Architecture of Fear: The Victorian Haunted House

A Talk About Design walking tour, presented by Historic Salem, Inc. 

We all know that house. It's always walked by a little bit faster and talked about in hushed tones. It has an uneasy presence that can't be explained, almost like it's cursed. Yet it's captivating - anything could have happened in there; it's easily thrilling to imagine what did. 

We're familiar with their use in movies and TV like Hocus Pocus, the Addams Family, Psycho, and It. But long before the old Victorian house became synonymous with fear and mystery, it was just a house: grand and modern, a product representing its time. On this walking tour we'll trace how the Victorian style became associated with horror and why it captivates the dark side of our imagination.