Custom House Salem, Massachusetts
Located at the base of Derby Wharf is the Custom House. The building was constructed in 1818 and from 1847 for the next two years, Nathanial Hawthorne was employeed there. Now Nathanial Hawthorne was born in 1804 in Salem and his father actually died in 1808 who was a sea captain and died from yellow fever.
Well Nathanial Hawthorne was a 19th century author of novels and short stories.
He was terminated as a customer surveyor because he constantly saw ghosts walking the halls of the Custom House. This is also where he wrote the famous Scarlett Letter.
The Scarlett Letter is about Hester Prynne who conceives a daughter thru an affair and struggles to create a new life of repentance and dignity. This lady is found guilty of adultery and is required to wear a Scarlett āAā on her dress to shame her and she must stand on the scaffold for 3 hours to be exposed to public humiliation.
Going back to the Custom House, employee experiences are hearing ghosts of ship captains discussing treasured items and desired trades aboard their ships, they hear footsteps and experience flickering lights. The Custom House Tour Guides will not even mention anything ghostly on the tours.
Now across the street at the Derby Wharf where the Friendship is located, this location was used that in the Revolutionary War as a base. Many experiences there are people seeing pirates climbing out of the water onto the wharf walking around as if to be searching for something, They hear sounds of footsteps coming up behind them people feel cold air in 80 deg temperatures. Some have seen pirates walking around. One woman was touched by cold fingers only to turn around to see an 1800ās fishermanās attire vanish into thin air.
