The 2013 horror sensation, The Conjuring, has captivated audiences for over a decade, plunging viewers into a terrifying world of paranormal encounters. However, the chilling narrative of the film is rooted in the real-life experiences of the Perron Family, whose ordeal at a Rhode Island farmhouse became the inspiration for the blockbuster movie. While The Conjuring takes creative liberties, the core of the story stems from the decade-long residence of Roger and Carolyn Perron, along with their five daughters, in a house plagued by unsettling and allegedly malevolent spirits.
Was The Conjuring Really Based on the Perron Family’s Story?
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Roger and Carolyn Perron, the real-life couple whose experiences inspired The Conjuring, pictured in a promotional image.
Yes, The Conjuring draws its inspiration from the documented experiences of the Perron family. In 1971, Roger and Carolyn Perron relocated to a farmhouse in Harrisville, Rhode Island, with their daughters Andrea, Nancy, Christine, Cindy, and April. Unlike the condensed timeline depicted in the movie, the Perron family resided in the house for nearly a decade, enduring a series of escalating paranormal events until 1980.
Andrea Perron, the eldest daughter, has been particularly vocal about her family’s experiences, detailing them in her book House of Darkness: House of Light, which served as a primary source for the film. According to Andrea, every member of the Perron family encountered spirits within the house, ranging from benign and seemingly lost souls to entities exhibiting malevolent intentions. These encounters were not limited to fleeting glimpses; the Perrons reported full-bodied apparitions, unexplained noises, and pervasive foul odors that permeated the old farmhouse.
The family’s desperation led them to seek assistance from paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, renowned for their involvement in numerous high-profile haunting cases. The Warrens’ investigation and subsequent séance, intended to communicate with the entity tormenting Carolyn and her daughters, are dramatized in The Conjuring. While the film portrays a dramatic exorcism, accounts suggest the Warrens guided the Perrons through a séance in an attempt to understand and resolve the haunting.
Andrea Perron recounted witnessing the alleged séance in secret, describing her mother speaking in an unrecognizable voice and being violently thrown across the room. These intensely disturbing events ultimately contributed to the Perron family’s decision to leave the Rhode Island farmhouse in 1980, seeking respite from the relentless paranormal activity that had plagued them for years.
Who Exactly Are the Perron Family Members?
Roger and Carolyn Perron were the heads of the family at the heart of The Conjuring narrative. Roger Perron worked as a traveling jewelry salesman, often absent from the home, which Andrea suggests may have shielded him from the brunt of the paranormal activity initially. He was reportedly more skeptical about the haunting at first, perhaps reluctant to believe his new home could be a source of danger for his family. However, Andrea Perron has stated that her father later acknowledged the reality of their experiences.
Carolyn Perron, the matriarch, bore the brunt of the haunting, along with her daughters. The film focuses heavily on Carolyn’s terrifying experiences and her desperate attempts to protect her children from the perceived malevolent forces within the house.
The five Perron daughters, Andrea, Nancy, Christine, Cindy, and April, each had their own encounters with the supernatural in the farmhouse. Andrea, being the eldest and most outspoken, has become the family spokesperson, sharing their story through her books and interviews. Each daughter, to varying degrees, experienced the unsettling atmosphere and paranormal phenomena that defined their childhood home.
Ed and Lorraine Warren: Real-Life Paranormal Investigators
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Ed and Lorraine Warren, the famous paranormal investigators who were called in to help the Perron family, photographed in 1980.
Ed and Lorraine Warren were self-proclaimed paranormal investigators and demonologists who gained notoriety in the latter half of the 20th century. Beyond their involvement with the Perron family, the Warrens investigated numerous other famous cases, including the Amityville haunting, the Enfield Poltergeist, and the case of Arne Cheyenne Johnson, often referred to as the “Devil Made Me Do It” case. Their work has both fascinated and divided public opinion, with some hailing them as pioneers in paranormal research and others dismissing their claims as sensationalized or fabricated.
Lorraine Warren asserted that she possessed psychic abilities from a young age, claiming to see auras around people and communicate with spirits. Together, the Warrens established the New England Society for Psychic Research and maintained a museum of allegedly haunted artifacts collected from their investigations, including the infamous Annabelle doll, further cementing their place in paranormal lore and popular culture. Despite their fame, the Warrens’ methods and findings have faced considerable skepticism from the scientific community and skeptics, who point to a lack of verifiable evidence and accusations of embellishment or outright fabrication in their accounts.
Ed Warren passed away in 2006, and Lorraine Warren in 2019, but their legacy continues to influence the horror genre and fuel public fascination with the paranormal.
What Became of the Perron Family After Their Rhode Island Ordeal?
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A photograph of the Perron family, highlighting their enduring bond despite the harrowing experiences they faced in their Rhode Island home.
In 1980, the Perron family sought a fresh start, relocating to Georgia. However, their eldest daughter, Andrea, was already away at college and did not move with them. Nancy, one of the daughters, remained in the infamous farmhouse for a year after her parents sold it before eventually moving to a nearby town.
Even after leaving the house, the Perron family continued to grapple with the emotional aftermath of their experiences. Andrea has spoken about the varied ways in which the haunting affected each family member, noting that she personally felt a sense of connection with some of the spirits from the beginning, while also acknowledging the fear and trauma her mother and siblings endured.
Tragedy struck the Perron family in 2017 with the passing of their youngest daughter, April, due to an accidental prescription overdose following surgery. This loss undoubtedly added another layer of sorrow to a family already marked by a history of extraordinary and often unsettling events.
The Conjuring House Today: From Haunted Farmhouse to Tourist Attraction
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The infamous “Conjuring” house in Harrisville, Rhode Island, now a destination for paranormal enthusiasts and open for tours and overnight stays.
The Rhode Island farmhouse that once housed the Perron family and served as the backdrop for their alleged haunting has since become a point of interest for paranormal enthusiasts and fans of The Conjuring franchise. Currently owned by Jacqueline Nuñez, the house is not her primary residence. Instead, it operates as a unique destination, managed by caretakers who offer daytime tours and overnight rentals for those seeking their own paranormal experiences. Brave visitors can even rent the entire house for a night, immersing themselves in the atmosphere that inspired a global horror phenomenon.
Where Are the Perrons Now?
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Andrea Perron, the eldest daughter of the Perron family, continues to share her family’s story and explore the paranormal realm.
Andrea Perron remains actively engaged with the supernatural world. Since the release of The Conjuring, she has made appearances on paranormal television shows such as Ghost Adventures and Mysteries Decoded, sharing her family’s experiences and insights into the paranormal.
In 2021, Andrea, along with her sister Nancy and father Roger, returned to their former Rhode Island home for a live-streamed event, attempting to communicate with the spirits that they believe still reside there. Sisters Cindy and Christine, along with their mother Carolyn, also participated remotely via livestream.
While Andrea maintains a public presence in the paranormal community, most of the Perron family members lead quieter lives away from the spotlight, their lives forever marked by the extraordinary and unsettling events they experienced in the Rhode Island farmhouse that inspired The Conjuring. Their story continues to intrigue and terrify, blurring the lines between Hollywood fiction and chilling reality, ensuring the Perron family name remains synonymous with one of the most discussed hauntings in American paranormal history.
