We have a very special Cemetery Sundays edition this week! Last weekend, Mrs. Highbury and I took a quick trip out to Salem, Massachusetts, and had a chance to go see The Burying Point Cemetery, oldest burying ground in the city of Salem, and Witch Trials Memorial.
Walking through this cemetery was a perplexing experience. Usually for my Cemetery Sundays trips, I get up early and quietly tour the grounds alone, taking my time to document and appreciate the ornate tombstones, sculptures and mausoleums.
I wasn't afforded this luxury at The Burying Point Cemetery, as it is a main tourist destination in Salem, and the grounds were full of fellow tourists and photographers. I had to focus on getting shots without people in them - a difficult task with the amount of people roaming the entirety of Salem in October!
Also, I found it strange that those "touristy" elements were also encroaching upon the grounds themselves. A carnival with rides, food vendors and a haunted house were all positioned just outside the cemetery fences, contributing to a staggering amount of noise. I was surprised at how all of this really took me out of my element in regards to other cemeteries that I visit.
But I made do with what I had and focused on getting the best shots that I could...
The Witch Trials Memorial
Located next to the cemetery, The Witch Trials Memorial, erected in 1992, contains the granite bench memorials for the 20 women and men executed in the infamous Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Each bench contains the name of the victim, the date of their wrongful execution and the grisly manner in which they were executed. 19 by hanging, one by being pressed to death. The memorial's location is fitting, since trial judges and accusers are buried in the cemetery right next to it...
Trial quotes from the convicted are carved into the stone entrance.
Bridget Bishop, the first of 20 executed for witchcraft.
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