Monday, July 27, 2015

Our Adventure in the City of Witches

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On the whimiest of whims the Mad Marchioness and I recently spent a couple of days in Salem Massachusetts, a jaunt we'd long discussed but through inertia kept deferring. The city is of course best known today for the infamous Salem Witch Trials of 1692, immortalized by Arthur Miller's play The Crucible, in which 19 people were executed and 150 jailed for the hallucinatory crime of witchcraft. But the town has several other claims to fame. It was the birthplace and home of Nathaniel Hawthorne and the home of his famous House of Seven Gables. And from just after the Revolutionary War through the 1830s, it was one of America's richest cities and busiest seaports through its pioneering trade with Asia.
For these and other reasons, it proves an astoundingly rich tourist destination for a city of its size (population 42,000). There's actually SOMETHING there for every kind of tourist: cultural (both for history and art), amusement-oriented, shoppers, recreational (beaches and woods), and increasingly (and quite interestingly), religious. Ironically, Salem has become a sort of Mecca for Wiccans in recent decades. Thus, the cruelty of the Puritans backfired in a major way. Presumably, there were NO practicing witches in Salem in 1692, with the possible exception of the West Indian slave woman Tituba. Today, you can't swing a dead cat (presumably a black one) in Salem without hitting a witch. As the Wiccans say, "Whatever you do comes back to you Threefold". I think it's safe to say that any anti-witch crusaders have been more than wiped out in Salem and replaced by witches.
It is interesting that such a merry and celebratory place has risen out of the grim site of an atrocity, but that is indeed what's happened. The Puritans were religious fascists; the hysteria of 1692 is really no different than what happened to, for example, Jews in Nazi Germany. A couple of hundred people suffered here, relatively small numbers by 20th century standards, but proportionally significant, as only around 85,000 people lived in the New England colonies at the time.
Today, it's a big witch party. Stuff like this is everywhere:
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Of course this is why we had to come. Here is where we stayed:
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The Mad Marchioness and I always make it a point to stay in haunted accommodations. The Salem Inn, located in the 1834 home of sea captain Nathaniel West, has that reputation, although the only thing that seemed haunted in our room was the toilet. It had a will and a voice of its own. It kept sighing.
But what the Inn  lacked in spirit manifestations it made up for in charm, and ESPECIALLY in location. You could spit out the window and hit several historically significant buildings, although I wouldn't advise it. The amazing thing about Salem is the density of destinations. There is so much to see and it's all so close together, all within walking distance in this small town.
Pay close attention -- almost all of these places have similar-sounding names; only an insane person could ever keep them all straight.
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The so-called Witch House is the home of Jonathan Corwin (1640-1718), one of the judges in the Witch Trials. We just happened to go here first because it's across the street from the Salem Inn... but as it happens it's also kind of the BEST place to go first, because it provides an excellent foundation for everything else one sees in the town. There is disagreement about when it was built, with historians' estimates ranging from the 1620s to the 1670s. But whatever the case, it's the only building still standing in Salem with a direct connection to the trials, and it's perfectly preserved, and furnished with period appropriate furniture and household belongings. I took many snaps for future reference -- it's a perfect place for writers to come who might want to write about this period.
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This museum and theatre was on our list, and we passed it on our first sweep of the town but it was closed. It will be open in October. Hilariously (but logically), people in Salem refer to October as "the Season", one of the few resorts about which that can probably be said.
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Witch Trial Memorial
This little quiet place of remembrance was dedicated in 1992, the 300th anniversary of the atrocity.
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Salem's attractions can all be placed on a scale whose outer limits are "purely cultural" on one end, and "pure hokum" on the other. This makes it the IDEAL place for people like me and the Marchioness. We love and respect both approaches. Places like the Witch House (above), the Essex Peabody Museum, the Salem Museum, and the House of Seven Gables (below) could be called purely cultural. And the town's many horror attractions could be called pure hokum. But a lot of what the town has to offer has a good amount of both, and the Witch Dungeon Museum was the first of the places we visited that answers that description. (Note the stocks out front).
Located in an old church, the Witch Dungeon Museum begins with a re-enactment of the trial featuring a trio of local actresses and several mannequins, followed by a visit to a reconstruction of the dungeon where the witches were kept, with wax dummies in all of the cells. (I took pictures, but they came out too dark.)
We were very amused by the plaques below, one of which tells us that this used to be the spot where the dungeon was...and the smaller one informing us that the larger plaque was taken from somewhere else.
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Be that as it may, the dungeon reconstruction was based on photos of the actual jail, and it looked real enough (and disturbing enough) to me. The conditions were medieval. We are quick to point out that, though there is a certain spook house element to this attraction, the young lady who took us through was very well versed in the history, and quite serious about the topic.
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Hawthorne Statue, one of many monuments to him in the town. We passed it our way to the waterfront district and Pickering Wharf. 
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We had our dinner al fresco at Finz Seafood and Grill.  From here we could see the tall ship replica Friendship and the rest of the Salem Maritime National Historic Site.  It is the first National Historic Site in the U.S., given that status by FDR in 1937.
