This is the Joshua Ward House. It's in Salem, MA.
It was built on the foundation of a house owned and lived in by a man named Sheriff George "The Strangler" Corwin. He was a witch hunter during the Salem Witch Trials.
Why was he nicknamed "The Strangler"? There's a rumor that he would get witches and warlocks to confess by tying their neck to their ankles with a rope until their nose started bleeding.
Corwin arrested and imprisoned over 160 people. He died at the age of 30 due to a heart attack and was buried under the foundation of his house where he stayed for years before being relocated to Broad Street Cemetery.
No more corpse, no more problem, right? Wrong. Aside from Corwin's ghost still lingering in the house, the property is said to also be haunted by Giles Corey, a man accused by Corwin of being a warlock. Corwin tortured Corey to death by stacking boulders on top of him, a lawful punishment if someone didn't confess or deny claims.
It's also said to be haunted by a woman with crazy black hair, possibly another victim of Corwin's. She has been seen floating down the stairs, and some even believe she was caught on film.
Numerous creepy accounts have also come out of the house, like this story from someone who claims they were strangled by the ghost. They said, "It was like someone was choking me. I was being strangled but I didn't feel any hands around my throat. Yet, I felt my throat close up."
Another person said she saw a strange woman in the house. She stated, "The woman's skin didn't look like flesh, but was almost transparent like glass. She looked like a mannequin staring into space."
Others claim to have witnessed candles being melted and bent despite a wick never burning, deadbolts opening themselves, papers being strewn across locked rooms, cold spots in the house, and scratches on their chests.
When I was giving a tour in Salem, I got too close to the Joshua Ward house and was scratch with the mark of intrinity on my chest. https://t.co/M7WJMu4zLO
Maybe it's just a glass mannequin, some creepy photo editing skills, and terrifying fake stories...
...Or maybe vengeful "witches" and a wicked sheriff are letting you know that they're still there.
Today, the house is a boutique hotel called The Merchant, and honestly, if I was a ghost, I wouldn't want to leave. It looks classy AF.
Gorgeous day for the grand opening of #TheMerchantSalem, the newest Lark in #SalemMA!
So far, hotel guests haven't had any encounters with ghosts. Maybe this new renovation has shooed them away, or at least pacified them for now.
But I don't want any entity tying my ankles to my neck. So just to be safe, I'm never going to Massachusetts, I'm locking all of my doors, and I'm turning all of the lights on.
