What Is The Jonathan Corwin House (Witch House)!?
This is the last surviving building in Salem, Massachusetts with direct ties to the Salem witch trials!
What Makes It Historical?
On May 27, 1692, Massachusetts governor, William Phips opened a special 7-judge court of Oyer and Terminer to investigate supernatural crimes in the port town of Salem! These claims had sprung up back in February when Abigail Williams and Betty Parris started accusing other women of making them sick through witchcraft! One of them, an enslaved woman named Tituba, was later made the de facto expert in identifying real witches and testified in many more hearings! The first suspected witch to stand trial was tavern keeper, Bridget Bishop, on April 19, 1692, and after being accused of everything from phantom strangling to having a third nipple, she was the first to be sentenced by the court and executed on June 10th.
After Mrs. Bishop was hanged, Judge Nathaniel Saltonstall resigned in protest, and Jonathan Corwin took his place. Mr. Corwin had lived in the house now called the “Witch House” since 1675, and had participated in the earliest witchcraft hearings. Though his own mother-in-law was accused of witchcraft, Judge Corwin stuck with the court until it was disbanded in October of 1692. During this time, he backed the sentencing and execution of 18 more suspected witches, and remained unmoved when Giles Corey died from torture to get a confession. Judge Corwin would then spend the rest of his life on the Massachusetts Superior Court of Judicature!
The Corwin home stayed in the family until the mid-1800s, then was moved in the 1940s to make room for a street widening. After being restored, it is now a museum of 17th Century colonial life and a contributing property to the Nationally Registered Chestnut Street Historic District!
How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?
- Pay the entrance fee to help maintain trails, signs, structures, and other visitor services!
- Buy something from the gift shop!
- Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!
How Do I Get There?
310 1/2 Essex St
Salem, MA 01970
(Take Me There!)
When Should I Visit?
From mid-April to mid-November, the Witch House is open daily from 10:00 AM until 5:00 PM. The rest of the year, it’s open from Thursday to Sunday from 12:00 PM until 4:00 PM!