The Old Burying Point Cemetery

May 2, 2024 Kristin Lopes

Charter Street Cemetery

Ye Ole Burial Point

Location: Salem, Ma, United States of America

Charter Street Cemetery Graves

Salem, Massachusetts is one of the most notorious cities in the United States of America. Part of the founding of America, the “witch city” is renowned for its persecution of women accused of “witchcraft” that overshadows its other historical contributions. The quick craze of accusations or ‘witch hysteria’, persecution and death sentences have led to fame and tourist fortune for Salem. The second oldest cemetery in the United States also calls Salem its humble home. The cemetery dates from 1637 with 485 headstones and around 600 residents. The final number buried, due to not all the graves having headstones, is also unknown but an estimation. During the height of the fall season and Halloween, visitors reach around 1 million in October alone for the Witch City. The tourist destination contributes to this cemetery’s high traffic. Right in the middle of all the downtown action Old Burying Point is not fully open to the public 24/7. The hours of operation are 12-4pm daily with the last admission at 3:45 pm. You can book an after-hours ghost tour if you dare. In all honesty heavy tourism ruins the ambience of this cemetery during the fall. It’s hard to imagine a ghost or apparition appearing with hundreds or thousands around or anything truly spooky. The cemetery was first formed as private grounds on the Wade family farm. After several years of land being sold, bought and divided by prominent families or wealthier landowners the cemetery found its way into being the town's burial ground.

It is extremely hard to beat New England in the fall. The cool crisp air, golden red leaves and historic colonial homes are the perfect setting September to November. Surrounded by an old stone wall with a gated entry, The Old Burying Point is the picture-perfect image of haunted hallow grounds. During the off season it’s beautiful, peaceful and a haunted memorial to the witch trials that hits you far harder than a quick crowded Halloween tour. You can move slowly through the grounds appreciating the gravestone’s details, history and residents.

The residents of this cemetery make it a unique visit. The pious chastisers of the infamous trials reside inside the historic stone walls. Notably is Judge John Hathorne of the Salem witch trials. He was known for his harsh questioning of those accused of witchcraft. He earned the nickname ‘The Hanging Judge’, on accounts of his questioning and biased toward the accused regardless of their answers. He never repented his actions and never changed positions of his opinions after the trials even on his deathbed. Many other judges and even jurors years later repented and were known to issue public apologies for their actions in the trials. His great-great grandson is the famous American author, Nathaniel Hawthorne. Hawthorne’s shame of his family’s actions and partake in the trials created the catalyst for him to add the letter w to his last name to better distance himself from the reputation. Judge Hathorne is rumored to haunt the grounds at night, sometimes appearing in photographs by visitors near his grave or as a dark apparition to the eye. Nearby is judge Bartholomew Gedney, another well-known appointed judge in the trials. He personally was a good friend and acquaintance of one of the men accused of witchcraft Captain John Alden. Beyond friendship they had also been shipmates at sea. Gedney supposedly was conflicted with the accusations against the captain but doubted his honesty in questioning after the testimonies against him in court. If anything, Captain Alden’s case showed how the witch hysertia was starting to appear to be more formed of false accusations then harboring any truths. Luckily after being taken into custody and sent to Boston Captain Alden escaped a few months later. His tale, although tragic in many ways, was more fortunate than others. Many buried within the walls are the judges, their wives, decedents or even mothers of the accused. The burial ground is filled with notable prominent members of Salem during the trials but none of them are the condemned. Unable to be buried on consecrated ground or in fear of resurrection from witchcraft from villagers, their burials were in the cover of darkness to Salem and history. Researchers believe most would be buried in their family’s plots.

Charter Street Cemetery Graves at Night

Many homes or businesses surrounding the grounds claim they’re visited by the residents of the cemetery. Apparitions in a nearby bar of a Victorian woman and child as tourist enjoy lunch while touring the city are extremely common. It’s also speculated that some of the nearby buildings are built on graves or remains from the cemetery. A coffin was found in the same nearby bar where apparitions are seen, which as you can imagine contributes to the stories and myths of Salem. The exchange of family plots where remains were removed from graves and discarded elsewhere also contributes. Misfortune or falling in challenging times could cause the sale of family plots to other families or lack of decedents. History, myths, and hauntings have magical ways of turning even the most innocent of stories into legends. The last Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony Simon Bradstreet and Captain Roger Moore who was a passenger of the Mayflower at just 6 years old are also buried within the walls. They might have less grim tales around their graves but their contribution to the establishment of the colonies in America can’t be denied. The cemetery is of historical significance, no questions asked and worth a stroll inside whenever in town even for the history buff.

At the front gate before entry perfectly positioned is a memorial to the 20 known lost souls of the Salem Witch Trials. Wrongfully sentenced to death each is listed in stone by name, year of execution and how they met their grim fate. Even today historical researchers of curious minds are looking into evidence of where their final resting places are. This memorial is dedicated to their unknown graves serving as such, their history and lives wickedly cut short. Every inch of Salem is filled with as much history as Old Burying Point Cemetery. It’s all tied together woven into a tales of witches and colonization of the America as we know it today. Movies, books and tales of the witches in Salem are now part of essence of American culture. Cult favorite movie Hocus Pocus was one of the greatest examples of the popularity of the trials turned lore and just one of the many movies made. Books such as Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The House of the Seven Gables or Arthur Miller’s The Crucible ideals and inspirations came from these very tragic trials. The memorial leaves less enchantment to visitors in the reality of the witches of Salem. A textbook of lessons on religious extremists, isolation and exploitation are just the beginning from Salem’s hysteria. Misfits, gifted souls or less popular members of society whose jealousy of and a mean girl’s game gone wrong set in colonial New England take shape fast. Salem leads the historical notoriety for ‘witch hysteria’ in America but historical records saw over 200 accused victims. On record from Salem 19 were hung, five passed away detained in jail and one grim sentence was pressed to death.

Judge Hathorne’s Grave

Shockingly it wasn’t until the 1950’s that the state of Massachusetts overturned the original rulings absolving 6 of the victims. This set a course of events for all eventually to be absolved but for hundreds of years how much forgiveness can be in an overturn of ruling so long ago? The memorial beautifully reminds us of 20 lost souls in a larger scheme of witch hunts in Europe and the Americas that we can estimate but not truthfully know the damage of. These are the accounts we do however and even if it might be a brief Halloween tour or hunt for ghosts. Those innocent victims each year during fall have millions remember their grim fate in front of Old Burial Hill Cemetery justly. Fulfilling the very ideal of cemeteries today. Reminding us of those who’ve gone before us, their history shared, and enduring lessons hopefully to never to be repeated.