Joshua Ward House
Built on the foundation of the former sheriff that was responsible for hanging witches during the infamous Salem witch trials’s house, many reports of hauntings in the house have been reported. The sheriff used an old English law that allowed him to crush a suspected witch with rocks to make him plead guilty or innocent. The man eventually died, but he did so, he “cursed” the sheriff. The sheriff died 5 years later of unknown causes. Candles have mysteriously been taken out of their holders and melted, trash cans have turned over, it is always cold in the corner of one room, alarms are set off for no reason, one guest has seen an elderly ghost sitting by the fireplace, and a picture has been taken of one of the ghosts
I want to sign up.
Please contact me.
Comment by Jasmine Watson | 11.29.2005 | 10:50 am
Giles Cory is The One who was smashed by the rocks…and he didnt curse the sheriff..he said *More Rock before he died…i know becuase i’ve read all about the salem witch trials
Comment by potter | 01.25.2006 | 4:53 pm
How can someone take a picture of a ghost if ghosts don’t have reflections.
Comment by chad | 02.20.2006 | 10:46 pm
wow that is weird dog. my homies are ghosts too.
Comment by mike pamsore | 02.25.2006 | 8:34 pm
…ok good for ur little ghostie friends..
Comment by hah | 03.4.2006 | 1:26 pm
Giles did not say “More Rock” he said “More weight” thank you
***This is a response from the Taylor/Reyes corporation to take over the world***
Comment by Taylor/Reyes | 03.15.2006 | 2:33 pm
The ending was creepy, I’ll give you that but it was really confusing. You want a good scare I’ll give you one!:
My boyfriend has two eve doors in his room right? Well, there was always one door that nobody could ever get open, one night at like 2 in the morning the door fell down! No windows were open or anything… but when we looked inside there was this chalkboard that was built into the wall, it had this really weird hand writing on it and it dosn’t erase! But it dosn’t end there. We but up a blanket so we couldnt see inside, to keep the cold out, and at night it moves in and out, like it’s breathing. And it only does it at night! Beat that!!
Comment by Jazie McG | 04.11.2006 | 7:24 pm
Hahahahaha! I found a Haunted House near us!!!!
Comment by yo | 05.16.2006 | 9:47 am
I lived in Salem for a year while I attended Salem State College. I was an active member of the historical society of the city and college. There was never a law that allowed such tactics to be used on a supposed “witch”. It just happens that they tried that with Giles Corey because he refused to put in a plea of either guilty or not guilty. They used decided to use the rocks as a means of torture to make confess either way.
Comment by Mathewson79 | 05.28.2006 | 1:34 am
GILES INTENDED TO SAY MORE WEIGHT BUT INSTEAD SAID MORE ROCK BECAUSE OF THE PETREFIED SCARED STAGE SO BASICALLY BOTH PEOPLE WHO RESPODED TO THIS ARE CORRETC !
Comment by Tiffy-Wiffy | 05.30.2006 | 11:58 am
the thing with the door and blanket is not scary
Comment by bai | 05.30.2006 | 4:55 pm
i don’believe in witches. i think this is nonsens.
Comment by sammy albano | 06.18.2006 | 6:51 pm
ENY GHOST STORY IS SCARY SCARY! MEANING IF YOU SEEN ONE. THATS ALL ILL WILL SAY!
Comment by FREDDY | 07.9.2006 | 11:37 pm
‘i don’believe in witches. i think this is nonsens’
Comment by sammy albano
This person thinks this nosense sammt’s comment is nonsence sammy can’t blame people who belive in the supernatural for his lake of life
Comment by Prue | 07.26.2006 | 4:59 pm
HAHA SCARY NOT
Comment by POO | 08.30.2006 | 5:36 pm
Hello there,
My man and I are planning a “haunted” tour of your area while we are there in early Oct..will there be tours then? If so we are DEFINATLY INTERESTED in it! thanks!
Comment by Teresa Mutton | 09.15.2006 | 12:08 am
I remember going to Salem on June 23, 2006. My mom and I visited a graveyard at night. I remember taking a picture of what turned out to be mysterious balls of light. And when I looked around, n there was no sourse of light behind the tombstones.
