The identification of witchcraft has a long and complex history. Witchcraft, as a concept, emerged during the late Middle Ages and Early Modern period in Europe and was a widely held belief that certain individuals possessed supernatural powers and were capable of causing harm or misfortune through the use of magic. The identification of witches relied heavily on various methods, including the use of confessions, eyewitness testimonies, and physical evidence. One of the most commonly used methods was the trial by ordeal, where the accused would be subjected to a test that was believed to determine their guilt or innocence. This could include submerging the accused in water or putting them through a series of painful trials. Another method of identification was the examination of physical evidence, such as the presence of markings or so-called witch's teats on the body.

Which Witch House?

One reason that I’ve been an ardent preservationist for most of my life is my belief that buildings hold extraordinary power–even more power, I think, than unbuilt spaces, no matter how beautiful. I can’t imagine a better example than Salem’s “Witch House” (more formally and accurately known as the Jonathan Corwin House), a structure that represents both the most tangible connection to the Witch Trials of 1692 as well as a symbol (and vessel) of Salem’s modern transformation into the “Witch City”. The Witch House seems to reflect the evolving aspirations and perceptions of the city that surrounds it: for much of the nineteenth century, it was referred to as the “Roger Williams House”, a designation that tied it to the seventeenth-century minister who left intolerant Salem for free Rhode Island rather than the witch-trial Judge Corwin from a generation later. Freedom of conscience versus irrational jurisprudence.

The Witch House today and in an 1886 card by Edwin Whitefield, author/illustrator of Homes of our Forefathers. Whitefield’s images seems to be based on that of Samuel Bartoll’s 1819 painting, in the collection of the Peabody Essex Museum.

The early architectural history of the Witch House is a bit mysterious (a study has been commissioned by the city, but I haven’t seen the results yet), but most experts believe that it dates from much later in the seventeenth century than Roger Williams’ time in Salem. All of the above images, those from the nineteenth century and just yesterday, might be idealized images of this fabled house. We do know that Jonathan Corwin acquired a structure in this location in 1675, and that he served on the Court of Oyer and Terminer which tried the accused “witches” of 1692. That fact alone seems sufficient for the house’s transformation into the “Witch House” much later, after it left the possession of the Corwin family in the mid-nineteenth century. More than anyone, the person responsible for this identification was George Farrington, an entrepreneurial Salem apothecary who definitely emphasized the witchcraft (rather than Williams) associations of his new place of business: Farrington grafted a box-like shop onto the house and sold medicines in bottles with a flying witch insignia, anticipating the marketing strategies of Daniel Low decades later and many Salem businesses today. He also published images of the “old witch house”, effectively establishing that identity.

The Witch House in the mid-nineteenth century: very influential photographs by Frank Cousins of the front and rear of the house just prior to Farrington’s purchase in 1856 (the house had acquired a gambrel roof in the mid-eighteenth century), a Deloss Barnum photograph from the 1860s, after Farrington’s pharmacy had been attached to the house, an “Old Witch House” stereoview published by Farrington, and a Farrington medicine bottle from the 1880s as pictured in a recent ebay auction. All photographs from the Robert Dennis Collection, New York Public Library.

For nearly a century, the Witch House was configured as a strange (maybe not for Salem) combination of business and tourist attraction and thousands (maybe more) of postcards were issued, fixing and broadcasting its identity. In the decades before and after World War I, when Daniel Low was marketing its witch spoon and other witch wares nationally, there seems to have been a marked increase in the number and variety of Witch House cards. There are also some interesting private photographs of the house from this era, confirming its conspicuous place in Salem’s urban streetscape.

Two photographs of the Witch House in the 1890s from the Schlesinger Library at Harvard, and postcards from 1900, 1901, 1906, 1908, 1911 & 1922. Just a random sampling of many on the market!

The 1940s was a decade of transformation for the Witch House, when it came to represent preservation–but also profits: change and continuity. With the planned widening of North Street, a main thoroughfare in and out of Salem, the house was threatened, and its survival (along with that of the adjacent Bowditch House) became the rallying cry for the formation of Historic Salem, Incorporated and its subsequent restoration under the direction of Boston architect Gordon Robb (who had worked on Colonial Williamsburg as well as another famous Salem seventeenth-century structure, the Pickering House). Moved to a more secure northwestern position on its lot, its shop detached and gables rebuilt, the Witch House was opened to the public in 1948 by the City of Salem, and it has been doing steady business ever since.

The Witch House in 1940 (HABS photograph by Frank Branzetti, Library of Congress), 1945 & 1948.

For more on the evolving perception, and structural history of the Witch House, see Salem’s Witch House: a Touchstone to Antiquity (The History Press, 2012) by Salem architectural historian John Goff.

Witch House

The Witch House is home to Ellen. Her parents remains are also there but they're locked in the cells on the 5th floor. Not much is known to people other than it's located deep in the forest. The dark magic within is very powerful and dangerous to anyone who is not welcome into the home. The only human who can come into the house without dying is Viola.

Another method of identification was the examination of physical evidence, such as the presence of markings or so-called witch's teats on the body. These were believed to be areas where the devil had kissed the witch and symbolized their pact with evil. In some cases, witches were also believed to have a "Devil's mark," which was a mark left by the devil on their body as a sign of their allegiance.

Contents

Eyewitness testimonies played a significant role in identifying witches. Often, individuals would accuse someone of witchcraft based on their own suspicions or personal grievances. These testimonies were given considerable weight in trials and could lead to the conviction and execution of the accused. It is important to note that the identification of witches was not solely based on evidence or rational thought. Instead, it was influenced by societal attitudes, superstition, and a deep-rooted fear of the supernatural. In many instances, accusations of witchcraft were used as a means of controlling and punishing individuals who did not conform to societal norms or who posed a threat to the established order. The identification of witchcraft reached its peak during the witch-hunting frenzy of the late 16th and 17th centuries, often referred to as the "witch trials" or the "witch craze." Tens of thousands of individuals, primarily women, were accused of witchcraft, leading to widespread persecution and mass executions. The witch trials, fueled by religious fervor and paranoia, were a dark chapter in history, highlighting the dangers of mass hysteria and the abuse of power. In conclusion, the identification of witchcraft was a complex and often arbitrary process that relied on a combination of methods, including confessions, eyewitness testimonies, and physical evidence. However, it was also heavily influenced by irrational beliefs, societal attitudes, and the desire to control and punish those who were perceived as a threat. The witch trials serve as a sobering reminder of the dangers of fear and superstition and the devastating impact they can have on innocent lives..

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