John Ward House — Attraction in Salem

Currently closed, but beautiful to see. Slightly hidden. No information out, but here you go. John Ward House ca. 1684, is one of the finest surviving 17th-century buildings in New England. It originally stood on a one-acre plot with a kitchen garden, an outhouse, and a well — opposite the jail used during the witchcraft trials. The house was moved to the museum campus in 1910. The style of this house is often called First Period or Post-Medieval. One of the earliest buildings to be relocated and restored for historic interpretation in the United States.

Built by John Ward, a currier by profession, built the first portion of the house in 1684. The last addition to the house was apparently added not long before Ward's death in 1734. His son Benjamin, who inherited the property until 1816, when it was sold at auction as part of an estate. Bought by Temple Hardy, who lived in the house for forty years, and operated a bakery on the premises. The house was then converted to a multi-unit residential tenement, until 1910. At some point in the 19th century a wing was added to the east end of the building; this was removed before 1905. Originally located on Prison Lane (now St. Peter Street), the house was moved to its present site in 1910 by splitting it into two and rolling it on ox-drawn logs from its original site three blocks away. In 1912 the house underwent a careful restoration under the direction of antiquarian George Francis Dow. Dow's work included decorating the space to meet his conception of the use of the house c. 1700. In 1911, parts of the house were opened to the public, becoming the first outdoor museum of architecture...

this Post Medieval house originally stood on a 1 acre plot with a kitchen garden, an outhouse & a well on the east side of Prison Lane, later known as St. Peter Street, opposite the jail used for Salem's witchcraft trials. the Peabody Essex Museum had the structure relocated to their Federal Garden area in 1910. The property was originally granted to Christopher Waller in 1649 who sold it to a James Browne in 1664. Upon Browne's death in 1676, the property had been split up into three parts which John Ward spent the several decades acquiring & restoring, starting in 1684. The house, which now faces east, was built facing south, like most 17th century houses. John's son Benjamin, a mariner, inherited half the house at his father's death in 1732, Benjamin passed it to his son in 1774. One generation of Wards later, the house was was sold at a public auction & for the next forty years it was both a bakery & house for Temple Hardy. After several other owners & countless remodels, the John Ward House stood considerably altered in 1910 when the association acquired it. It was painted yellow on the exterior, the gables had been removed, all the windows were double-hung sash, seemingly dating from different periods. It has been extensively restored & now serves as a museum. Employees themselves have reported strange happenings inside the home, some scared away for good.

The John Ward House is a National Historic Landmark, it is listed in the National Register of Historic Places & it is a contributing property to both the Essex Institute Historic District (No. 72000147) &the Salem Common Historic District...

I'm a Salem resident and I am on a mission to tour all the local attractions AND historical sites.

About this one: The John Ward house is a stunning First Period/Post Medieval house, restored to its original look, owned by the Peabody Essex Museum. It is open to the public only for special events, as in October for the Haunted Histories performance.

As far as I know, no tours are given these days inside this location. During the event of yesterday night, we could access one of the first floor rooms of the house, a medium-size space with a colonial fireplace and some period furniture. The room was used as a "backdrop" for the performance and this time no historical context about the house was provided. PEM also offers, seasonally, walking tours (called Brick by brick) where the history of the house is explored while standing outside. On a regular day, you can scan the QR code placed in front of the house to learn more about it.

Even though the house doesn't have ties with the Witch Trials (besides the fact that its original location was just outside Salem jail), its striking dark facade and unquestionable puritan appearance make it quintessentially "Salem". It is great...