THE JOSHUA WARD HOUSE HAUNTINGS
Salem Massachusetts became a household name with it's association with the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. The Joshua Ward House has grizzly connections from this grim time in American history, even though it was not built until 1784.
To this day, apparitions and paranormal happenings make the Joshua Ward House one of the most haunted locations in America, but who or what is responsible?
Standing on Washington Street, Salem, The Joshua Ward House was a Georgian, Federal style house built by 'Ward' - a merchant sea captain by profession. The house was constructed on the foundations of the previous house on the site owned by George Corwin – a former High Sheriff of Essex County, Massachusetts.
Corwin was a brutal man at the time of the witch trails in the 1600s, earning the nickname 'The Strangler'. Many accused witch's died at his hands - some hung by the neck until dead and some suffering horrendous deaths as Corwin had a practice of hanging his victims face down with their necks tied to their ankles until blood ran from their nose.
Sheriff Corwin's signature was responsible for the warrant to arrest and ultimately bring forth the deaths of many citizens accused of witchcraft in Salem. Giles Corey was the last to suffer under Corwin's hand. Not satisfied with Giles plea of innocence, Corwin had Corey buried under a pile of rocks in an attempt to get his confession. Still, Corey would not give in, and actually asked for more rocks to be heaped on to end his suffering. In final defiance - with his last breath, Corey cursed Corwin and all the Sheriff's of Essex County there after.
Corwin died of a heart attack in 1696 aged 30-years-old. Every Sheriff who took his post thereafter also died in office, or had to leave because of a blood related illness.
Because of the ill feeling towards Corwin, his family decided to bury him in the cellar of the house, to avoid a desecration of his grave. Such was the hatred in the town towards Corwin, he could not even be buried in the cemetery because of a lien on his body. Phillip English was accused of witchcraft by Corwin and had his property seized. Until English was reimbursed, Corwin had to stay where he was.
Was Corwin responsible for all the paranormal activity in the Joshua Ward house? Or maybe it was a vengeful Giles Corey coming back from the dead.
In 1981, more apparitions made people think another source could be responsible for all the paranormal activity. Carlson Realty, a real estate company purchased The Joshua House making it into their headquarters. They soon found a whole host of spooky incidents - doors would shut on their own, objects move, lights turn on and off by themselves. Candles would be found turned upside down and placed on the floor and also bent in to an 'S' or 'boomerang' shape. Burglar alarms would continually go off. The apparitions of at least two women have been seen wandering the house - one of an old lady sitting by the fire. The other stalks the upper floors.
Annoyingly for one office worker, after leaving and locking the door to one particular room, she would return the next day to find papers and her books flung all over the floor and the waste-basket up ended.
Richard Carlson had a strange encounter, after asking for a land graph, it promptly floated from the storage closet to land gently on the floor in front of him and another startled witness.
Probably the most well known incident is what's called, 'The Witch Photo'. Dale Lewinski was taking Polaroid photographs of all the employees as part of a welcome display so he could then pin it on the office wall. Everything was going fine until it came to a staff member called, Lorraine St. Peter. Instead of the picture St. Peter took, what could be seen can only be described as a picture of a witch, complete with flowing black hair and a strange appearance.
By Andrew Searle - copyright 2015