The History
The house was built around 1675 and purchased by Judge Jonathan Corwin, a wealthy merchant and magistrate in Salem. For years it was simply a prominent home on Essex Street. Then, in 1692, the witch hysteria gripped Salem and changed everything.
Corwin was appointed to the Court of Oyer and Terminer, the special court established to try the accused witches. Preliminary examinations of the accused took place inside this very house. Corwin sat in judgment as terrified men and women were brought before him, many of them his own neighbors. He signed the death warrants.
By the end of the trials, 20 people were executed - 19 by hanging and one, Giles Corey, pressed to death with heavy stones. At least five more died in jail awaiting trial. Over 200 people were accused of witchcraft. Corwin never expressed regret for his role in the proceedings. The house remained in the Corwin family for generations, the only surviving structure directly tied to the darkest chapter in American colonial history.
The Witch Trials
In January 1692, two young girls in Salem Village - Betty Parris and Abigail Williams - began having violent fits, contorting their bodies and screaming. A local doctor declared they were bewitched. Under pressure, the girls accused three women of witchcraft: Tituba, an enslaved woman; Sarah Good, a homeless beggar; and Sarah Osborne, an elderly woman who rarely attended church.
The accusations spread like wildfire. Neighbors turned on neighbors. Old grudges became evidence of dark magic. The accused were held in horrible jail conditions, chained to walls in freezing cells, charged fees for their own imprisonment. Spectral evidence - testimony that the accused person's spirit appeared to the witness in a dream or vision - was admitted in court, making it virtually impossible to mount a defense.
Giles Corey, an 81-year-old farmer, refused to enter a plea. Under English law, this meant he could not be tried and his property could not be seized from his family. To force a plea, the court ordered him pressed - heavy stones placed on his chest, one by one, over two days. His last words were reportedly "More weight." He died on September 19, 1692, without ever entering a plea.
The trials finally ended in October 1692 when Governor William Phips dissolved the Court of Oyer and Terminer after his own wife was accused. A new court was established that excluded spectral evidence, and the remaining accused were quickly acquitted or pardoned. The damage was done: 20 dead, hundreds of lives destroyed, and a community torn apart by fear and suspicion.
The Hauntings
The Salem Witch House carries the weight of terrible events. Visitors and staff have reported unexplained phenomena for decades:
The Examination Room
Where accused witches faced Judge Corwin. Cold spots and an oppressive, anxious energy are reported here. Some visitors break down crying for no apparent reason, overwhelmed by a sudden wave of dread they cannot explain.
The Attic
Staff hear footsteps above when no one is upstairs. Objects move between closing and opening - items placed in one spot at night are found somewhere else in the morning, with no sign of disturbance.
Shadow Figures
Dark shapes are seen moving through the rooms, particularly in winter months during anniversary periods of the trials. They appear in peripheral vision and vanish when looked at directly.
The Front Walk
Apparitions of women in 17th-century dress have been reported outside the house, particularly at dusk. They walk the path to the front door and disappear before reaching it.
The Accused
Bridget Bishop
The first person executed, hanged on June 10, 1692. She ran a tavern and wore clothing considered too flashy for a Puritan woman. Her boldness made her an easy target. She maintained her innocence to the end.
Giles Corey
Pressed to death with stones over two days for refusing to enter a plea. Said "More weight." His ghost reportedly appears before disasters in Salem, a harbinger of calamity seen wandering the old burying ground.
Rebecca Nurse
A pious 71-year-old grandmother, known for her devout faith and gentle nature. Her execution on July 19, 1692, particularly shocked the community and helped turn public opinion against the trials.
What's There Now
Visit the Salem Witch House
Address: 310 Essex Street, Salem, MA
Status: Museum, open seasonally (typically mid-March through November, daily in October)
Highlights: Period rooms restored to their 17th-century appearance, exhibits on the witch trials and daily life in colonial Salem, and archaeological artifacts uncovered during restoration. The house is part of Salem's extensive witch trial tourism district.
Tip: October is Salem's busiest month, with Halloween events drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors. For a quieter experience, visit in spring or early fall. The examination room where accused witches faced Corwin is the most powerful space in the house.
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