August 29, 2025 • 9 mins
In this spine-chilling episode of The Strange History Podcast, host Amy takes you deep into the eerie and unforgettable history of Salem, Massachusetts' Old Burying Point Cemetery—also known as the Charter Street Cemetery, one of the oldest burial grounds in the United States. Established in 1637, this small but densely packed cemetery is more than just weathered gravestones and winged skull carvings—it’s a portal into some of the darkest and most haunted chapters of early American history. Discover the terrifying true ghost stories that have haunted this land for centuries: from the restless spirit of Judge John Hathorne, the unrepentant “Hanging Judge” of the 1692 witch trials, to the mysterious Lady in White who drifts silently between the headstones. Hear chilling firsthand accounts of phantom hands, disembodied whispers, ominous curses, and even ghostly omens said to appear before disaster strikes. We’ll also dive into the eerie legend of Giles Corey, who was brutally pressed to death and whose vengeful spirit is said to curse Salem’s sheriffs to this very day. Plus, uncover strange modern-day phenomena reported by ghost hunters, tourists, and guides—from photos that vanish, to unexplained claw marks, and messages from the beyond captured on spirit boxes. Whether you're a history buff, a paranormal enthusiast, or just someone who loves a good ghost story, this episode is packed with fascinating facts, folklore, and frights that will leave you sleeping with the lights on. Salem may be famous for its witch trials, but the true horror lingers in its soil—and at Old Burying Point Cemetery, the dead are anything but silent. Tune in, if you dare.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome back, curious Souls to the Strange History Podcast, where
the past is never really dead and history is often
a lot weirder than your high school textbooks led you
to believe. I'm your host, Amy. And today we're stepping
through the veil and into one of the most haunted
(00:20):
plots of land in America. Tucked in the shadowy heart
of Salem, Massachusetts, a town forever etched in the American
psyche for witch trials, paranoia, and puritanical mayhem. Sits a
cemetery so old, so drenched in sorrow and superstition, that
even the gravestones seem to whisper after dark. This, dear listeners,
(00:45):
is the story of the Old Burying Point Cemetery, also
known as the Charter Street Cemetery. And believe me, the
dead here they don't rest easy. So grab a lantern,
avoid stepping on any cursed graves, and whatever you do,
don't follow that shadowy figure between the headstones. Let's get
(01:06):
into it.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
A cemetery older than America.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Let's rewind the clock. The year is sixteen thirty seven,
only seventeen years after the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock.
The colonies are still raw, brutal, and teetering on the
edge of survival. That's when Old Burying Point was established.
That makes it one of the oldest cemeteries in the
United States, older than the country itself. Located on Charter
(01:34):
Street in downtown Salem, the cemetery is tightly packed, surrounded
by old brick buildings and cobblestone streets. It doesn't stretch far,
yet it holds almost four hundred years of death, history
and mystery. And here's a wild twist. Despite Salem's infamous
witch trials in sixteen ninety two, not a single witch
(01:56):
was buried here. You see, those convicted of witchcraft weren't
given proper burials. They were hanged, sometimes left in shallow graves,
or buried in unmarked spots by their families under the
cover of night. So, why, you might ask, is Old
Burying Points so haunted?
Speaker 2 (02:16):
Well, buckle in the dead who won't stay dead?
Speaker 1 (02:20):
One of the most infamous spirits said to haunt the
cemetery isn't a witch at all, but rather a man
responsible for killing them. Enter Judge John Hathorne, the so
called hanging judge of the Salem witch trials. He wasn't
just a judge. He was the only magistrate from the
trials who never repented or expressed remorse for his role
(02:42):
in the deaths of nineteen people and the torture of
many more. He's buried right here, beneath a weathered headstone
near the center of the cemetery. People leave coins, crosses,
and even notes, pleading with him to apologize from beyond
the grave. Unsurprisingly, he hasn't responded, but his ghost allegedly has.
(03:04):
Numerous visitors report seeing a tall man in colonial garb
wandering near his grave. He vanishes when approached. Others feel
an intense cold or an overwhelming sense of dread. One
woman swears she heard a man whisper in her ear.
