Film

The Conjuring, directed by James Wan and released in 2013, starred Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as Ed and Lorraine Warren. It was based loosely on the Warrens' case files and Andrea Perron's writing, and it launched a horror franchise that grew to include multiple sequels and spinoffs. Although the story is set in the Burrillville house, the movie was filmed elsewhere. Its success turned the real address into a destination and drew a steady stream of visitors and, at times, trespassers.

Recent Developments

The property's ownership has been turbulent. Norma Sutcliffe and Gerald Helfrich, who owned the home for roughly three decades before selling in 2019, ran a daycare there and did not believe it was haunted. Cory and Jennifer Heinzen bought it in June 2019 for $439,000 and opened it to the public for tours and overnight paranormal investigations. In May 2022, Boston developer Jacqueline Nuñez purchased the house for about $1.525 million and continued the tour business.

By late 2024, the operation had collapsed into controversy. The Burrillville Town Council declined to renew the property's entertainment license, citing paperwork and safety concerns, and Nuñez faced lawsuits from former employees along with a drunk driving arrest. Court filings from her family described serious mental health struggles. A foreclosure auction was scheduled for Halloween 2025 but canceled after the mortgage was sold to a new investor. After further litigation, the property changed hands again on June 15, 2026, for about $1.3 million.

The Conjuring House Today

The Conjuring House still stands on Round Top Road in Harrisville, and it remains privately owned. Following the events of 2024 and 2025, its public tour operation was suspended, and as of its June 2026 sale the plans of the newest owner had not been clearly announced. Visitors hoping to see the house should check for current, official booking information before traveling, since access has changed repeatedly in recent years.

The farmhouse sits in a rural residential area, and neighbors have long dealt with unwanted attention drawn by the film. Readers are asked to respect that. Stay on public roads, do not enter the property or approach the house without authorization, and remember that this is a real home in a small community, not a public attraction guaranteed to be open.

Those interested in the wider story can also visit the Harrisville Cemetery, where Bathsheba Sherman is buried, and are encouraged to treat her grave with the dignity the historical record says she deserves.