Officials in the Massachusetts town best known for its 17th century witch trials will become home to the world headquarters of the Satanic Temple.
The new headquarters in the town of Salem is set to open Friday. It's located in an old Victorian home that once served as a funeral parlor and sits around the corner from an elementary school. It will be the organization's first physical headquarters and will also host lectures and film screenings.
The Satanic Temple is a recognized religious organization. Spokesman Lucien Greaves says the Temple "isn't an attack on anybody" and stressed that members won't be going door to door or affecting neighbors' lives in any way. The organization says it has 40,000 members across the United States.
"We intend to contribute to the cultural climate while maintaining the community's high standards. The irony that a town which one executed people because of alleged ties to Satan will now be hosting the headquarters of the world's largest satanic organization is not lost on us," Satanic Temples spokesperson Lucien Greaves writes on the organization's official website.
Salem officials say they are currently working to better understand the temple's intended use.
At lease one Salem resident is open to the idea of having a new Satanic Temple in the area.
"Ehh...I'm neither here nor there as long as they're friendly people," Robert Twohig told FOX25's Michael Henrich. "That's fine with me."
-----
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
About the Author
