boot | c. 1870

1651.881.1

Someone hid this well-worn leather boot in the wall of the Natick Museum during the building’s construction in 1880. The boot was rediscovered during renovations in 2017. 

The custom of leaving an old shoe in a building’s wall to protect against evil spirits or witches dates back to the Middle Ages in England. Thousands of concealed shoes have been found in English and American buildings during demolition or renovation.

Alyssa Conary of the Salem Historical Society reports that many concealed shoes have been found near windows or in chimneys, probably because these were considered likely access points for evil spirits. Conary notes that belief in counter-magic to protect against evil spirits coexisted with Christianity well into the early twentieth century in New England.

The Northampton Museum & Art Gallery in the U.K. keeps an index of concealed shoes discovered in Europe and North America. There are about 2000 entries so far. You can read more on the museum’s website.