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Rare photo of Trav S.D. relaxing. Note the witch on broomstick on the hat.
Across the street, there's the old U.S. Custom House, where Nathaniel Hawthorne worked when writing wouldn't pay all the bills:
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Up the street, Ye Olde Pepper Companie, America's oldest candy company!
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Then the thrill of a lifetime (for me): The actual House of Seven Gables. 
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A young historian generously took us and another couple through the house just before closing time. Interestingly (though this is a top notch historical museum by any measure) you get more than a few molecules of hokum here as well. While it is indeed the same house that inspired Hawthorne (it belonged to his cousin and he spent much time here), it was purchased by a lady in the early 20th century who refurbished it to be more like Hawthorne's work of fiction, which differed in many details from the actual house. She added a fake storefront, a fake staircase and many other features. By now, of course even her refurbishments are a century old, so they too are part of the house's history. Also on the grounds is this:
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The house where Hawthorne was born and spent the first four years of his life. It was originally a couple of blocks away, but was moved to the museum grounds years ago.
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After the tour, we saw our tour guide put on his backpack and make a beeline for this joint. (Just kidding. But it is practically across the street. Hey, it's nautical, it's nautical!)
At any rate, this was our first day. We went back to our room after this and when no ghosts materialized we watched horror movies on my laptop to fill the void.
Day Two: 
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Bewitched Memorial
Yes! Hardcore fans of the sit-com Bewitched know that several episodes mention Salem, and a couple were actually set and shot here. To memorialize the fact, TVLand erected this statue of Elizabeth Montgomery in her role as suburban enchantress Samantha Stevens.
First Church
Erected on the site, not the actual church.
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Salem Common 
On our way to the Salem Witch Museum we passed the Salem Common, where militia first mustered in 1629 -- making Salem the birthplace of America's first National Guard. That's their story and they're sticking to it!
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Statue of Salem founder Roger Conant -- it looks even more terrifying and imposing in person. Many have assumed that he is supposed to represent a witch, or at the very least a witch persecutor. But he died in 1679, and had no direct connection to the events of 1692.
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This may have been the most lavishly appointed of the many venues we passed through. It takes place in two parts. For the first section, visitors are seated in a large circular theatre, where a spotlight shines on a succession of wax tableaux detailing the events of 1692, while a hokey recording of an English actor provides narration, with sound effects and theramin music in the background. The second part is almost like an apology for the first: an elaborate, crunchy sermon that bends over backwards to inspire tolerance and understanding for Wicca. All told, it was probably the slickest place we visited, although I'd certainly tweak the narration in both halves, and our tour guide was probably the least substantial of any we encountered in town. (I lost count of how many tour guides we encountered but they were all highly excellent for the most part, leading us to suspect that the competition for those jobs must be fierce).
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Yeah, baby! Am I right? This, along with the Witch Dungeon Museum and the Witch History Museum, are part of the same organization, called The Land of Witches and Pirates. This may have been the shabbiest, most down at the heels place we visited. But on the other hand...PIRATES! Several monstrous pirate captains made New England their base during the great age of sail, and this museum is a series of wax tableaux depicting some of the biggest rogues. Our tour guide was excellent, although the best part was when he left us alone, leaving us to walk through the last stretch, the pirate cave, unattended. I'd divulge more details, but I believe the Marchioness intends to do some art based on what we saw, so I'll keep mum for now. Yo ho!
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This one could also be said to be foursquare in the hokum camp, and it's fortunate that its located near the New England Pirate Museum and a couple of the horror attractions, for it seems of a piece. But it seems to have been most emotionally effective, as it inspired the Marchioness to become swept up on the drama:
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Guilty, Guilty, GUILTY!!!
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Old Burying Point Cemetery
Next we visited this historic cemetery -- remarkably well preserved for its age. I kept an eye out for relatives (I have ancestors in Salem - -more below). I didn't find any, but the picture above reminds me of my nephew who's in the Hell's Angels.
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I had some trepidation about going to the Peabody Essex Museum, for it's in the nature of some provincial art museums to try to compete with New York, which is precisely the wrong thing, a battle you can't win. The very best ones specialize and do what only THEY can do by virtue of their location, and in so doing they become world class. The Peabody Essex is of the latter type. While we were drawn especially by a touring show of work by Thomas Hart Benton, which we wouldn't be able to resist in any case, (and which was terrific, I'll probably do a separate blog post on it), we were FLOORED by the museum's permanent collections, which focus on maritime art, history collections, and art and objects related to the China and Indian trades. And a good part of the museum is located in the historic old Marine Hall:
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We regretted that we only had about an hour to spend here. We have every intention of returning and spending an entire day.
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Still more of which we could not get enough. My favorite tableau in this museum consisted of the demons the persecutors were IMAGINING. Now, that's my idea of history, and apparently it's this little fellow's, too:
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The Marchioness took that one.
