Salem Witch Hanging Site To Get Heightened Security

SALEM, MA - Proctor’s Ledge has been once and for all confirmed as the site of the 1962 Salem witch hangings, and police are now beefing up security in the area.

A group of scholars recently announced they are confident the spot is exactly where the executions took place and local officials are planning to build a memorial, Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll announced on Facebook.

Proctor’s Ledge can be difficult to traverse and is surrounded by private residences. Driscoll is asking those who want to remember the historical events to visit the official Salem Witch Trials Memorial off Charter Street instead.

“Because the Proctor’s Ledge site is in a residential neighborhood and surrounded by private property, the Salem Police will be helping ensure the neighborhood is safe and that private property is protected in that area, with additional patrol monitoring,” Driscoll wrote on social media.

Driscoll wrote that she has reached out to the Historic Commission to formally designate the land as a historic site. The city is now working on plans to “respectfully and tastefully” memorialize the site, according to Driscoll. They plan to have create a process for residents to submit suggestions and comments.

“Salem, long known for a dark time in our past when people turned on each other, is now known as a community where people turn toward each other. Having this site identified marks an important opportunity for Salem, as a city, to come together once again,” Driscoll wrote.

Residents are encouraged to reach out to the Salem Police Department if they see any suspicious activity at Proctor’s Ledge.

[Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons]