Officially known as the Jonathan Corwin House, this striking black house is more commonly referred to as the Witch House. As the home of Salem Witch Trials Judge Jonathan Corwin, it’s the only building in Salem, Massachusetts still standing with direct ties to the Salem Witch Trials. Corwin bought the home in 1675 and was living there 17 years later when the witch accusin’ hysteria commenced. He ended up living in the house for over 40 years.
It was my favorite structure in all of Salem.
Many historians consider it to be an excellent example of 17th-century New England architecture. While the Corwin family, who retained ownership of the home up until the mid-19th century, maintain that it was built in 1642, many historians claim it was probably built in the 1620’s or 1630’s (however, there are still yet others who insist it was actually 1675… it’s truly unknown). This would make the home somewhere between 348 and 403 years old. While it is the only original building still left standing in Salem, it’s not technically in its original location. It was moved approximately 35 feet in the 1940s when they needed to widen the adjacent street (please see below).
Now a museum operated by the City of Salem, it’s located on the corner of Essex and North Streets. The house is open daily from 10am to 5pm, BUT, only between April 16th through November 14th. Last entry to the museum is at 4:45pm. Between November 15th through April 15th, the “winter hours” are greatly reduced – while still open daily, it’s only from 12pm to 4pm, with last entry at 3:45pm. Tours are self-guided and admission tickets are $9 per adult, $7 for seniors 62+, $5 for children 6-14, and children 5 and under are free.
Overall, no trip to Salem (Salem, Massachusetts: Welcome to 1692.) would be complete without a visit to the Witch House. The home is allegedly over 400 years old (depending on which historian or scholar you choose to believe), making it one of the oldest, still-standing structures within the United States. Regardless of its true age, what cannot be denied is that its the only still-standing structure left in Salem with direct ties to the infamous, and deadly, Salem Witch Trials. History lovers and witchy enthusiasts alike will definitely want to check it out.
✨Bonus point: the popular ghost hunting show Ghost Adventures filmed an episode here in 2011 (season 4).✨