Est. 1925 · Site of Bridget Bishop's Apple Orchard · Salem Witch Trials Connection · Historic Hotels of America · 100th Anniversary 2025
The land at Washington Square West in Salem has a documented history predating the hotel by more than two centuries. Bridget Bishop, a Salem resident accused of witchcraft, was convicted on June 10, 1692, and hanged the same day on Gallows Hill — the first execution of the Salem Witch Trials. Her apple orchard occupied part of what is now the hotel's footprint.
Frank Poor, founder of the Hygrade/Sylvania Lighting Company, conceived the hotel as a 'modern hotel for the business traveler' and organized local commercial support for its construction. Ground broke in 1924, and the hotel opened on July 23, 1925, with a flag-raising ceremony and parade through central Salem — a civic moment that reflected the hotel's intended role as a commercial anchor for the city.
The hotel was renamed the Hawthorne Motor Hotel briefly in the 1950s to accommodate the growing automobile travel market. It subsequently returned to its original name and has operated continuously since. In 1970, the television series Bewitched filmed scenes at the hotel. In 2015, the film Joy (starring Robert De Niro and Jennifer Lawrence) used the Grand Ballroom and guest rooms as a shooting location. The hotel celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2025.
The Salem Marine Society, which had occupied the earlier Franklin Building on the site before the hotel's construction, traced its own history to the early 19th century. That structure was destroyed by fire in 1860.
Sources
- https://www.hawthornehotel.com/the-hawthorne/history/
- https://ghostcitytours.com/salem/haunted-salem/hawthorne-hotel/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawthorne_Hotel
- https://salemghosts.com/the-haunted-hawthorne-hotel/
ApparitionsPhantom smellsPhantom sounds
The apple scent is the hotel's most documentable paranormal signature. In areas of the building that correspond geographically to where Bridget Bishop's orchard once stood, guests have independently reported a recurring smell of apples — an olfactory detail that has been recorded across multiple unrelated accounts and is cited specifically in Salem paranormal literature.
The parlor phantom is the other consistent report. A black cat has been observed lounging in the parlor by multiple guests, none of whom appear to have had prior knowledge of previous sightings. No cats reside in the hotel. Several guests with documented cat allergies have reported allergic reactions while in the parlor — a detail that paranormal commentators cite as the most materially unusual aspect of the report.
Other reported phenomena include disembodied voices and figures in hallways, described in general terms across multiple sources without the specificity of the scent and cat accounts. The hotel's marketing posture toward its paranormal reputation is 'incidental' — it neither promotes nor denies the stories, and the Salem context ensures the hotel remains on every haunted hotel list regardless.
Salem's witch trial connections give the property an additional interpretive frame that amplifies what would otherwise be modest paranormal reports. Bridget Bishop was executed 333 years before the hotel's 2025 centennial, and the orchard that once occupied the land is now a Marriott-era booking interface.
Notable Entities
Phantom Black Cat (unnamed)
