Salem Witches

In 1692, 14 women and 6 men were accused of being witches.  They were tried, convicted, and executed.  Executions took place on June 10, July 19, August 19, September 19 and September 22, 1692. To this day, the events of 1692 are used as a yardstick to measure the depth of civility and due process in our society.

The Witch Trials Memorial was dedicated by Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel in August 1992 as part of the Salem Witch Trials TerCentenary. The design was selected in a international competition that received 246 entries. The winning design by Maggie Smith and James Cutler was inspired by the Vietnam Memorial.

The Memorial consists of 20 granite benches cantilevered from a low stone wall surrounding an area adjoining the Old Burying Point. The benches are inscribed with the name of the accused and the means and date of execution.

WITCH TRIAL MEMORIAL:  These are the benches, each one having the name of a person executed for being a witch.  It was in a separate section of The Burying Point Cemetery.

 

I did not put all the names - just a few.

 

WHAT THE HECK DOES "PRESSED TO DEATH" MEAN?!?

 

This is the oldest cemetery I have ever visited. There were some graves dating back to the 1700s. The inscriptions, the ones I could read, were unique. There was a Mayflower Pilgrim there, and the judge who presided over the Witch Trials.

 

Map of famous people buried here.