The Witch House

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Judge Corwin House in 2006

The Witch House (also called The Corwin House), was the home of Judge Jonathan Corwin and is the only structure still standing in Salem, Massachusetts with direct ties to the Salem Witch Trials of 1692.

As a local magistrate and civic leader, Corwin was called upon to investigate the claims of diabolical activity when a surge of witchcraft accusations arose in Salem and neighboring communities. He served on the Court of Oyer and Terminer, which ultimately sent nineteen to the gallows. All nineteen refused to admit to witchcraft and maintained their innocence.

The house is an excellent example of 17th-century architecture and was built some time between 1642 and 1675. The house was bought by Judge Corwin when he was 34 years old and he lived there for more than forty years. Corwin is buried in the nearby Broad Street Cemetery. The house remained in the Corwin family until the mid-1800s.

The house was moved about 35 feet to its current location in the 1940s when the adjacent street was widened. At this time the house was restored to look as it would have in the 17th Century. The house is now a museum, open seasonally and is operated by the City of Salem.