Comment by Sarah Jane Guzman Damien | 09.19.2006 | 6:34 am
ahhhhhhhh
I SO SCARED
the thing and the door and the blanket is…
fake sounding
but whatever
Comment by racho bo bacho | 09.25.2006 | 9:00 pm
tell me when
Comment by dave | 10.3.2006 | 8:14 pm
Ok, ghosts are not real. Wow these aren’t true.
Comment by melanie | 10.7.2006 | 4:26 pm
hi everybody!this is a freaky story
Comment by Ally | 10.7.2006 | 10:54 pm
I’ve been to Salem close to 15 times. My family and I go every Halloween. Giles Cory did curse the sheriff of Salem before he died. The sheriff did not die of “unknown causes”. He died from a heart attack, and every sheriff since Cory’s death has died of some coronary disorder. That’s the curse that Giles Cory placed on Salem’s sheriffs. Cory is also known to be seen when there is going to be some tragedy in the city. The last time Cory’s ghost was seen there was a major fire that destroyed half of Salem.
Another place that is haunted in Salem is the Historic Hawthorne Hotel located on Washington Square. The elevator is known to be haunted. Definately a place to visit!
Comment by meh | 10.8.2006 | 3:44 pm
I watched a movie about this.
[the movie made it scarier] In the movie it also said that every sheriff that has taken the place of the sheriff that Joshua cursed has died in at least
2-6 years of taking his job. To this very day.
-Captain Morgan
Comment by Captain Morgan | 10.11.2006 | 10:45 pm
If you don’t believe in stuff like this, why visit a website that offers these stories? You will never believe until you see or feel a “presence” that you know doesn’t normally belong.
Comment by Koda | 10.22.2006 | 6:36 pm
meh is correct… I’ve been to Salem a number of times myself and I have actually taken a number of photos containing orbs (white circles), ectoplasm (yes, that is what it is really called, ghostbusters didnt just make that up) and actual figures and faces.
In fact, 3 years ago i took a picture at the Howard Street Cemetery in Salem where it is said that Giles Corey was pressed to death and that is where i captured what appears to be a figure. I am still trying to find out if something big happened in Salem shortly thereafter as it is believed that when Giles is seen or captured on film that he is letting people know of the impending event.
Comment by cynthia | 10.23.2006 | 1:58 pm
The curse on the sherriffs stopped in the early 1990’s. Long time. The last time Corey was seen was just prior to the storm portrayed in the Perfect Storm. Two of the men on the Andrea Gail were originally from Salem.The Ward house now owned by Higginson Book Co. Owner will not allow his employees to speak about the haunting. One of the original owners of the book company is supposed to be the last person buried in Old Burying Ground.The photo was taken by a real estate agent. Supposedly still has the polaroid photo.
Comment by Russ | 10.26.2006 | 3:09 pm
I know everything about the Salem Witch Trials and i
think this is a bit crapolaish! could be true because
i believe in everything unless you can proove it is
**** but this seems crappy! and why is it that this
house is haunted yet Gallows Hill, the place that 19
people were hanged during the Salem Witch Trials,
isnt haunted at all…i mean..that should be one of
the most haunted places in the world…those people
werent just unfairly murdered but they were because
the church thought that they were witches and when you
hear about ghosts haunting they say they are doing it
out of revenge…so why wouldnt there be some story
about sara good or someone comming back to haunt
the hill?? tell me that!
