Early New England Witchcraft Collections Tour

Join Dr. Tricia Peone, New England’s Hidden Histories Project Director, at 14 Beacon for a tour exploring puritan beliefs about witchcraft. Get into the spooky season mood by viewing rare books and manuscripts from the Congregational Library & Archives’ collections, including seventeenth-century works on ghosts and witchcraft, books connected to the Salem witch trials, sermons about witchcraft, and Cotton Mather’s diary. The tour will also consider why this subject continues to fascinate us today. Held in the CLA’s historic reading room at 14 Beacon Street, these monthly collection tours connect residents of Beacon Hill and the greater Boston region with original, rarely seen materials in the CLA’s collections. This event will run from 12 to 1 pm and will begin with a short talk by Tricia Peone, followed by plenty of time for browsing items from our collections and asking questions. Thanks to the generosity of the Beacon Hill Civic Association, these programs are offered completely free of charge to the public. Reservations via Eventbrite are appreciated but not required.