The coffins and grave markers of Joshua, Naomi & Sarah Collins.
Barnabas' coffin in secret chamber of mausoleum.
Naomi Collins' grave marker.
David and Sarah outside the mausoleum.
Sarah Collins' grave marker
David opening the secret chamber.
The Mausoleum Gate
The Collins Family mausoleum rests in Eagle Hill Cemetery, five miles from the Collins' family estate at Collinwood, as Barnabas tells another character during his first few weeks of freedom. To the public at large, the mausoleum consists of one chamber containing three coffins sitting upon the floor. Inside the coffins are the remains of Joshua Collins, Naomi Collins, and Sarah Collins (209, 210). Joshua's coffin is on the left side as visitors enter the mausoleum, Naomi's in the middle, and Sarah's on the right.
Unknown to many, however, is that there exists a secret chamber hidden behind a movable panel behind Naomi’s memorial plaque. Since 1796, this inner-chamber contained the chained coffin of the vampire, Barnabas Collins.
In 1967, a would-be treasure seeker named Willie Loomis unwittingly discovered the secret chamber at the back of the mausoleum. Mistakenly believing that the chained coffin contained valuable antique jewelry, Willie opened it, thus awakening the slumbering Barnabas Collins (210).
The caretaker of the Eagle Hill Cemetery always suspected that an evil presence surrounded the mausoleum, but never knew just how correct he really was (209, 211).
Sarah Collins was known to make several appearances to the living inside the mausoleum including David Collins, Dr. Dave Woodard, and Dr. Julia Hoffman.
During the 1795 storyline, Victoria Winters and Peter Bradford seek help from Ben Stokes to keep Victoria's whereabouts secret, Ben takes them to the secret chamber inside the mausoleum. According to Ben the secret room in the Collins family mausoleum was built to "hide guns and ammunition during the War". Daniel Collins secretly follows them and waits outside (453).
Interestingly, the nameplates of Joshua, Naomi and Sarah Collins all disappeared from the back wall in 1897 without explanation in episodes 701 & 702 only to mysteriously reappear in episode 733. which is apparently a blooper / continuity error as all three died approximately 100 years earlier and the nameplates would have all been in place in 1897.
Angelique (in the form of Cassandra Collins) placed a curse on Elizabeth that she would think of nothing but death, causing Elizabeth to believe she was going to be buried alive. To this end Elizabeth planned a special mausoleum to be built. The "coffin is to be in the center of the room resting on a marble base. By no means must there be any marble surrounding the coffin ... the coffin is to be specially made. There are to be small air vents where my head will lie ... inside the coffin there will be a buzzer, which when I press it, will release the lid of the coffin and simultaneously start a bell ringing. The bell will be in the tower and must be loud enough to be heard everywhere in this house". (577)
Appearances[]
209, 210, 211 ~ 217, 218, 219 ~ 230 ~ 248 ~ 276 ~ 305, 306 ~ 311 ~ 313 ~ 316, 317, 318 ~ 326 ~ 334, 335, 336 ~ 360, 361 ~ 381 ~ 384 ~ 410, 411 ~ 414 ~ 428, 429 ~ 453, 454, 584, 587 ~ 589 ~ 593 ~ 603 ~ 665 ~ 666 ~ 667 ~ 676 ~ 687, 688, 689 ~ 698, 699 ~ 701, 702 ~ 733 ~ 734 ~ 735 ~ 778 ~ 780 ~ 816 ~ 1043 ~ 1046 ~ 1063 ~ 1111 ~ 1112 ~ 1129