The John Proctor House
Posted: 11.12.2024 | Updated: 11.18.2024
The name “John Proctor” is forever linked to one of the darkest eras of pre-revolutionary America: the Salem witch trials. John and his wife, Elizabeth, were accused and convicted of using their witchy powers to afflict young women. While Elizabeth was able to get out alive, John wasn’t so lucky.
The John Proctor house, located on the original Proctor homestead, stands as a reminder of this grim time period — and may still house some of the original Proctor family’s spirits.
Is the John Proctor House Haunted?
From the outside, the John Proctor home looks intimidating. Its dark, wooden siding and blood-red door are anything but inviting. And the eerie vibes only continue on the inside, where mysterious apparitions have been spotted.
The John Proctor home is not unique either; it neighbors even eerier houses steeped with spiritual sightings and lore. If you want to see haunted Salem for yourself, book a ghost tour with Salem Ghosts today.
Who was John Proctor?
Before his world crumbled around him, John Proctor had built a good life for himself. After his first wife passed, he married again and bought a large 700-acre farm in 1666. His choice of new home? Salem, Massachusetts. Already, John was doing better than most of his peers — and he didn’t stop there.
A smart businessman, John soon opened a tavern and named it the Proctor Tavern. The establishment did very well, and John soon became a rich man. After his second wife passed in 1672, John married his final wife, Elizabeth, in 1674.
Between his three wives, John had seventeen children, though not all of them survived to adulthood, as was common at the time. He was regarded as a hard worker and a respectable man. This is likely why he spoke out against a neighbor, Giles Corey.
Corey had been accused of beating his farm worker to death, and John testified that he’d heard Corey admit to the crime. Corey was merely forced to pay a fine, but he reportedly never forgot that John spoke against him. It seems allies of Corey’s may have eventually found a way to make John pay.
John Proctor and the Salem Witch Trials
In 1692, rumors began swirling about girls who had suddenly been afflicted with strange conditions — perhaps at the hand of dark magic. John, now 60, publicly discounted these stories, saying the girls were lying.
Before long, however, his life would forever be intertwined with these witch stories. In March, Elizabeth was formally accused of being a witch. While she rejected the claim, as did John and their family, she was taken to trial. In court, the “afflicted” women writhed in front of the onlookers, stating that Elizabeth was tormenting them. Then, without missing a beat, some women turned their accusations to include John.
One of the later accusers against the couple was Mary Warren, a servant in the Proctor household. When she had started showing “symptoms,” John had beaten her — as he believed that would stop her from lying. Ironically, witnesses’ accounts of the beating were the final nail in John’s coffin; and he and his wife were found guilty of witchcraft.
The lingering effects on the Proctor family
Both Elizabeth and John were sentenced to death, but Elizabeth’s execution was delayed because she was pregnant. But this was only the beginning of the Proctor family’s (literal) witch hunt. Three of John’s children, Benjamin, Sarah, and William, were accused of witchcraft, as were Elizabeth’s sister and sister-in-law.
While the majority of the Proctor family avoided the gallows, John did not. He was hanged on August 19, 1962. Elizabeth was never executed but had to fight for years to be awarded her fair share of John’s estate.
It’s believed that late one night, John’s family retrieved his body and buried him on the family land. He’s likely buried there to this day — and his spirit may still linger there too.
John Proctor House Hauntings
The large house at 348 Lowell Street stands where John’s home and tavern originally stood. One of John’s sons likely built the present-day house in the early 1700s, and various generations of Proctors were housed for over 200 years.
Today, a new family resides in the home, and it seems the Proctors may not have moved on after all. The family had a paranormal expert check out the house, who confirmed that spirits reside there.
This didn’t stop the family from enlisting more help in making the house their dream home: in the form of HGTV.
The strange figure seen on HGTV
In 2022, an episode of Farmhouse Fixers aired. The show’s hosts, Jonathan Knight and Kristina Crestin, haven’t minced words about how uncomfortable they felt while filming the show.
Jon said, “There were curtains hanging from the attic stairwell entry. We were told it was to keep the ghost juices from coming down from the attic.”
One of the executive producers, Victoria Levy, also could feel something. “Myself and our audio guy really felt the presence of all the lives that had existed there and what they went through. I 1000% believe it’s haunted. So much happened there.”
But the most chilling part of the renovating experience was actually spotted by viewers, not the cast or crew. In a moving shot of the exterior, a young girl with jet-black hair can be seen looking out the window. The crew didn’t see anyone on the premises while shooting, so her presence is unexplainable.
Is this the ghost of a Proctor child? One who didn’t live to adulthood? Or could this be one of the girls who accused John of being a witch?
No matter who it is, it’s clear some high spectral activity is happening with the walls of the Proctor home.
Haunted Salem
Salem, Massachusetts, is second to none as far as the spookiest city in America. Forever connected to the tragic witch trials, which claimed the lives of at least 25 innocent people, the city is a hub of spiritual activity.
There is the Salem Witch House, where the judge who sentenced these poor victims to death resided. It’s said his cries of regret still echo through the night. Just down the street is the local library, where books fly off the shelves — perhaps a ghost’s desperate plea for people to educate themselves?
If you’re interested in seeing Salem’s macabre history for yourself, book a ghost tour with Salem Ghosts today. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, and keep reading our blog for more real Massachusetts hauntings.
Sources:
https://www.hgtv.com/shows/farmhouse-fixer/articles/farmhouse-fixer-haunted-salem-house-woman
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