Comment by Aleasha | 10.27.2006 | 5:23 pm
Alright, I am in Salem right now on vacation with my wife. Let me sum it up for you all right now. We have been on a few tours and if you want to believe local lore, The Ward House IS now owned by a company who specializes in genealogy and they refuse to speak about whatever happens inside the building. The owner of the company (and house) holds a strict policy with his employees that if they are to speak to ANYONE about any incidents inside the house, they will be fired immediately. That being said, the prior owners, which was a realty company, supposedly held a Christmas party before they were to sell the property. One of the employees took pictures of fellow employees as they entered the building. All of the pictures were regular, non-eventful head shots with the exception of Julie. Julie’s picture (Polaroid, mind you) developed as this ghastly figure with wild black, curly hair and a menacing skeletal face. By skeletal, I don’t mean as a skull, I mean as sunken cheeks, deep eye sockets, excessively thin. The part of this story that makes this hard to believe is that this incident didn’t end the party. They all continued their little soiree. Lets be honest here. If this were true, how many people do you know wouldn’t just get the hell out of Dodge? Another story I heard while on one of these ghost tours (from the Haunted Footsteps people…I didn’t particularly care for them), was that the owner of this company was writing a book about area hauntings and invited a psychic into this house to channel energy. The psychic said that the house was inhabited by a harmless “stair haunter.” This supposedly meant that the spirit in question was one of those ghosts that only fill stair climbers with discomfort and the notion of uneasiness while ascending or descending staircases. While climbing the stairs, the psychic grabbed for her throat and was bent backward like being held over a ledge. When the psychic was completely upright, she burst out the front door and never returned to work as a medium. She later explained that she was face to face with a tall, skeletal figure with black hair that went everywhere, came out of the stairs and choked her. In conclusion of both of the tours that told tales of this house, it was revealed that Corwin was buried within the foundation of this house because of the fact that he owed lots of money. His body had been repeatedly dug up by those he was in debt to and held for ransom until his well-to-do family paid them what they were owed. The second reason he was buried in the recesses of this house was because his family was embarrassed by his role in the Witch Hysteria of 1692 and refused to take the responsibility of giving him a proper Christian burial such as those he helped execute. The nay-sayers may rip this apart, but I am only retelling what is being told in actual Salem tours.
We as well have taken plenty of pictures at various sites and have yet to see any activity. My two cents says that orbs are complete BS. As someone who has received their Masters in physics, I have to say that the concept of orbs being spirits is ludicrous. As I had learned, orbs are nothing more than misspent energy. Orbs aren’t visible to the naked eye due to the speed in which they travel and the length of time that they take shape. Orbs form and dissipate as quick as a snap of the fingers (if it were in slow motion). Orbs are just a sense of false hope for those hungry to see something…such as organized religion, but that is a whole other story.
Comment by RickSaw | 10.30.2006 | 12:52 am
Another thing, no one knows where Gallows Hill originally was. When the Witch Trials were occurring, Salem was almost all waterfront property; Marblehead wasn’t even land at the time. The city had been laid with landfill (not in the traditional sense–not garbage) and quite possibly with what may have been Gallows Hill. There is no record as to where this actually was.
As for Giles Cory, no he doesn’t haunt the Ward House. He supposedly appears at the cemetery where he was “pressed.” It is said that when he does appear, Salem faces a severe hardship in the form of a large fire that destroyed one-third of the city in the 1910’s to the noreaster that was depicted in The Perfect Storm like said previously by someone else. For the debate of “more rock” or “more weight,” does it really matter what his exact words were? The poor ******* was crushed beneath tons of stone out of greed for his land. I thought it was just the Native Americans who were slaughtered for property.
Comment by RickSaw | 10.30.2006 | 12:59 am
To the person who said ghosts are not real, you should have tried to live in the house I grew up in. It was very active. Everyone who went into that house and said any bad comments about ghosts ended up getting a good scare. Plus never get a ghost angery. You won’t see it coming!!
Comment by Stephanie Marais | 11.1.2006 | 5:21 pm
You guys are funny!
Comment by mia16 | 11.2.2006 | 2:49 pm
Satanic “S”
“Represents a lightning bolt that means “Destroyer”. In mythology, It was the weapon of Zeus. Worn to have power over others. Also was worn by the feared SS of Nazi Germany.”
http://www.exposingsatanism.org/signsymbols.htm
Looks like the same shape as the candles that were found on the floor!
Comment by Len | 11.3.2006 | 5:25 pm
Hi everyone, I too go to Salem every Oct for the festivites. I was there last Sunday Oct 29th. Had dinner in the Tavern at the Hawthorne Hotel. It was very good food. Anyway, a few years ago while in Salem (I live in New Hampshire, a 45 minute drive) I took some pics at the Old Burying Point and got an image. The image can be seen at my website. I didn’t catch anything paranormal this year but that’s fine, we still enoy Salem’s History. Blessed Be all and have a wonderful Yule season as it is approaching.
