In 1981, a historic Joshua Ward house in Salem, Massachusetts, was acquired and turned into offices. On Christmas, a Polaroid taken in the house caught something bizarre and frightening during that same year.
Was a dead witch captured in this photograph? Or is there something far more sinister behind it? This was just the beginning of a historically haunting chain of episodes.
Located in the infamous Salem, Massachusetts, the Joshua Ward House has a dark past connected to the Salem witch trials. In 1981, Carlson Realty purchased this beautiful federal-style brick house in order to convert it into their realty offices.
At Christmas that year, a co-worker was going around snapping Polaroid photos of the employees, to hang on a Christmas wreath, that adorned one of the office’s doors.
Nothing was out of the ordinary until later they saw the developed photograph, which looked nothing like the co-worker, a blonde woman, who was supposed to be in the photograph.
There, in what was supposed to be a photograph of one of the female realtors, was an eerie-looking figure. The image was of a pale-looking woman, in an old-style dark-coloured dress with black frizzy hair jutting in all directions.
At the time the photo was taken, the image was not the same as what was present in the viewfinder. In fact, there was no such woman in the building at the time who would even resemble the one in the photo.
The rightly bemused employees could not explain the image at all. Within a few years, the photograph started to be published in books.
Soon, people around the place began referring to the image as a witch, and the sinister history started to creep out of that house.
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Joshua Ward House, Salem
The Joshua Ward House was one of the first brick houses to be built in Salem, Massachusetts. Built-in 1784, it was home to a wealthy merchant named Joshua Ward.
However, before this historic house came into existence on the site, a much more simple building stood in its place – the home of George Corwin, an infamous High Sheriff of Essex County.
He particularly signed the warrants for arrest and execution during the Salem witch trials. He was referred to as the most hated man in Salem at the time, and for a good reason.
George Corwin was elected into the position of high Sheriff at the age of 25, just a few months earlier the witch trials had begun and were well underway by the time he had taken the position.
It was Corwin’s job to oversee these trials and to carry out the transportation and execution of the witches when they were found guilty.
It was rumored that Corwin would take the accused witches down to the basement of his home and torture them into confession. After the execution, Corwin would then go to the houses of those executed and steal any belongings he could find.
It’s worth noting that government officials taking the belongings of someone in jail was a common practice at this time in order to pay for fees accrued while serving time. However, Corwin would often take these items for himself instead.
A Woeful End
This man was involved in all 19 deaths of the accused witches, particularly the gruesome death of Giles Corey who was the only person in Massachusetts to ever be sentenced to death by pressing.
It is said that before Corey succumbed to the pressing he used his last breaths to curse Corwin and the town of Salem. George Corwin died in 1696 of a heart attack, at the early age of 30. But looks like he wasn’t getting any peace even after his death.
Corwin was not buried for some time as his burial was blocked by one of those accused during the witch trials, whose property had been seized by Corwin.
The burial was delayed and Corwin’s corpse remained in the cellar of his home until the legal issues were sorted. Eventually after the reimbursement, the burial was allowed to proceed.
Nearly a hundred years later the land was purchased by Joshua Ward where he built his beautiful estate that still stands today.
Although Joshua Ward and the house we see were not involved in the Salem witch trials, the land holds quite a history, and there are a few ghosts said to be roaming around today.
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The Strangler
The most notable and most frightening haunting in the house is committed by an entity known as the Strangler. There have been several accounts of people experiencing the sensation of being choked despite there being no one around.
One harrowing account comes from a couple who wanted to investigate the house. The woman went upstairs to set up the equipment while her partner, a skeptic, decided to go look at the basement.
After not coming back up from the basement for a while the woman went down to check on her boyfriend and she found him on the floor struggling and gasping for air.
She was able to snap him out of it and he said that he was being choked but when he turned around to confront the person there was no one despite him being absolutely alone.
It is rumored that Corwin would take the accused witches to his house and torture them into confession and choking was among his many techniques because of this.
It is believed that the Strangler is Corwin himself perhaps still roaming the house looking for innocent people to get his hands on. Maybe Corwin is doomed to spend eternity on that cursed land with one of his witches tormenting his soul?
Related article:- 25 Disturbing Facts about Salem Witch Trials
Other Hauntings in Joshua Ward House, Salem
The second floor is where most of the paranormal activities are reported and many investigators and staff will avoid the second floor as much as they can. Another ghost believed to be in the house is that of Giles Corey, a farmer brutally executed by Corwin.
Witnesses say that they’ve seen books being pulled off shelves experience cold spots and have come across melted candles despite them never being lit.
It is believed that this is the angry ghost of Corey roaming the house in search of Corwin to exact revenge for his unethical death. One final ghost is that of an unknown woman thought to be one of the many accused victims of the trials.
The ghost seems to be reported mainly by men who claim to leave the property with scratches on their chests and the feeling that someone is lurking nearby them.
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Is this a Photo of a Witch?
The ghost really came into light in 1981 when a now famous photograph was taken during a holiday party by one of the businesses occupying the building.
Many believe this to be evidence of the ghosts of the unknown woman who still walks the halls of the house. Who she is and what she wants is still a mystery.
However, skeptics put forward an explanation of that mysterious image in the photograph.
The photograph is true as it’s taken, that of a female realtor in the office, however with dark clothing and dark hair blending into a Christmas wreath behind her, creating an illusion of frizzy hair.
In another theory, it is said that the employee of the realtor’s office had had a photo taken of herself in a hurry and it didn’t come out well.
The same day a strange-looking woman, as described in the image, was seen a little while before she mysteriously disappeared.
The Joshua Ward House has a history of mysterious events and reports of many strange happenings, sounds, voices, objects having been moved, and of course the witch herself.
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