Custom House

The Custom House is located on Derby Street in Salem, Massachusetts. It is part of the Salem Maritime National Historic Site, which was the very first historic site maintained by the National Park System.

The Custom House is now a museum that is open for guided tours. All of the furnishings are original, which is pretty rare to find. The Custom House was built in 1819 and was run by the United States government. The inspectors who were employed there were responsible for weighing and inspecting cargo, as well as filling out all the documentation that goes along with those duties.

The Custom House is very well known because it was mentioned in the beginning of The Scarlet Letter, a book by Nathaniel Hawthorne that was published in 1850. Hawthorne worked at the Custom House as a surveyor from 1847-1849. He was fired from the job when it was discovered that he spent all his time there working on his novel!

Paranormal Claims

• Some believe the ghost of Nathaniel Hawthorne still walks the building.
• Visitors report hearing unexplained footsteps in empty hallways.
• Shadow figures dressed in nineteenth-century clothing have reportedly been seen.
• Doors have reportedly opened and closed without explanation.
• Disembodied voices have allegedly been heard after hours.
• Cold spots have been reported inside several rooms.
• People have described feeling watched while touring the building.
• Unexplained creaking has been heard when no one else is present.
• Some visitors report hearing the distant sound of a ship's bell.
• The faint smell of salt water has reportedly appeared indoors without a source.
• Employees have reported unusual noises after the building has closed.
• Strange echoes have been heard in otherwise silent rooms.
• Some witnesses claim to have seen figures disappear around corners.
• Feelings of sudden unease have been reported in former office spaces.
• Paranormal investigators have reported unexplained audio anomalies during investigations.
• Several visitors believe the building retains the presence of former customs officials.
• Some people report sensing unseen figures standing nearby.
• Unexplained drafts have been experienced in closed rooms.
• Witnesses claim objects have occasionally appeared to move on their own.
• Many believe the long maritime history has left lingering spiritual activity.

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