Comment by Dawn | 11.5.2006 | 5:12 pm
I live right near that house. I have lived there for more than 6 years, i just reaslntly moved, and i had no clue that happned. I knew about the witch trials in Salem, but didnt know where.
Comment by Justin | 11.6.2006 | 10:35 am
wow this is so scary but some of yall over do it a little like jazie mcg .i am just keepin it rel wit ya girl that was weak mighta fact my baby brother would say the same thing. see that is why i can not stand people like you because you toot your own horn.what if that door would of fell on you would you be sayin the same thing ,or what if the ghost that did that wierd handwriting would of busted through the door and grabbed you and killed you and brought the dead body back to your boyfriend.so girl hope i gave you a fright to look out for what you say because every thimg you say will turn around on you.BEAT THAT WOULD YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment by TYEISHA MALONE | 12.3.2006 | 6:16 pm
One day I was randomly searching the internet and I decided to just randomly put my name into google and see what would happen. I found a peom written by me. I told my friend Josh Ward to put his name into google and this website was the first thing that popped up. Scary, I know a guy with the same name.
Comment by Popcorn Man | 01.23.2007 | 5:56 pm
FYI: The Salem Witch Trials did not occur in the town of Salem, but in Salem Villiage, which is the modern day town of Danvers.
Also, ironically, out of all the ‘witches’ that were accused, Tituba(Parris’ Carib Indian slave), was the only one who confessed (and she did, in fact, practice witchcraft) and one of the only ones who lived. All of the others were devout Christians and their fellow devout Christians killed them out of greed.
One other thing, throughout history, those that were killed as witches were actually Christian. No one actually went after the real Witches…they were the Mid-wives, herbalists’ and healers…the towns people needed them, so they killed others instead. …and no, they did not worship the devil, the Christians just wanted society to believe they did so it would be acceptable to murder them.
Comment by Willow | 06.30.2007 | 6:00 pm
my name is brian i am a ghost hunter for all of new england if you or someone you know suffers from a haunting for thinks they are being haunted please feel free to visit my web page http://www.freewebs.com/northshoreparanormal
Comment by brian | 07.25.2007 | 2:59 pm
I believe that there are ghosts and who ever thinks different needs to start believing. I see ghosts and although I can’t understand them I can talk to them. I recently saw this little girl dressed in an indian outfit and she looked like an indian. She went into my dreams and I suppose showed me how she died. I suppose she was cut hundreds of times. If anyone would like to talk to me about any spirits that they have incountered you can email me at winedrinkingjen@yahoo.com ~thanks~
Comment by jennifer | 08.25.2007 | 7:18 pm
Went to Salem and didn’t have any paranormal thing happen, but it was fun for halloween time. I didn’t think anything would.
Sorta the thing to do up that way. I also lived for a short time in Danvers and nothing there either.
Only thing that was scarey was the traffic…lol
Comment by rosemary | 09.17.2007 | 12:48 am
Ok, not going to go into if ghosts are real or not, as I really think that is a personal belief that you either have or haven’t, but there is so much incorrect info here regarding the Witch Trials.
Yes, Giles Corey did curse the Sheriff, yes they WERE still under English law and Corwin could “play” with it as he chose. The Mass Bay Colony had lost their charter. Yes he did reply more weight.
Yes, Corwin’s body was underneath the Joshua Ward house because Phillip English wanted to get his hands on it.
Yes, The last person to be buried on Charter Street is Methabel Higginson-relative of the Higginson of “Higginson Book Company” fame, if you will.
As far as Gallows Hill not being haunted, we are still not 100% sure that is the place they were hanged.
No, Tituba DID NOT practice witchcraft-there were no practicing Wiccans in Salem in 1692. The adults of the town, Parris, Putnam, Mather, Corwin etc proclaimed it was because they didn’t know otherwise.
Yes, the trials DID occur in present day Salem. The hangings were here, the dungeon was here, the court room was here, and the church was here, Giles COrey was pressed here-the homes of the victims were/are in Danvers. So, it occurred in BOTH to be technical about it.
