Essex Heritage To Host Victorian-Themed Halloween Fundraiser

TOPSFIELD, MA – Don your Victorian attire: There's a party at Witch Hill. Essex Heritage is hosting a fundraiser next week at Peirce Farm at Witch Hill, where Salem Witch Trial victim Mary Easty is believed to have hid in the 1690s.

The event will feature historic haunting tales in the farm's manor house, cocktails, Victorian games, and music in the barn. Tickets are $65 per person, and there will be a cash bar.

"Our mission is to engage the public in sustaining the exceptional places that make this region so unique," said Essex Heritage CEO Annie Harris in a news release. "We hope to inspire Essex County residents and visitors to make meaningful connections to places like Peirce Farm through fun events like the Haunting at Witch Hill."

Isaac, Mary Easty's son, lived in a farmhouse on the property. When Mary's accusers caught up with her, she was taken to Beadle's Tavern in Salem for her pre-trial examination, and was later charged with two counts of witchcraft.

Mary was jailed in Ipswich, then in Boston, and was later hanged. In the 18th century, Captain Benjamin Crowninshield turned the farm into a rural country retreat. Railroad tycoon Thomas Wentworth Peirce expanded the home and stables to create a gentleman's retreat in the 19th century.

Tickets include Victorian ghost stories, a drink ticket, and hors d'oevres, and can be purchased online.

Photo courtesy of Peirce Farm