The Living and Dead Patrons of the Church: St Peter’s San-Pedro Episcopal Church Salem, MA

One unusual thing that caught my eye was the front of the church. Neatly lined in a small fenced-off section were old tombstones. The way they were lined up and in a small space, I debated whether they were even real. The church has some prehistory lore involving one of the people involved in the Salem Witch Trials. As an Episcopalian myself, I feel obligated to tell you about this bizarre burial arrangement.

The Founder and history

The land the church sits on was given by Phillip English, who, along with his wife, was among the accused during the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. During his incarceration, the ever-so-greedy Sheriff George Corwin confiscated possessions from his wealthy estate. It was after the trials that English realized his property was taken. Over the years, Phillip has tried to file a dispute to regain his possessions. During that time, George Corwin died from heart problems, possibly thanks to the curse of Giles Corey. English put a lien on Corwin’s corpse, blocking it from burial until he was reimbursed for the missing property.  He was reimbursed and burial was allowed to continue. The church's foundation was an act of defiance to the Puritan religion. So yes, there is a bit of Salem Witch Trial lore in this. 

The church was built on June 29th, 1733, on St. Peter’s Day. It is also Salem's first and the United State’s oldest church bell, installed in 1740 . Initially, the church was built of wood and painted yellow. The current church, as seen today, was constructed in 1833, and the chapel was built in 1871.

Aside from the history of its founding, it also has a history with African Americans and slavery, which the church continues to publish on its site to tell the story. In the 1700’s and 1800’s, the congregations were segregated, with African Americans sitting in the west balcony. Today, not only is the congregation integrated but bilingual as well. 

Now, the real question is, why is the cemetery at the front of the chapel like that?

Well, the answer is in 1871, the chapel that currently sits where it is today was built over an old Churchyard. The churchyard at that point had its last burial in 1860, so it was not like anyone would get buried there anytime soon. This resulted in the tombstones being moved in front of the chapel into two rows, each containing eight to 10. Many of the tombs were also placed inside the chapel walls. Under the chapel floors, there is an estimate of fifty-five graves. 

A lot has happened to the church over the centuries: being built from a Salem Witch Trial victim, being rebuilt, and also slavery.  The church continues to open its doors, welcoming new members to the congregation and educating the public about its history.