They were guilty, but no one was there except the
(03:25):
ghost of a man who still thinks he was right.
Oh and fun fact, John Hathorne's great great grandson was
none other than Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author of the Scarlet Letter.
He added a W to the family name out of shame.
Can't blame him.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
The lady in white, because of course there's one.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
Now, what would a haunted cemetery be without your classic
lady in white? This ghostly figure has been spotted floating
between the gravestones, her face obscured by a lace veil,
wearing what appears to be a wedding dress or morning gown,
depending on who you ask. Tour guides say she's most
active on foggy nights, especially around the grave of Captain
(04:09):
Richard Moore, one of the Mayflower pilgrims. Some believe she's
a grieving widow. Others think she was wrongly accused during
the witch trials and is searching for the remains of
a loved one never properly buried. One terrified tourist from
Chicago claimed she saw the woman gliding toward her. Her
feet didn't touch the ground, she said, and when she
(04:31):
tried to snap a photo, her phone died. When it restarted,
the photo app was open, but the image was pitch black.
No woman, just static.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
Gravestone whispers and phantom hands.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
Old Burying Point is full of stories like these. People
report hearing whispers coming from the gravestones, especially near the
older ones carved with eerie winged skulls and grinning death's heads.
Some claimed to feel phantom hands brushing their backs or
tugging at jackets. One man said he was standing near
(05:06):
the entrance when he felt someone tap him on the shoulder.
He turned, no one. He turned again, and this time
there was a face right in his face. He described
it as hollow eyed, with skin like wax. It vanished instantly.
He left in a dead sprint, probably faster than any
(05:27):
tour guide has ever moved.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
The Giles Cory curse and why you should take him seriously.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
Now, Technically Giles Corey wasn't buried in old Burying Point either,
but he's definitely haunting the area. Corey was pressed to
death during the Salem witch trials. Yes you heard me right,
pressed as in they put a wooden board on him
and stacked stones on top, trying to force a confession.
It took him three days to die. His last words.
(05:58):
More weight legend says that just before his death, Corey
cursed the town of Salem, and specifically the sheriff. Since then,
every sheriff of Essex County has reported some strange illness
or misfortune, some even stepping down from office. One suffered
a mysterious heart attack, another claimed to be plagued by
(06:20):
paranormal activity in his home until he left office. Corey's
ghost has reportedly been spotted wandering through the cemetery or
nearby Howard Street where he died. Locals say his appearance
is an omen of disaster, especially before major tragedies like
the Great Salem Fire of nineteen fourteen. So yeah, maybe
(06:41):
take curses seriously, especially if the guy was crushed to
death and never got justice.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
More haunts and the ghost tour effect.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
Over the years, the cemetery has become a hotbed for
ghost tours, amateur ghost hunters, and even a few rogue
occultists trying to communicate with the dead. Some say this
has only stirred things up. One guide claims that after
leading a tour group through the graveyard and telling the
story of Bridget, bishop Salem's first witch trial victim, he
(07:13):
returned home to find claw marks on his bedroom mirror
and a small pile of dirt on his pillow. No explanation,
no break in, just dirt. You don't want grave dirt
showing up in your bed, folks. Another story tells of
a group using a spirit box during a late night
ghost hunt. When they asked, is anyone here with us?
(07:34):
The box crackled and clearly said get out. Needless to say,
they listened.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
The strange history beneath our feet.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
Beyond the hauntings, Old Burying Point is a snapshot of
early American history, filled with cryptic epitaphs, outdated spellings, and
imagery that will send shivers down your spine. The cemetery
holds soldiers from the Revolutionary War, ship capped merchants, and politicians,
but it also holds the collective trauma of a town
(08:05):
that accused its own neighbors of devilry, then tried to
move on without ever really facing the consequences. In a way,
Old Bearing Point isn't just haunted by ghosts. It's haunted
by guilt, fear, and injustice. And maybe that's what keeps
the dead from resting. So the next time you find
yourself in Salem, don't just stop for the witch museums
(08:27):
and black cat souvenirs. Take a quiet walk through Old
Bearing Point, just maybe not alone, especially after dark. You
might hear a whisper or feel a chill, or maybe,
just maybe you'll catch a glimpse of the past reaching
out to remind you it's not done with us yet.
Thanks for joining me on this journey into the shadowy
(08:50):
corners of Salem. Be sure to like and share the
Strange History podcast with your fellow ghost hunting friends. And
if you've ever had an eerie encounter of your own,
I'd love to hear about it. Until next time, I'm
Amy reminding you that history may be written by the living,
but the dead they have stories too. Don't forget to
subscribe so you never miss an episode, rate and review.
(09:13):
We appreciate it when you do that.
Welcome back, curious Souls to the Strange History Podcast, where
the past is never really dead and history is often
a lot weirder than your high school textbooks led you
to believe. I'm your host, Amy. And today we're stepping
through the veil and into one of the most haunted
(00:20):
plots of land in America. Tucked in the shadowy heart
of Salem, Massachusetts, a town forever etched in the American
psyche for witch trials, paranoia, and puritanical mayhem. Sits a
cemetery so old, so drenched in sorrow and superstition, that
even the gravestones seem to whisper after dark. This, dear listeners,
(00:45):
is the story of the Old Burying Point Cemetery, also
known as the Charter Street Cemetery. And believe me, the
dead here they don't rest easy. So grab a lantern,
avoid stepping on any cursed graves, and whatever you do,
don't follow that shadowy figure between the headstones. Let's get
(01:06):
into it.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
A cemetery older than America.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Let's rewind the clock. The year is sixteen thirty seven,
only seventeen years after the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock.
The colonies are still raw, brutal, and teetering on the
edge of survival. That's when Old Burying Point was established.
That makes it one of the oldest cemeteries in the
United States, older than the country itself. Located on Charter
(01:34):
Street in downtown Salem, the cemetery is tightly packed, surrounded
by old brick buildings and cobblestone streets. It doesn't stretch far,
yet it holds almost four hundred years of death, history
and mystery. And here's a wild twist. Despite Salem's infamous
witch trials in sixteen ninety two, not a single witch
(01:56):
was buried here. You see, those convicted of witchcraft weren't
given proper burials. They were hanged, sometimes left in shallow graves,
or buried in unmarked spots by their families under the
cover of night. So, why, you might ask, is Old
Burying Points so haunted?
Speaker 2 (02:16):
Well, buckle in the dead who won't stay dead?
Speaker 1 (02:20):
One of the most infamous spirits said to haunt the
cemetery isn't a witch at all, but rather a man
responsible for killing them. Enter Judge John Hathorne, the so
called hanging judge of the Salem witch trials. He wasn't
just a judge. He was the only magistrate from the
trials who never repented or expressed remorse for his role
(02:42):
in the deaths of nineteen people and the torture of
many more. He's buried right here, beneath a weathered headstone
near the center of the cemetery. People leave coins, crosses,
and even notes, pleading with him to apologize from beyond
the grave. Unsurprisingly, he hasn't responded, but his ghost allegedly has.
(03:04):
Numerous visitors report seeing a tall man in colonial garb
wandering near his grave. He vanishes when approached. Others feel
an intense cold or an overwhelming sense of dread. One
woman swears she heard a man whisper in her ear.
They were guilty, but no one was there except the
(03:25):
ghost of a man who still thinks he was right.
Oh and fun fact, John Hathorne's great great grandson was
none other than Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author of the Scarlet Letter.
He added a W to the family name out of shame.
Can't blame him.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
The lady in white, because of course there's one.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
Now, what would a haunted cemetery be without your classic
lady in white? This ghostly figure has been spotted floating
between the gravestones, her face obscured by a lace veil,
wearing what appears to be a wedding dress or morning gown,
depending on who you ask. Tour guides say she's most
active on foggy nights, especially around the grave of Captain
(04:09):
Richard Moore, one of the Mayflower pilgrims. Some believe she's
a grieving widow. Others think she was wrongly accused during
the witch trials and is searching for the remains of
a loved one never properly buried. One terrified tourist from
Chicago claimed she saw the woman gliding toward her. Her
feet didn't touch the ground, she said, and when she
(04:31):
tried to snap a photo, her phone died. When it restarted,
the photo app was open, but the image was pitch black.
