Visiting Salem, Massachusetts?
The latest book in the Loving Husband Series, And Shadows Will Fall, is a final visit for James and Sarah Wentworth to the time that shaped so much of their lives–the Salem Witch Trials. Once again, I’m digging into my research from that era to bring the Wentworths’ story to life.
As we’re headed into the Halloween season, I thought I’d share a bit about my trip to Salem, Massachusetts. One of my favorite parts of researching historical fiction is traveling to the places I’m writing about.
I had a great time when I visited Salem, and here are the places I enjoyed the most.
The House of the Seven Gables
Yes, this is the house that inspired Nathaniel Hawthorne to write his novel. The house where Hawthorne was born was moved onto the land. I loved both houses. I loved the grounds and the gardens. I loved that it was so close to the seashore. I loved the black and white cat I saw roaming the grounds. I can see how the mystery of the house inspired a literary classic.
The Salem Witch Museum
The Salem Witch Museum in Salem, MA.
This is probably one of the most visited places in Salem, and the museum plays an important role in Her Dear and Loving Husband as James and Sarah get to know each other. The building itself is a church-style structure, and it was right across the street from Salem Common. The museum provides a good overview of the witch hunt hysteria that overtook Salem in 1692.
The Red Trolley Car
There’s a red trolley car for tourists that takes you all over Salem, showing the points of interest and explaining them. It’s a relaxing way to get to see the town and learn some tidbits of Salem information. When I was there the guide said that the name Salem likely comes from Jerusalem, Salem meaning peaceful. Salem in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1692 was anything but peaceful.
Salem State University
Readers of The Loving Husband Trilogy know that James and Sarah both work at the university, James as a professor of English (teaching night classes, of course) and Sarah is a librarian. I loved visiting the campus and seeing the students on their way to classes.
Pickering Wharf
The Friendship, which is docked near Pickering Wharf, where Olivia’s shop The Witches Lair is located.
Pickering Wharf really does exist! It’s a seaside village of shops and restaurants and I enjoyed my afternoon there eating lunch at Capn’s. There were several shops there owned by psychics, so I knew I had picked just the place for Olivia to have her own psychic shop, The Witches Lair.
The Burying Point
I’m not usually a fan of graveyards, but the Burying Point was interesting because it’s the burying place of some of the judges of the Salem Witch Trials, including Nathaniel Hawthorne’s ancestor John Hathorne (author Hawthorne added the w to his name because he didn’t want to be too closely connected to his witch-hanging ancestor Hathorne).
The John Ward House and the Jonathan Corwin House
The John Ward House is part of the Peabody Essex Museum. It’s a replica of a house from the 1600s, and what do you know—it looks just like James’s house! It was an incredible feeling to be walking around Salem and see a house from my imagination standing there plain as day. I felt like Sarah did when she saw the house for the first time. If there are ever movies made of the Loving Husband Trilogy, I know where they can find James’s house!
A similar house is the Jonathan Corwin House, also known as Witch House. Corwin was one of the magistrates presiding over the Salem Witch Trials. His house is the only remaining structure with direct ties to the witch hunts.
Forest River Park/Pioneer Village
Pioneer Village is the closest you can come to time travel in Salem. The docents dress in costumes from the 1600s, and there are replicas of the types of homes you would have seen in the area in the days of the earliest European settlements. Pioneer Village is located within Forest River Park, which is a beach with rocky shores and a grassy area for picnics. It was a wonderful place to pass the afternoon.
Rebecca Nurse Homestead
For readers familiar with the events of the Salem Witch Trials in 1692, you know that Rebecca Nurse was a key player. Though known to be a good person, she was hanged for witchcraft. It was remarkable standing on the land her family owned. It’s located in what is now Danvers, Massachusetts, though during the hysteria it was known as Salem Village, which was the center of the witch hunts. I stumbled onto Nurse’s homestead by accident. I had gone to Danvers to a coin operated laundry facility to do my laundry (no joke) and I noticed it across the street.
Boston
Okay, I know Boston is not Salem, but Boston is only about twenty minutes from Salem by train, and I couldn’t be so close and not visit. If you’re a fan of American history then Boston is a must visit. I absolutely loved Boston and wished I had more than a day to spend there. I will definitely go back.
Salem, Massachusetts is a popular tourist destination during the Halloween season. If you’re interested in visiting, check out Destination Salem, the city’s website featuring local events and other fun things to do in one of America’s oldest towns.
