Salem Witch Trials Memorial
About
The Salem Witch Trials Memorial is an outdoor memorial in the center of Salem honoring the 20 people executed during the witch trials of 1692. Granite walls about four feet high enclose three sides of a quiet space, and a granite bench cantilevered from the wall stands for each victim, etched with a name, the means of execution and the execution date. The space is designed for quiet reflection and is suitable for visitors of all ages.
Salem’s Tercentenary Committee, formed by the mayor in 1986, organized a public design competition that drew 246 entries. The winning design by Maggie Smith and James Cutler was presented by playwright Arthur Miller in 1991, and Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel dedicated the memorial on August 5, 1992. Words of the accused, taken from court transcripts, are carved into the stone threshold and cut off mid-sentence, a reminder of protests of innocence that went unheard.
What to Know
- Locust trees in the center are thought to be the type of tree that may have been used for the hangings.
- It sits beside the Old Burying Point, Salem’s oldest cemetery, where magistrates John Hathorne and Bartholomew Gedney are buried.
- The memorial is handicapped accessible.
- Visitors are asked to treat the site with honor and respect as a place of reflection.
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