Just a little fyi-Willow-they weren’t Christians - they were Puritans, and they were also Calvinists. Not Christians. Slight difference. But yeah, you’re right, people just wanted others to beleive they were “witches” so they could destroy them in some way.
RickSaw seems to have a good sense of what happened.
Whomever said they don’t believe in Witches…. do you beleive in Catholics? Jews? Muslims? Buddhists? Because Wiccans are real, my dear. Been around longer than Christianity.
Ok, sorry for the rant.
Comment by historybuff | 10.18.2007 | 10:54 pm
actually harry…giles corey said “more wieght”…..not more rocks!!!lol
Comment by Dawn | 10.24.2007 | 3:52 pm
dis **** is *** jus like the redskins kus they got raped by new england patriots and TOM BRADY IS A GHOST WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HE SUCKS COCOK TO
Comment by gay fag | 11.1.2007 | 8:14 am
well guyz i have lived in Salem since i was born, tournist are a pain in the neck since they alwayz for some reason get lost and end up at my job asking for directions! STOP,its anoying as hell!!! and before salem was not just salem peabody and danvers and other places were salem until these places broke appart, the real gallows hill is in danvers!! get it go there… you guys drive like idiots annd block intersections that say do not blok intersections. oh and by the way if a parking lot has arrows of how you get in and out follow them. durr and please buy a map and stop getting lost…
Comment by jennifer b. | 11.1.2007 | 10:08 am
i know sum things are pelled wrong like tourists but in in a hurry so f it!.
Comment by jennifer b. | 11.1.2007 | 10:10 am
i know sum things are spelled wrong like tourists but in in a hurry so f it!.
you c im out…
Comment by jennifer b. | 11.1.2007 | 10:11 am
hun, yo…. i live in salem too since i was born and the real gallows hill is in peabody! get your facts straight ok! oh and i agree on the tourists it is a pain and they always get lost!
Comment by eliizabeth | 11.1.2007 | 10:15 am
GHOSTS ARE MAINLY FROM THE KKK JUS LIKE THE BLACK PEOPLE
Comment by gay fag | 11.2.2007 | 8:17 am
I went on one of the walking ghost tours of Salem last year. I snapped a lot of pics just to see what would turn up and was rewarded with a large collection of orb shots. FYI, in all the years I’ve shot pictures I never had orbs in them but this walk yielded about 20 shots containing one or more orbs.
Comment by Don9992 | 12.28.2007 | 12:40 am
I live soooo close to salem!! And I never knew that happened! Freaky!
But Ive been to salem a lot and nothing has ever
happened to me…..
oh well
Comment by Spookyfreak | 03.15.2008 | 3:40 pm
Okay first off, I believe in ghosts so I don’t have any problems with those stories. Honestly though some of you are getting a lot of stuff wrong. First, about all the “Giles put a curse on the Sheriff”, please I highly doubt that this man was powerful enough to curse somebody just by speaking it out loud. I do believe in witchs though, I am a witch so I know how it works. For the person that said no person got hung for having herbs, wrong. Back then anybody caught with herbs, books on such things, hell if a cat walked into your yard you were suspected of Witchcraft. I’m not saying they didn’t go after Christians they did because they were sick ******** they went after anybody. It is correct though that us witchs don’t believe in the Devil. I know a lot about this stuff, and some of the above comments are crazy!
Comment by cassie | 03.16.2008 | 4:19 pm
HELLO PEOPLE! I don’t know if any of you realized that this “things” are real and it even worst that you could ever imagine this “things” ghosts and spirits and stuff can harm you, didn’t any of you ever hard of possessions ´well this “things” can do that.so please don’t make this a competition.
believe me you don’t want to met or see this ghosts spirits or even demons
Comment by maria | 03.30.2008 | 5:28 am
Ok look, he said more weight not more rocks you guys need to get your facts straight and yes I am so sick of people comming to Salem and always asking me things at work so if you want information just go to a stinking tore ok! sorry about that rant but he did say more rocks
Comment by Kirah | 04.9.2008 | 12:20 pm
A few years back I took one of Salems haunted tours, and this was one of the stops. What creeped me out was the fact that the house and I share the same name…
Comment by jw | 04.23.2008 | 1:02 am