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Aside from Peabody Essex, all of the museums in Salem are inexpensive, averaging about ten bucks a ticket. This little museum, located in Salem's former town hall, was a modest $3, and appropriately priced at that. There are only a handful of artifacts; it's essentially a series of banners containing paragraphs to read about the town's history. The main bonus here is broader context. It didn't focus on the Witch Trials, but tells the town's whole history, including more modern things, such as a terrible fire in 1914, and the fact that the Parker Brothers game company was based here for many years.
If I were running it, I'd add a coda about the past few decades. It seems to me that one of the most fascinating periods in the town's history has to be RIGHT NOW, with Salem's renaissance as a tourist attraction and a gathering spot for witches (and fans of witches -- ya know, Goth teens, heavy metal musicians, esoterically inclined artists, etc etc etc).
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With limited time and even more limited funds we stayed out of the many awesome looking shops for the most part, but we couldn't resist this one, which was full of original steampunk art very much akin in spirit to stuff you might find on view at our own Museum of Morbid Anatomy here in Brooklyn. Follow the link above and check them out!
After another seafood dinner at the wharves, we explored a different side of Salem. I'd read that there was a body of water named for one of my ancestors Francis Collins (1620-1689). Friends jokingly asked if my ancestor wasn't Barnabas Collins. More's the pity, no, but if I had the funds I assure you that I would buy Collins Cove, build a castle, and rename it the Barnabas Collins Vampire Cove -- don't think I wouldn't!
Anyway this excursion took us out of the tourist district for a little bit, which was refreshing, but even so, we couldn't escape history, to wit:
Hawthorne House
We passed a regular old looking house that has this plaque on it about Hawthorne living there for 30 years. While we were standing there, some dude pulled up on a bike and went inside. Poor guy lives there with people gawking at it probably every day. He should open it up and charge admission!
After a walk of about 20 minutes we found ourselves here:
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And I'm glad we did it -- it's as close to the water as we got this time out, although we'd soon learn of other beaches not too far away.
On our way back we passed:
Cinema Salem: a local theatre which has the ingenious business plan of showing first run Hollywood films at night, while showing historical documentaries about Salem to tourists during the day.
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We also passed the John Ward House (1684), but it was past closing time.
8pm is an interesting time in Salem -- for that's when all of the Ghostly Walking Tours depart. We saw them gathering all over the place on our way home and it was tempting to join them, but we were pretty footsore by that point, and made our way back to the inn.
On the way, we passed another historical marker right across the street from where we were staying:
Old Glory Guy
"Old Glory"! What a nut!
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On the third day, we were to return home, but we had just enough time to take a guided tour on the omnipresent Salem Trolley.  This brought us into contact with some stuff farther afield, where we hadn't walked, including:
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Ocean Lighthouse
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The Fame of Salem schooner, which gives tours and rides.
We also passed through several other parks and beaches, and the McIntire Historic District, one of the greatest concentrations of pre-1900 houses in the country, which was quite close to our inn, but in the other direction.
And then, too soon, it was time to turn back.
As you can see, we filled up two entire days (one plus two half-days) and we did a LOT, but we left a lot undone, and we still want to do it! So we intend to go back, I figure you could spend a week there (and should) in order to fully partake.
Stuff I still want to do:
* Horror Attractions: These were always on my agenda, of course, but once we got there, I quickly put them on my B or even C list of things to see -- after all, you can see horror attractions anywhere, but only Salem has witch museums or the House of Seven Gables. But must say, the idea of spending an entire day comparing, contrasting and experiencing a half dozen haunted house and horror attractions appeals to me, so I'd like to go back and see the Haunted Mansion, the Haunted Witch Village, Count Orlock's Nightmare Gallery, Frankenstein's Castle, the 3-D Salem Time Machine, and I'm sure I'm missing a few.
* Ghost Walking Tour(s): There's like a dozen of them, I'd like to take at least one or two
Salem Pioneer Village 1630: This is a few miles out of town, so you have to drive to get there (or take the local bus). It's an entire living history site devoted to life in Salem's earliest days. Must do this! And so also must do:
* Danvers: At the time of the trials, this nearby town was called Salem Village -- it was where most of the accused actually lived. Among other historical sites, there's the home of Rebecca Nurse, still standing. (the home is still standing, not the woman).
Peabody Essex Museum as we said above, we need to go back and spend a whole day there. The John Ward House is also part of its complex.
Salem Maritime National Historic Site, including the Freindship, the Custom House etc. We went by it, but we didn't get to tour it.
Shops! I'm not the kind of tourist who makes it all about buying souvenirs, or is even ordinarily interested in setting foot in shops, but here I'd make an exception. You could spend a whole day here going into all of the strange, eccentric, esoteric magick and curio shops (many of which seem to have psychics on duty 24/7). And after you exhaust all the witch stores...there's everywhere else. On the trolley tour we passed an ice cream shop located in a building that dates from 1690. Have to go there!
Salem Witch Village. This one looked quite similar to many of the attractions we visited, but more focused on the Wiccan perspective. It didn't make the cut due to time, although there's no reason we wouldn't check it out if we were there for a whole week.
A Ride on the Fame of Salem Schooner
Trips to local beaches
And there's probably more but I'm tired of typing. We can't wait to go back. 

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1 Comments:

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