It's all above my head

Across the street from Salem’s Burying Point sits this out of place building - all other buildings nearby are simple brick.  But this one, although older, is eye-catching.

Each window has a painting above it.

So much work was put into the details that I had to crop some photos so we could explore them closer.

Even the roof edges hold details galore!

I don’t really understand why all these cool features are really high up on the building where no one is able to enjoy them often.

A mad dragon/fish coming out of a hole in the base of a tree while birds flit about?

The Burying Point

Established in 1637, I think I can safely say this is the oldest cemetery I have ever stepped foot into.

Let's look around a bit and see what we can find.

Inferib'd by an only Child

to the Memory of

an Affectionate Parent

Mrs Sarah Bowditch

who was born March 25th 1754

died Dec 8th 1797

How Blessings brighten as they take

their flight!

MR

NATHANEAL MATHER

DEC 08 OBER Y 17

1688

An Aged person

that had seen but

Nineteen Winters

in the World.

A stone or two in the path?  How odd.  Some of the s's look like f's, so I have translated them to make sense.  And apparently if there wasn't enough room for a word they threw some letters above the word.

FRANCIS WAINWRIGHT

Here lie Interr'd

the remains of

Mr John Hathorne

son of CAPT

Joseph Hathorne

& Grandson to the

Honourable

John Hathorne

Ob Feb 6th 1750

AEtatis 28

Here lyes ye body of Hanna Swinnerton Widdo of Doctor John Swinnerton Aged 71 years died december ye 23th 1713

Here lyeth buried ye body of John Swinnerton Phisian Deceasd ye 6 of Janur 1690 in ye 68 yeare of his age

Here Lyes Interd

the Body of

Mr JOHN HIGGINSON

Junr of Salem March(nt)

Aged 42 Years &

6 Monthes Who Decd

April the 26th 1718

HERE LYES INTERED YE BODY

OF HANNAH WIFE OF JOHN

HIGGINSON JUNR DAUGHR

OF CAPT SAMLL GARDNER

DECD JUNE YE 24 1713 IN YE

38 YEAR OF HER AGE

Thanx for touring with me.  Reading what was carved proved difficult at times, the language, spelling and the fact that some letters seemed strewn about.  I wonder what was intended by the message at the top of this stone, let's look closer.  Your take?

REMEMBER TO DIE

Salem Witch Trials Memorial

Salem was a spur of the moment stop on our trek back home so I did not have near enough time for research to get to all the places I would want to see. But I knew the big thing for me would be to see the Salem Witch Trials Memorial. The “witches” bodies were not actually buried so you cannot find tombs for them.

Instead there is this open area, which I was not wise enough to venture into. If I had walked in, I would have found that each empty bench bore the name, date and method of death for a victim.

The Salem Witch Trial Memorial
This memorial to the victims of Salems witch hysteria of 1692 sits in the same cemetery as the Judge who condemned them. The memorial consists of a walled courtyard surrounded by empty stone benches. The benches each bear the name of a victim of the hysteria. The emptiness of the bench represents the absence of the victim caused by their execution. Quotes from the victims are carved into the ground across the entrance. The words are partially covered on either side where the stone walls of the courtyard start and end. These words are cut off to represent how the lives of these victims were cut short as well. Since most of the Salem Witch Trial victims never received a proper burial, the cenotaph benches are the closest they have to actual gravestones.
Taken from ~ Dark Destinations

I did stop at the entrance and read the words engraved there. They didn’t make sense at the time, but they do now. I took photos of all the text, but am only showing you one - the words written there:

. . .my life now lies in your hands
. . .If I would confess I should save my life
Oh Lord help me
I am wholly innocent of such wickedness
God knows I am innocent
I do plead not guilty
I can deny it to my dying day. . .
I am no witch. . .

It was my original intention to share the cemetery next door to the memorial in this post. But I feel very sad for what was done to these people and think that will have to wait for another day. I do hope to get back to Salem one day and over to Danver.

Witchy Woman

Can you tell which state we were in when I snapped this?

Maybe this will help. . .

On our way home from Maine we decided to stop in Salem, Massachusetts. . . Tell me you’re not surprised to see they have crosswalks for witches.

I was feeling a little witchy myself. lol

While the main reason for my visit to Salem was the witch trials, the area is full of history. Like Independence Park, where the Declaration of Independence was read July 17, 1776.