The Rebecca Nurse Homestead

The Rebecca Nurse Homestead The Rebecca Nurse Homestead is a volunteer run, non-profit, historic house museum in Danvers Massachusetts (formerly Salem Village).
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The Rebecca Nurse Homestead sits on 25+ acres of an original 300 acres occupied by Rebecca Nurse and her family from 1678-1798. The property holds the traditional Salt-box home lived in by the Nurse Family. This is the only home of a person executed during the Salem Witch Trials open to the public. Another unique feature is a reproduction of the 1672 Salem Village Meeting House where many of the e

arly hearings surrounding the Salem Witchcraft Hysteria took place. Located on the grounds is the Nurse Family Cemetery. It has been a longstanding family tradition that Rebecca’s son and husband retrieved her body after her execution and secretly buried it here. Recently another victim of the Hysteria, George Jacobs, was buried here after being found in the middle of the last century on his former property in a lone unmarked grave. This is the only known burial site of anyone convicted of witchcraft during the Salem trials.

Day 2 of our first 17th Century event was a blast!Thank you everyone who attended this weekend!
05/17/2026

Day 2 of our first 17th Century event was a blast!

Thank you everyone who attended this weekend!

SAVE THE DATE for our 13th Annual Gala Day! This year we're celebrating the spirit of Gala Days Past —1912–1926 —Join us...
05/17/2026

SAVE THE DATE for our 13th Annual Gala Day! This year we're celebrating the spirit of Gala Days Past —1912–1926 —
Join us for lawn games, silent movies, period music, and picnic snacks on our beautiful site. Save the date and start planning your vintage outfit!

Some photos of day 1 of the 17th century event at the Homestead!Thank you all who attended today, and as a reminder we w...
05/16/2026

Some photos of day 1 of the 17th century event at the Homestead!

Thank you all who attended today, and as a reminder we will be open tomorrow from 10-3!

Step back to 1600s Salem Village — this weekend only!We're hosting our very first 17th-century living history event at t...
05/16/2026

Step back to 1600s Salem Village — this weekend only!

We're hosting our very first 17th-century living history event at the Rebecca Nurse Homestead, and it's not one to miss. Meet living history reenactors in 17th century clothing, watch demonstrations of how families cooked, worked, and lived in 17th-century New England, and experience militia displays on the grounds.

The Nurse family home is open for self-guided exploration, with an audio tour and docents available throughout.

The event runs today and tomorrow — come experience the full weekend.

SalemVillage HistoryLovers Massachusetts

As the herbs of spring reach their peak, how would people of the 17th century preserve their precious harvest for use la...
05/13/2026

As the herbs of spring reach their peak, how would people of the 17th century preserve their precious harvest for use later in the season? Learn how they transformed fresh-picked herbs into fragrant, useful oils, from oil of rosemary and lavender to calendula and rose, and discover what these remarkable preparations were actually used for.

See hands-on demonstrations that bring this lost art back to life, and step into a world where the garden was the pharmacy.

Join us May 16th & 17th for our 17th Century Living History Event: Spring in the Village https://www.eventbrite.com/e/spring-in-the-village-tickets-1986446428742

Over the past few weeks, our dedicated garden volunteers have been working hard to make our garden more period-appropria...
05/12/2026

Over the past few weeks, our dedicated garden volunteers have been working hard to make our garden more period-appropriate. Tucking in rows of onions, peas, carrots, parsnips, radishes, kale, cabbage, mustard, and chard.

We can't wait to watch this living, growing piece of history flourish in the months ahead!

By April 22nd, 1692, authorities had apprehended Mary Esty and several others on charges of witchcraft. She was accused ...
04/22/2026

By April 22nd, 1692, authorities had apprehended Mary Esty and several others on charges of witchcraft. She was accused of spectrally tormenting Ann Putnam Jr., Mary Walcott, and Mercy Lewis. During her examination, Mary Esty exclaimed, "I can say before Christ Jesus, I am free." After her examination, Mary Esty would remain in the Salem Jail until May 18th, when her case was looked at once more.

Meanwhile, her sisters Rebecca Nurse and Sarah Cloyse had been in the Boston Jail for 10 days. The squalid conditions were described by a prisoner known only as Fowle: "If there is any such thing as a hell upon earth, I think this place is the nearest resemblance of any I can conceive of."

Yesterday our volunteers were hard at work getting the Homestead ready for opening weekend! Thank you to our amazing cre...
04/12/2026

Yesterday our volunteers were hard at work getting the Homestead ready for opening weekend!

Thank you to our amazing crew who helped, see you all April 25th

This is just a teaser stay tuned!!

For those who were (understandably!) upset by last week's April Fools joke, we owe you a little explanation.The joke was...
04/09/2026

For those who were (understandably!) upset by last week's April Fools joke, we owe you a little explanation.

The joke was actually inspired by some fascinating vintage postcards and photographs we came across while doing some research. It turns out the Nurse Family House has worn a few different colors over the years, proof that even iconic landmarks go through phases!

While we don't know exactly when the beloved red was first applied, one thing is certain: it's not going anywhere. ❤️

Thanks for playing along!

Flashback Friday! Back in 2010, the one and only Sarah Jessica Parker visited the Rebecca Nurse Homestead to film the ve...
02/06/2026

Flashback Friday!

Back in 2010, the one and only Sarah Jessica Parker visited the Rebecca Nurse Homestead to film the very first episode of "Who Do You Think You Are?" The production was looking for an authentic historic house which dated back the Witch Trials—and our museum was chosen, even after we warned them it was winter… and the house isn’t heated.

While SJP didn’t turn out to be related to Rebecca Nurse, her family story still led straight into the world of the 1692 witch trials. She is the 10th great-granddaughter of Esther Elwell, a woman accused of witchcraft in November of 1692—not in Salem, but in Gloucester.

By that point though the trials were already unraveling. In October 1692, the court had begun restricting the use of spectral evidence, which had been the primary basis for the accusations against Elwell and two others—Abigail Rowe and Rebecca Dike—who were accused of killing Gloucester resident Mary Fitch by witchcraft. As the courts ceased functioning efficiently, the case was never pursued, and Esther Elwell was released from jail, likely around November 7, 1692.

A fascinating reminder that the Salem Witch Trials reached far beyond Salem—and that history has a way of showing up in unexpected places.

You can watch the episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mih2FS6dcDI

#1692

Address

149 Pine Street
Danvers, MA
01923

Telephone

(978)7748799

Website

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