Old Owner Gives Up Salem Witch-Trial House

A house where a victim of the Salem witch trials once lived is on the market for $600,000 just in time for Halloween, the AP reports. The nearly 4,000-square-foot home built in 1638 was once the home of John Proctor, who was convicted of witchcraft and hanged in 1692. The six-bedroom, two-bathroom home is in Peabody, which at the time was part of Salem. Real estate agent Joe Cipoletta, of J. Barrett and Co., says some parts of the original structure, including wooden beams, are still visible. It has been modernized and includes an in-ground pool. The home's owner died earlier this month.

Michael Bonfanti, vice president of the Peabody Historical Society, tells the Salem News the organization is looking into whether it's feasible to purchase the home and make it a public resource. "We are right now exploring the possibility of purchasing the Proctor House," says Dick St. Pierre, the society's president. "What we are working on are a number of joint projects with other groups that may help with the cost. We would love to get the house because it was a big part of the Salem Witch Trials. The problem is taking on that kind of funding."

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