THE REV 250 TOUR IS BACK
North Andover, Mass., September 26, 2025 – The North Andover Historical Society (NAHS) will offer an immersive journey into the chilling history of the Andover witch hysteria of 1692 through expert speakers and films to educate, entertain and enlighten visitors. Driven by fear and superstition, NAHS will shed light on the lesser-known stories of the Andover witchcraft era, exploring the societal dynamics and human experiences that led to one of the most notorious chapters in American history. All programs will take place at NAHS, located at 800 Massachusetts Avenue in North Andover, unless otherwise noted. Visit www.NorthAndoverHistoricalSociety.org to purchase tickets and learn more. Some programs are free to NAHS members.
Saturday October 4, 11:00 a.m. and Saturday, October 18, 11:00 a.m.
North Andover Old Burial Ground Witchcraft Tour
Join witchcraft trials expert Richard Hite, author of In the Shadow of Salem, and Carol Majahad, former director and educator of NAHS, on a fascinating tour of North Andover locations that were involved in the witchcraft trials, including the Parson Barnard House, the old cemetery, the location of Rev. Francis Dane's home, and the location of the meeting house. This tour is in coordination with Hite and Majahad, with $5 from every ticket sale going directly to NAHS.
Tuesday October 7, 6.30 p.m.
Skeletons in the Closet, the George Jacobs story with Speaker Dan Gagnon
Author Daniel A. Gagnon will explore Salem Village witch-hunt victim George Jacobs Sr.’s unmarked grave, how Danvers (Salem Village) confronted its legacy of the witch-hunt, a fatal family betrayal, and why the bones of a man executed in 1692 did so much traveling.
Learn how to make tiny ghost friends out of wool for this special needle felting class at the North Andover Historical Society.
Friday, October 10, 5:30 p.m.
Felted Ghost Class
Join us as we make tiny ghost friends out of wool for this special needle felting class just before our showing of Monster House. Needle felting is sculpting with wool and is a great hobby for anybody with dexterity and patience. Participants should be over 7 years old. All materials and tools will be provided. The class is $10.
7:00 p.m.
Movie: Monster House (PG)
NAHS will show the popular Halloween film, Monster House, a story of three friends that investigate the mystery behind their local haunted house. The film will be shown on the big screen in Worden Theater at NAHS. This program is a partnership between Salem based horror events collective VCR2 and NAHS.
Saturday, October 11, 6:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.
Paranormal Investigation at the Parson Barnard House with Tim Weisman
Tim Weisberg, of Spooky Southcoast for SPOOKY SALEM 2025, will lead a paranormal investigation at the Parson Barnard House. The Parson Barnard House was built for Rev. Thomas Barnard, a minister who helped accused victims of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Limit of 35 people for this event. Tickets are $75 each and include pizza, snacks and drinks, lectures, a historical tour, and hours of guided investigation.
Tuesday, October 14, 6:30 p.m.
Dorothy Faulkner and the Merging of Two Families, with Mary Louise Bingham
The life of Dorothy Faulkner is rich and full, from the time of her birth in Andover. Speaker Mary Bingham will discuss Dorothy's early life and her traumatic witchcraft accusations as a child. Dorothy's story continues with her marriage to Samuel Nurse Jr. in Salem Village, and the climate and environment in which her growing family lived and survived on the Nurse Family Homestead until her death. Learn how her legacy lived throughout the generations that followed, weaving the thread that tied the witch-hunt of 1692 to the Revolutionary War.
Saturday, October 18, 2:00 p.m.
The Massachusett Nation with Mr. Thomas Spirit Tree Green
A descendent of the Neponset band of Massachuset who gathered at the praying town of Ponkapoag, Mr. Green will highlight the interactions between the indigenous people of the Massachuset Nation and European traders, including The Great Dying, when 90% of the Massachuset Nation was decimated by plague. He will also describe what was happening within the hierarchy of the bloodline Sac’hemship just prior to English colonization, and introduce the audience to Nanepashemet and his wife, the Squaw Sac’hem, who were pivotal leaders in the early twilight of what was to become America.
Tuesday, October 21, 6:30 p.m.
The Story of Elizabeth Johnson Jr., with NAMS teacher Carrie LaPierre and author Richard Hite
We welcome back North Andover Middle School civics teacher, Carrie LaPierre, and Richard Hite, the author of In the Shadow of Salem, to hear the story of accused North Andover witch, Elizabeth Johnson Jr. and the efforts to memorialize her and the other victims of Old Andover who were accused of witchcraft in 1692.
Join the North Andover Historical Society for a viewing of the film based on the life of Ann Foster, an Andover widow tried for witchcraft in the 1692 Witch hysteria, found guilty and jailed.
Sunday, October 26, 3:00 p.m.
I Be a Witch, the Story of Andover’s Ann Foster, feature film followed by discussion with director and lead actress
Join us for a viewing of the film based on the life of Ann Foster, an Andover widow tried for witchcraft in the 1692 Witch hysteria, found guilty and jailed (where she died). The film and a one-woman play were written and performed by Lori Prescott Hansen, an Ann Foster descendant, who used court records and documents as source material. See the film, and stay for a Zoom discussion with Lori, Producer Cherie Julander (also a Foster descendant), and director Omar Hansen from Utah and Idaho.
Click here for more information and to register for events.
About the North Andover Historical Society
Founded in 1913, the North Andover Historical Society is a 501(c)3 charitable non-profit organization. It has long held the Johnson Cottage as its historic base, fanning out across town with historic sites under its wing including the Parson Barnard House and Barn, the 1825 Hay Scales Exchange, the 1829 Brick Store, and the 1833 Hay Scales Building. Within the past two years, the renovated Stevens Center museum on the North Andover Common, has become the new hub of NAHS, housing: archives and collectables, rotating historic exhibits on the museum floor, a theater with seating for up to 70 people in what were once Omni Theater seats, a permanent display of green tech explaining the Net-Zero building, Diane’s Café, and meeting and social rooms (many of these spaces are available for rent). For more information, please visit www.NorthAndoverhistoricalSociety.org.