No woman, just static.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
Gravestone whispers and phantom hands.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
Old Burying Point is full of stories like these. People
report hearing whispers coming from the gravestones, especially near the
older ones carved with eerie winged skulls and grinning death's heads.
Some claimed to feel phantom hands brushing their backs or
tugging at jackets. One man said he was standing near
(05:06):
the entrance when he felt someone tap him on the shoulder.
He turned, no one. He turned again, and this time
there was a face right in his face. He described
it as hollow eyed, with skin like wax. It vanished instantly.
He left in a dead sprint, probably faster than any
(05:27):
tour guide has ever moved.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
The Giles Cory curse and why you should take him seriously.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
Now, Technically Giles Corey wasn't buried in old Burying Point either,
but he's definitely haunting the area. Corey was pressed to
death during the Salem witch trials. Yes you heard me right,
pressed as in they put a wooden board on him
and stacked stones on top, trying to force a confession.
It took him three days to die. His last words.
(05:58):
More weight legend says that just before his death, Corey
cursed the town of Salem, and specifically the sheriff. Since then,
every sheriff of Essex County has reported some strange illness
or misfortune, some even stepping down from office. One suffered
a mysterious heart attack, another claimed to be plagued by
(06:20):
paranormal activity in his home until he left office. Corey's
ghost has reportedly been spotted wandering through the cemetery or
nearby Howard Street where he died. Locals say his appearance
is an omen of disaster, especially before major tragedies like
the Great Salem Fire of nineteen fourteen. So yeah, maybe
(06:41):
take curses seriously, especially if the guy was crushed to
death and never got justice.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
More haunts and the ghost tour effect.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
Over the years, the cemetery has become a hotbed for
ghost tours, amateur ghost hunters, and even a few rogue
occultists trying to communicate with the dead. Some say this
has only stirred things up. One guide claims that after
leading a tour group through the graveyard and telling the
story of Bridget, bishop Salem's first witch trial victim, he
(07:13):
returned home to find claw marks on his bedroom mirror
and a small pile of dirt on his pillow. No explanation,
no break in, just dirt. You don't want grave dirt
showing up in your bed, folks. Another story tells of
a group using a spirit box during a late night
ghost hunt. When they asked, is anyone here with us?
(07:34):
The box crackled and clearly said get out. Needless to say,
they listened.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
The strange history beneath our feet.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
Beyond the hauntings, Old Burying Point is a snapshot of
early American history, filled with cryptic epitaphs, outdated spellings, and
imagery that will send shivers down your spine. The cemetery
holds soldiers from the Revolutionary War, ship capped merchants, and politicians,
but it also holds the collective trauma of a town
(08:05):
that accused its own neighbors of devilry, then tried to
move on without ever really facing the consequences. In a way,
Old Bearing Point isn't just haunted by ghosts. It's haunted
by guilt, fear, and injustice. And maybe that's what keeps
the dead from resting. So the next time you find
yourself in Salem, don't just stop for the witch museums
(08:27):
and black cat souvenirs. Take a quiet walk through Old
Bearing Point, just maybe not alone, especially after dark. You
might hear a whisper or feel a chill, or maybe,
just maybe you'll catch a glimpse of the past reaching
out to remind you it's not done with us yet.
Thanks for joining me on this journey into the shadowy
(08:50):
corners of Salem. Be sure to like and share the
Strange History podcast with your fellow ghost hunting friends. And
if you've ever had an eerie encounter of your own,
I'd love to hear about it. Until next time, I'm
Amy reminding you that history may be written by the living,
but the dead they have stories too. Don't forget to
subscribe so you never miss an episode, rate and review.
(09:13):
We appreciate it when you do that.
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