Secluded on a small peninsula in Rhode Island sits a mansion. Those who pass by may only see stone, wood, tended gardens, and elaborate carvings of marble--an impressive structure. And though luxurious as it may be, many would pass without giving it a second thought. Afterall, it is just a house. But there are some who can see past the plaster and the nails, beneath the floorboards, and beyond the material. They hear voices, they see shadows, they experience the lives of those who went before them. Listen close enough and you will hear the words of those who once lived whispering their secrets. Listen too closely and you may find yourself captivated by them, unable to escape the allure of the past. Bennington Manor: New Dawn is the first book in a trilogy that chronicles the history and events that took place within a colonial mansion and also the hardships of its present day inhabitant, Tom Bennington as he works to restore his family home to full splendor. These two story lines, past and present, interweave throughout the book to paint a full picture of what one house witnesses as time passes by. Maxwell Bennington is the wealthy owner of the largest merchant company in the colonies. When tragedy strikes his household during the War for Independence, Maxwell goes on a murderous rampage of vengeance that stains his home with innocent blood. His son Ethan bears the burden of his father's sins into the next century which leads him to use his stately home as a hospital for American troops during the War of 1812. But even Ethan's faith cannot protect his family from the fires of war. Nor could it prevent the rivalry between his two sons which leaves control of the mansion and the lives of those who live there in jeopardy. None of this is known to Maxwell's descendent, Tom, as he and his wife step foot into the mansion more than two hundred years later. But he soon finds that under the dust and behind the sealed doors lay mysteries that reach deep into his family's past. As if the stress of a massive restoration wasn't enough, Tom and his crew of volunteers begin experiencing the past firsthand through strange noises and ghostly apparitions that shake everyone to their cores. Unable to ease the fears of the dwindling crew himself, Tom seeks help from several unlikely sources leaving the fate of his dream and his home in untrusted hands. Experience the memories and events locked inside the walls of this colonial manor where every scratch, crack, and tattered piece of wallpaper tells a story. And it is these stories that will affect everyone who steps inside...