Rockafellas restaurant a popular part of Salem's spooky history
SALEM - Rockafellas in Salem is not only right in the heart of the Witch City, but it's a part of the spooky history as well.
"Just lighting this building up again is really what brought the whole downtown back to life," Dave McKillop told WBZ-TV.
He owns the well-known spot along with Kevin Marchino. They opened the restaurant in 2003 when Salem was experiencing a bit of a lull. Twenty years later, they've had incredible success and more visitors stop by each year.
"We're pretty much the first restaurant they see for the most part," said McKillop.
Rockafellas is more than just a restaurant though, it's actually an historic site.
"1826, it was born as a church. They bought the building," Marchino told WBZ.
Salem's First Church still shines above the restaurant inside the Daniel Low building today.
"Daniel Low was one of the jewelers in the building, it took him about 10 years to save some money. Finally, he took it over, bought the church out, opened up both floors and became one of the largest jewelery stores in the country," said Marchino.
Low would later die in the building in 1911. Some Salem visitors have reported seeing a ghost in the second story window.
"There are times when you're up there and if you're alone you kind of get the feeling it's time to go downstairs," said McKillop.
"We had a bartender who started out with us in the beginning, and he took this picture of the building on Essex Street here," adds Marchino. "It was up there for about a year, just the picture. I walked in one day and then all of sudden I started looking at the screen saver and there was a figure of a woman in a blue dress."
Now known as the Lady in Blue, the ghost just appeared one day on the restaurant's computer screen.
"Two days later the computer died," said McKillop.
Ever since, the two have paid homage to their ghostly friend. From her own mural inside to a special drink in her honor. She's brought Rockafellas good fortune over the years, while perhaps haunting people in the process. McKillop explained one diner's experience.
"She was eating her dinner and the Cosmopolitan exploded. The only thing that was left was the stem, so when I walked over I asked, 'What did you do? What happened?' and she said, 'I did nothing, and I want to go home now," McKillop told WBZ.
While many people claim they've seen and heard ghosts on the second story, it's actually the basement that's the most haunted.
"There were slaves buried in this tunnel also, so they used this as an underground railroad," said Marchino.
It's this rich history that brings hundreds of thousands to Salem each October, with visitors hoping to get in on the spine-chilling fun. Local staples like Rockafellas stand tall throughout the massive crowds, leaving a lasting impression on those who come in for the mystery and a good time.
"We could actually, literally go anywhere in the world and say we own Rockafellas in Salem and someone would have been there. It's pretty amazing," said McKillop.
