Date Of Event: December 7, 2024
Location: 310 Essex St, Salem, MA
Website: The Witch House
The Witch House in Salem, MA, may be not only the most photographed housew in Salem, it may also be the most infamous.
Built in circa 1675, the building was built by Captain Nathaniel Davenport of Boston. The wood-frame and clapboard home was sold to Salem merchant Jonathan Corwin. After purchasing the home, Corwin hired mason Daniel Andrew to complete the structure.
In 1692, during the Salem witch trials, Corwin, who served as a magistrate and justice, would question and examine some of the accused witches in this very house. None of the accused ever lived in the house. And, of course, none of the accused witches were actual witches.
The house was built in a center chimney style. The clustered brick chimney served as an anchor for the house. A two-story projecting projecting porch is flanked by peaked gables on the facade, a rear lean-to extends the space on the back. The entire second story overhangs the first story in the front with decorative drop pendants at the ends of the overhangs of the porch.
Through the year, multiple changes and alterations were made to the structure. In the second-half of the 19th century, owner George P. Farrington, attached a drugstore to the east front of the structure.
In the 1940s, the city wanted to enlarge North St (the original location of the Witch House). But, the citizens of Salem raised $42,000 to save the home and to have it moved to its current location on Essex St. The Witch House was eventually opened as a museum in 1948.
I have mixed feelings about this house. Innumerable people line up to take photos in front of this infamous home. While it’s important to keep reminders of the past and it’s also good that places where tragic things have taken place have transformed into places of historic value (and business), it still doesn’t sit well with me.
The Witch House had a self-guided tour that had print outs with information about the house. While the house is generally known for the tragic events of the Salem witch trials, this tour dealt more with the Christmas traditions and some of the rituals and remedies of the day.
According to the handouts, the colonists brought over many of their Christmas traditions from England. Some of these traditions include eating and singing religious hymns. Did I mention eating?
I got hungry just posting these photos! And, of course, one would need implements to eat these foods.
These utensils were found through archeological digs and excavations.
The Christmas festivities from that time lasted from December 25 until the Twelfth Day, January 6. During this time period very little work was done. What a bunch of party animals.
The Witch House was festively decorated for the tours.
During the times of the witch trials, people used holly remedies as cures. Archeologists found ritual shell-cups in North America with residue dating back to 1,200 BC. The leaves can be used to make tea and alleviate digestive disorders, water retention, jaundice, rheumatism, periodic fevers, measles and respiratory illnesses such as cold, coughs, flu and pneumonia. Somedays I feel like I may have every single one of those. Holly leaves can also be used to treat symptoms of dizziness and high blood pressure. They also can be used topically for sores and itching.
There were some documents from the witch trials. These actual documents from the trials are kept in a sealed container.
The Witch House also displays an assortment of wares and other tools of the era.
New England Nomad 
March 9th, 2025 at 10:55 pm
I agree with you about places like this which achieve some notoriety. Having said that, the house looks distinctly spooky. The food is interesting though.
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March 11th, 2025 at 7:22 am
It does have an eerie feel to it. They have a good job keeping the original look and atmosphere. The food and holly were a nice touch!
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March 9th, 2025 at 11:57 pm
Truly fascinating but eerily haunting when you think about the events of the day. If walls could talk…
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March 11th, 2025 at 7:18 am
Very true, Susan. It’s a very dark reminder and also relatable in many ways to today in some respects. I didn’t want to focus on that part of the building’s history for this post. But, it was a very scary time,
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March 10th, 2025 at 6:30 am
The name Corwin made me think and I had to look it up, but his nephew George was the sheriff who interrogated suspected witches, including the one who died from stoning, Giles Corey.
One documentary I watched said that Corey cursed George Corwin and that he died from heart trouble (another said accused witch Sarah Good cursed a judge, saying God would give him blood to drink, and that he choked to death on his own blood). Stories like that, I find, are eerily unsettling.
A similar one I heard about is said to have occurred somewhere in Maine, where a man named Jonathan Buck supposedly accused his mistress of witchcraft to save his reputation, and she said she’d dance on his grave (hence the “leg” seared into his tombstone).
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March 11th, 2025 at 7:16 am
That’s very interesting! Yes, the whole Corwin family have a troubled past. I have heard about that curse. And, beyond George Corwin, all of the sheriffs in Salem, MA, have either retired or passed away because of heart or blood ailments such as heart disease or a blood-related condition.
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March 11th, 2025 at 9:11 am
I’ve heard that too.
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March 10th, 2025 at 4:18 pm
Amazing building, Wayne, with a troubling history.
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March 11th, 2025 at 7:12 am
True on both counts, TW. I’m very torn by it.
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March 12th, 2025 at 5:08 pm
I find it a very interesting house architecturally. Supposedly, my ancestor Roger Williams lived in a house that occupied this land before the Witch House was built.
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March 12th, 2025 at 10:20 pm
I agree about the architecture of the house. In fact, I found all of the homes and buildings on the tour to be very interesting and beautiful. I didn’t know that about Roger Williams. Very interesting info!
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March 15th, 2025 at 9:25 am
The man who once lived in this house may have accused my ancestor Mary Perkins Bradbury of being a witch.
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March 15th, 2025 at 3:42 pm
That’s very interesting, Victoria.
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