Scandalous history behind New England carriage house as it hits the market for $2.5 million

A historic Rhode Island mansion where one of its original owners met a very nasty death, has hit the market for $2.5 million.

Clothing store magnate Jerothmul Bowers 'JB' Barnaby, owner of JB Barnaby & Co, lived in the three-bedroom, five-bathroom carriage house with his wife, Josephine, after it was built in 1875. 

But 16 years later in 1891, Josephine, was murdered after drinking from a bottle of poisoned whiskey. 

Josephine had received the tipple in the mail while on vacation in Colorado alongside a strange note that read: 'Wish you a Happy New Year. Please accept this fine old whiskey from your friend in the woods.'   

As the 3,920sq ft home that comes with three bedrooms and five bathrooms tries to find a buyer, it has thrown its former owner and her horrendous death back into the spotlight.

Realtor Paula Morrison of Residential Properties says she's received a flood of inquiries about the Barnaby Castle Carriage House at 159 Sutton St in Providence.

'It's been quite busy this summer,' Morrison told the Daily Mail. 'The property is on the west side of Providence, which is very much kind of an up and coming neighborhood.

'It has some beautiful old estates, there's an armory over there, a really nice park, great kind of younger, kind of hip restaurants, a couple of James Beard Award winning restaurants over there. And this is part of the Barnaby Castle, which is next to it,' Morrison added. 

Despite the home's infamous past, Morrison said most prospective buyers aren't put off by the original owner's murder, instead they're fascinated by it.

'It's not like it's a stigma right now, because it certainly happened 100 years ago. But yeah, there's curiosity,' she said.

The former carriage house, which still features its original hay lift, has been transformed into a two-story home with exposed brick walls, beamed ceilings, hardwood floors and original architectural details, per the listing.

The main living space includes a large open living and dining area framed by a beautiful rose medallion window. 

French doors lead to a spacious gourmet kitchen with two islands, while a secondary kitchenette opens to a cozy reading nook and informal dining area. 

The home's three bedrooms include a primary suite with a soaking tub, walk-in shower and large closet. The original tack room remains on the first floor, preserving a piece of the property's history.

A garage provides off-street parking and access to a flexible event space that has been used for art galleries, concerts and community gatherings. 

The rear of the first floor also includes a newly designed movement studio with its own bathroom, changing room and dressing room.

The previous homeowner who bought the residence in 2022 lived on the second floor and transformed the first floor into a 'neighborhood business zone.'

'They had some pop-up art shows in there. They would have concerts, a lot of things that were open to the community,' Morrison told the Daily Mail.

Some recent pop-up events held in the space have included performances by folk-pop musician Emily Keating, gig by Providence-based band Clip Clop and a book fair.

The building has seen a huge transformation since Jerothmul and Josephine called it home.

Jerothmul had entered the clothing industry aged 16, working as a clerk in his brother-in-law’s store. In 1852, he moved to Providence and opened his first shop at 15 South Main Street.

He met Josephine soon after, and they married in September 1857 and later moved into the carriage house in 1875. He opened his most successful store at the corner of Dorrance and Westminster streets.

After the birth of their third child, Josephine began experiencing partial paralysis in one arm and occasional speech difficulties. Around 1887, she met physician Dr Thomas Thatcher Graves, who had opened an office across the street and he soon became a friend and confidant.

After Jerothmul died in 1889, he left Josephine just a small amount of money from his grand fortune. The estate was estimated to be worth $1.7 million and he left her with a stipend of $2,500 a year, as detailed by the New England Historical Society. 

Although that was an ample amount to live off, she confided in Dr Graves who helped her pursue a legal battle to get more money. Dr Graves soon acted not just as her physician but financial manager and power of attorney. 

After winning back $105,000 of her late husband's fortune, Josephine then wrote the Harvard-trained doctor into her will with a bequest of $50,000. But his and Josephine’s relationship later turned sour as he disapproved of her spending.

With her newfound financial freedom, Josephine began traveling, including a trip to the Adirondacks, where she reportedly grew close to a married tour guide and even considered buying a cottage on his land. Some reports believed they were lovers. 

Dr Graves cautioned her that if she spent wildly she could be placed under a guardianship and allegedly threatened to have her declared incompetent and committed to an asylum.

The Boston Globe later reported an on the record quote from Dr Graves trashing Josephine.

'She was a vile woman and she had vile lovers,' Dr Graves said to the outlet.

As she continued to enjoy a jet-set life, Josephine visited her friend Florence Worrell in Denver at the home of Worrell’s son. 

When she arrived on April 13, 1891, a package was waiting for her and inside was the bottle of liquor accompanied by the note.

Josephine guessed the bottle was from the married 'lover' and the two women shared a toast and drank the whiskey. Worrell drank her glass in one quick shot, while Josephine sipped hers slowly. 

Within minutes, Worrell began experiencing a severe internal burning, followed by intense pain and violent vomiting. Within a few hours, Josephine also began to feel unwell.

Doctors were called to the house as both women suffered but around 2am Worrell’s nausea began to ease, while Josephine worsened.

Over the next two days, Josephine drifted in and out of consciousness and reportedly questioned who might have sent the package, mentioning several names. She died the third day at 2pm.

What followed her death was an investigation and then trial for the first murder committed by mail in the US.

Once it was confirmed the whiskey contained lethal amounts of arsenic, investigators began compiling a list of potential suspects but eventually landed on Dr Graves.

A grand jury in Denver charged Dr Graves with Josephine’s murder on December 3, 1891.

The motive was believed to be that he had stood to gain money from her will, though he claimed he was unaware he was a beneficiary.

On January 11, 1892, a packed courtroom heard Dr Graves again insist he was innocent. 

But the judge found him guilty and ordered that he be taken into custody and executed by hanging during the week of January 31, 1892. 

The doctor's lawyers filed an appeal, and the case dragged on. The original verdict was eventually overturned on a technicality, with a new trial ordered, while Dr Graves remained in jail.

On September 2, 1893, after a visit from his wife, Dr Graves said goodbye and asked her to return the next morning. 

He was found dead in his cell the following day, having left letters, including one to the coroner stating: 'Died from persecution - worn out - exhausted.'