Jonathan Corwin was a highly respected judge who presided over the Salem witch trials in 1692. His former home, now called the Witch House, remains a popular tourist attraction in Salem, Massachusetts. 

Public Domain:310 Essex Street. Photographer Frank Cousins. Phillips Library at the Peabody Essex Museum, adapted by Wandering Educators

Visitors who step inside the Witch House report that the building feels ominous and chilling despite being on the busiest corner in Salem. Corwin was one of the judges responsible for the hangings of 19 accused witches…and the imprisonment of over 200 others. 

The arrest of Tituba, Sarah Osborne, and Sarah Good were very controversial, as they were the first three that were charged with being a witch. 

Wikimedia Commons: Judge Corwin.

The Epidemic Called Witch Hysteria

In 1692, a fast-spreading affliction made its way through Salem. Most people called this vile calamity witch hysteria. It dismantled the lives of many innocent men, women, and children. Religious extremism, superstition, and personal vendettas fueled this hysteria. 

Wikimedia Commons: Salem Witchcraft Trial. "Pioneers in the Settlement of America" by William A. Crafts. Vol. I Boston: Samuel Walker & Company, 1876

Family Memorabilia

The Witch House features a treasure trove of relics from the witch trials, and offers insight into the daily life of a person of means in the 17th Century. The wallpaper is ivory and pallid colored with musty imprints on the corners. Visitors can also explore the dark history on a tour of Corwin's home. 

The flooring creaks and groans as you descend upon each floor of the house. The artifacts in the house tell the story of a desperate attempt to eradicate witches in Salem, and after the trials, the efforts of the Corwin family to ward off evil within the walls of their own home. 

The last thing you see before exiting the house is the tragic final family meal where the dishes lay out ready to be served, but never indulged. 

Wikimedia Commons: Crisco 1492

Was It Witch Retaliation?

Jonathan Corwin went to great lengths to protect his home from retaliation by the remaining witches in Salem. He obtained “witch bottles” and black shoes that were thought to counteract evil magic and keep the home safe. This was not enough to protect the family from what became known as the “Corwin Curse.” 

Eight members of the Corwin family mysteriously died after the conclusion of the trials. Though mysterious and unexplainable, some believe it was the work of the executed witches that ultimately took the lives of this family. 

Wikimedia Commons: Detroit Publishing Co., 1901

Nightly Visitors

Ghost sightings have been reported on the Corwin property since the end of the Witch Trials. In an attempt to explain these sightings, the crew from the popular paranormal TV series, Ghost Adventures, took a deep dive into the Witch House. There, they experienced the spirit of Bridget Bishop, the first person to be executed in the Salem Witch Trials, and her attempt to tell her story. They were also able to record an unexplained child’s voice on the property. 

Locals claim that you can see the ghost of Sarah Good walking Corwin's property in search of the judge that sentenced her to death. Others proclaim that on Halloween night, anyone who dares to step on the Corwin property will experience the wrath of the murdered witches. 

The house is also well known from being in the movie, Hocus Pocus 2, which features the Witch House in the opening credits.

Wikimedia Commons: SalemPuritan

Haunted or Not?

Stop on down to 310 Essex Street in Salem to see the hauntings for yourself. Explore the site of the Corwin family home, discover treasures for purchase in the gift shop, and sleuth for clues of frightening ghosts during the ghost night tours. 

Do you dare to enter the Witch House?

A View of the house of the late Hon'ble Jonathan Corwin (Judge of the Supreme Court of Massachusets [sic] and member of the council appointed in the new charter, May, 1692). Erected 1642, by Cap't. Geo. Corwin Abstract/medium: 1 photomechanical print. Wikimedia Commons: Library of Congress

Misty Hall is a rising junior at Nazareth University, pursuing a degree in Nursing. She aspires to be a Labor and Delivery Nurse Practitioner. When not in the classroom, you can find Misty volunteering in the Civil Air Patrol USAF Auxiliary or curling up on the couch to read a book.