New England Getaway 2021: My Salem Sojourn

More than a month after returning from my New England vacation this summer, I am finally getting around to blogging about it. This post is the first installment in a series which will feature photos from my trip, which began in Salem, MA. Salem is famous (or perhaps infamous) for being the site of the notorious Salem Witch Trials of the late 17th century. The town is full of history, folklore, and a bevy of photographic opportunities.

The first stop on my Salem sojourn was Pioneer Village. While rather small, it paints a picture of what life was like in Salem back in 1630. Some of the buildings were seen in the 1993 film Hocus Pocus.

A peek inside one of the houses.
Interiors are always an interesting challenge to shoot.

The next stop on my visit was the Salem Maritime National Historic Site.

A view looking towards the Customs House.
The highlight of the Salem Maritime district is the Friendship of Salem. Visitors can explore the top deck of the ship but unfortunately, the below deck area was closed due to Covid.
The ship had a flag that said “Don’t Give Up the Ship.” I made a doodle based on it (see below).
This is the drawing I did inspired by the flag. I traced my photo of the ship on my iPad.
Unfortunately, the Witch House, one the home of Witch Trial Judge Jonathan Corwin, did not allow interior photography, so here is an eerie exterior shot.
A color photo of the house incorporates the sign and the nearby church. This building is the only one remaining with ties to the Salem Witch Trial.
The Ropes Mansion in Salem has beautiful gardens open to the public to explore.
The First Church in Salem is located next to the Witch House.
This structure is part of the very large Peabody Essex Museum, a top art museum in the United States.
The Hawthorne Hotel, named for famed novelist and Salem native Nathaniel Hawthorne is one of Salem’s historic hotels.
The lobby of the Hawthorne has an upscale feel.
Nathaniel’s Restaurant at the hotel is appointed with artifacts from decades gone by.
Seeing the statue of Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha Stephens on Bewitched was a highlight of my visit. I know you’re probably thinking that with all the rich history Salem has, how could this statue of a TV star be a highlight? Bewitched is actually one of my all time favorite TV shows, and after watching a series of episodes from the show filmed in Salem and the surrounding areas, I was first inspired to visit the town.
The Salem Town Hall is set down a hill.
The Salem Witch Trials Memorial is a touching touching tribute to the 25 men and women who lost their lives during this heinous event.
One victim’s descendants came by his memorial and left a painted rock with a touching message on it.
A quote etched in stone outside the memorial.
A car zooms by the Salem Witch Museum and statue of Salem founder Roger Conant.
From the Hawthorne Hotel, the Witch Museum can be seen off in the distance.
The East India Marine Company is now part of the Peabody Essex Museum.
The Witch City Mall looks like it should have been on Bewitched, but it wasn’t.
I spotted this Revere and Sons bell on a morning walk. Ok, so it’s not the Liberty Bell, but it still makes a nice photograph!
The House of the Seven Gables was famously written about by novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne.
The front part of the house used to be a storefront.
The kitchen was very hard to photograph because it was so small!
The parlor.
The bedroom, which was used for entertaining, contained a bedwarmer. What’s so significant about a bedwarmer, you ask? Well, a 1970 episode of Bewitched that was filmed in Salem contained featured an enchanted bedwarmer that followed Samantha from the House of the Seven Gables all around town!
A peek into one of the gables, which includes a model of the house which can be taken apart to show how the house looked during different eras. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s birth house can be seen outside.
Another exterior view of the house.
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s birthplace is located next to the House of the Seven Gables, but it was moved there from its previous location.
From the bedroom you can see the House of the Seven Gables.
I love the toile print on the bed canopy.
On my last morning in Salem, I enjoyed breakfast at Red’s Sandwich Shop, which was once known as the London Coffee House, a meeting place of the fathers of the American Revolution.

To see more of my photography be sure to follow me on Instagram and Facebook. All photos in this post © Samantha Decker and may not be reused without permission.

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One thought on “New England Getaway 2021: My Salem Sojourn”

  1. Loved all the incredible houses you pictured so well. In a time when we seem to be downsizing everything , even meals, it is wonderful to see how our not so distant former relatives and friends And neighbors lived.

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