 | |
| Widows' Hill | |
| Aliases: | Widow's Hill |
| Category: | Locale |
| Continent: | North America |
| Country: | United States of America |
| State: | Maine |
| Town: | Collinsport |
| Points of interest: | Collinwood |
| Residents: | Ghosts |
| Appearances: | Dark Shadows (1966) Dark Shadows (1991) Dark Shadows (2012) |
| 1st appearance: | Episode 2 |
Widows' Hill is a fictional geological formation featured in the original Dark Shadows television series, which was a Gothic soap opera that aired on ABC from 1966 to 1971. The base of Widows' Hill was used in the opening credits of the show as waves crashed upon the rocks. It was first referenced in the premiere episode of the series, but did not make its first appearance until episode 2. While the hill itself did not make many appearance, it was a pivotal part of the show's many storlines. Widows' Hill also made appearances in the 1991 Dark Shadows revival series and the 2012 Dark Shadows feature film.
Original series[]
- "You're not getting ready to jump, are you? You wouldn't be the first you know."
- ―Roger Collins
Widows' Hill is a seaside cliff on the back of the Collinwood estate. It earned its name from a legend about three widows who committed suicide when their husbands failed to return from sea. In 1796, Josette Collins threw herself from the cliff while trying to evade the advances of the vampire Barnabas Collins. In the modern era, a Frankenstein-inspired creature known as Adam sought a similar demise, but miraculously survived the fall onto the rocks below.
House of Dark Shadows[]
Waves crashing onto Widows' Hill.
Widows' Hill was the name of a cliff overlooking the coastline on the Collinwood estate. The shores of the beach surrounding Widows' Hill were a short distance away from the northern coves of St. Eustace Island.
In July of 1797, Josette DuPres took her own life by leaping off of the cliff onto the rocks below. Although other people may have used the cliff’s edge as a means of suicide, Josette is the only person on record known to have killed themselves there. The region earned its name due to the fact that Josette’s body was found adorned in a French wedding gown. The name Widows' Hill is something of a misnomer however, as Josette killed herself before ever actually getting married.
In July of 1970, Barnabas Collins recalled the tale of Widows' Hill to his servant, Willie Loomis.
Dark Shadows (2012)[]
In the 2012 film Dark Shadows, Josette was bewitched by Angelique and wandered to the edge of Widow's Hill in a hypnotic state. Barnabas trailed after her, beckoning her to return to him. At the edge of the peak, she turned and looked at Barnabas and solemnly said "Help me", then fell backwards onto the rocks below.
Driven by anguish, Barnabas dived after her, content with killing himself rather than living in a world without Josette. He too landed on the rocks below, but surprisingly did not die; not in the conventional sense of the word anyway. Angelique placed a curse on Barnabas, and when he picked himself up from the rocks, he found that he was now a vampire.
Notes[]
- Some resources mis-spell the location as Widow's Hill. This link redirects to this page.
- Widows' Hill did not appear in House of Dark Shadows, however, Barnabas Collins did recount the tragic suicide of Josette du Pres, which took place at Widows' Hill.
- Widow's Hill did not appear in Night of Dark Shadows.
Characters who tend to fall off Widow's Hill[]
See also[]
 This article relates to locations featured in and pertaining to the Dark Shadows television and film franchise. This template will categorize articles that include it into the Dark Shadows Locations category. |