The Witch House in Salem: Judge Corwin's Haunted Home

The Witch House in Salem, Massachusetts, is the home of Judge Jonathan Corwin, one of the magistrates who sent accused witches to the gallows in 1692. Standing at 310 Essex Street, the dark, steep-roofed house is one of the few buildings left in Salem with direct ties to the Salem witch trials, and it's open to visitors as a museum.

If you've seen photos of the Witch House at Salem, you know it looks the part. But the real story isn't about witches at all. It's about a community gripped by fear, and the man who helped decide who lived and who died.

Who Was Jonathan Corwin?

Jonathan Corwin was a wealthy Salem merchant and magistrate. In 1675, he bought a partly finished house that Captain Nathaniel Davenport had begun building, completed it, and lived there for more than 40 years with his family.

When accusations of witchcraft began spreading through Salem Village in 1692, Corwin was among the local magistrates called on to investigate. He then served as a judge on the Court of Oyer and Terminer, the special court created to hear the witchcraft cases, joining after Judge Nathaniel Saltonstall stepped down following the execution of Bridget Bishop.

That court condemned 19 people who were hanged near Proctor's Ledge. Giles Corey was pressed to death under heavy stones for refusing to enter a plea, and several more of the accused died in jail. These were real people, neighbors and family members, and their names are still remembered in Salem today.

Were Accused Witches Examined in the Witch House?

You'll often hear that accused witches were questioned inside the house. Some sources do suggest that pretrial examinations may have taken place there, but historians note that the surviving primary records of the trials don't mention the house being used this way. It's possible, but not proven.

What is certain is that this was the home of a man at the center of the trials, and that's enough to give anyone a chill as they step through the door.

How the "Witch House" Got Its Name

The Corwin family kept the house for generations, and Corwin's descendants enlarged it in the mid-1700s. By the 1800s it had passed to other owners, including a pharmacist, George Farrington, who ran an apothecary from the building. One account credits Farrington with popularizing the name "Old Witch House" in his newspaper advertisements. Another holds that locals were calling it that long before, because of the judge who once lived there. Either way, the name stuck.

Saved, Moved and Restored

By the 1940s, the house was in danger. Plans to widen North Street threatened it with demolition, so concerned citizens raised the money to save it. In 1944, the house was moved about 35 feet back from the street to its current spot on Essex Street.

It was then restored to look the way it might have in the 17th century, with its steep gables and dark exterior. Much of what you see today is a careful 20th-century restoration, but the bones of Corwin's home are still there. The house opened as a museum in the 1940s and is owned by the City of Salem.

Is the Witch House Haunted?

A house with this history was bound to collect ghost stories. Visitors have described hearing disembodied voices and feeling a sudden chill, as if someone unseen were standing close by. In 1900, a resident named Carrie Peabody Bly claimed she was able to communicate with spirits in the house's upper rooms. The house has also appeared on paranormal television, including an episode of Ghost Adventures.

As with every ghost story, these are reports and legends, not facts. But standing in a judge's parlor in a city that once executed its own neighbors, it's hard not to feel that something lingers.

The Sheriff, the Cellar and the Joshua Ward House

Many people searching for the Witch House end up curious about another Corwin. George Corwin, the judge's nephew, was the High Sheriff of Essex County during the trials, only about 25 years old at the time. He escorted the condemned to their executions, oversaw the pressing of Giles Corey, and seized property from accused prisoners.

Legend says that when he died, his family buried him in the cellar of his own house, fearing angry townspeople would disturb his grave. That's a story, not history; he was laid to rest in the Broad Street Cemetery. The site of his home is now occupied by the Joshua Ward House at 148 Washington Street, a Federal-style home built for merchant Joshua Ward in 1784. Today it operates as a boutique hotel, and it has its own reputation as one of the most haunted places in Salem, MA.

Visiting the Witch House Today

The Witch House is located at 310 Essex Street, Salem, Massachusetts, at the corner of North Street. It's operated as a historic house museum by the City of Salem, and visitors can take a self-guided tour exploring 17th-century life, furnishings, architecture and the events of 1692. It is open seasonally, typically from mid-March through November, with limited winter hours, so check the museum's current schedule before you go. Salem gets extremely busy in October, so plan ahead if you're visiting around Halloween.

Frequently asked questions

Why is it called the Witch House in Salem?

It was the home of Judge Jonathan Corwin, who served on the court that condemned accused witches in 1692. The nickname may date to the 1800s, when a pharmacist advertised his shop there as the "Old Witch House."

Is the Witch House the only building left from the Salem witch trials?

The City of Salem describes it as the only structure still standing in Salem with direct ties to the 1692 trials. Other buildings connected to the era survive in the surrounding towns.

Can you go inside the Witch House?

Yes. The Witch House is a museum with self-guided tours. It is open seasonally, so confirm hours and admission before visiting.

Is the Witch House haunted?

Visitors have reported disembodied voices and an unsettling presence, and the house has been featured on ghost-hunting TV. These experiences are anecdotal, but they've made it one of Salem's most famous spooky sites.

Salem's history is just a short trip from Boston, a city with plenty of haunted tales of its own. After you've explored the Witch House, raise a glass to the stories of the past on a Nightly Spirits Boston haunted pub crawl.