32 Forrester Street - Salem, Massachusetts

32 Forrester Street, Salem Massachusetts

Historic Salem Inc. - 32 Forrester Street

Built for 
Lizzie and Samuel Frank Masury
Tobacconist
1884

The house at 32 Forrester Street was constructed in 1884 in the Queen Anne style. Queen Anne architecture reached the peak of its popularity between 1880 and 1900 and is known for its highly decorative accents, wrap-around porches, and asymmetry. This style appears throughout Salem but is most densely seen on Boardman and Lafayette streets.

Until the late 19th century, Forrester Street extended from 20 Essex Street through what is now known as Washington Square South. The land that now connects Forrester Street to Webb Street, like much of the surrounding area, was previously industrial. The area was filled in around 1872 and steadily transitioned to residential property until 1910. The neighborhood was highly sought after for its proximity to Salem’s downtown and the city’s industrial and maritime industries.

Read more: www.historicsalem.org

Request your own House History: www.historicsalem.org

Clarence Murphy - Salem, Massachusetts

“His infatuation for the green cloth and wonderful maintenance of nerve was noted and quoted, it making no apparent difference in his demeanor whether luck favored him or fortune on him frowned.” 
- The Boston Globe on Clarence Murphy  (February 18, 1896)

Clarence Murphy was born in Salem in 1856 to Irish parents. He was well-respected in the community, earning a job as a clerk at the Salem Savings Bank in 1880 and serving as treasurer of the Old Men’s Home (John Bertram House). He was active in local sporting groups and was even celebrated for owning the first bicycle in the city. Murphy was known to have enjoyed yachting and ran in affluent social circles, which took him to Boston in the summer of 1893. It was there that he met his wife, described as a “well-known belle” from South Boston; they married only a month after meeting. She accompanied him to Salem but the couple frequently visited her family in Boston.

Six months later, shortly before 11:00 am on December 2, 1893, Salem Savings Bank President Edward D. Ropes and Treasurer Charles N. Simonds politely confronted Clarence Murphy, about some peculiar entries in the bank’s ledgers. During their questioning, Murphy slipped out of the room and quickly made his way to a bank drawer. He stuffed $500 into his pocket before grabbing his overcoat. Ropes and Simonds, who had been waiting for Murphy’s return, looked out of an office window to see him running down Higginson Alley toward Washington Street.

Ropes and Simonds chased after Murphy but he jumped a gate and was quickly out of reach. He headed down Washington Street toward the Boston & Maine Railroad Depot, presumably to catch the 11:20 am train to Boston. He then doubled-back, instead running to Essex House, a hotel with stable and livery at 176 Essex Street. He requested his horse and to asked borrow a light buggy, which the proprietor, Mr. Davis, obliged. It is said that Murphy then drove up Essex Street and headed toward Bridge Street. Before leaving, Murphy sent a note and cash to his wife by messenger. Around 3:30 pm, Murphy had boarded his horse and buggy at Conant Stable in Lowell, about 25 miles outside of Salem. That would be the last time anyone would see him.

In the days following Murphy’s escape, thousands of dollars were withdrawn by concerned patrons as the bank quickly tried to calculate the total damage of Murphy’s embezzlement. Within a year, over 12,000 depositors would submit their books for verification of their accounts with the bank. The story of Murphy’s crime spread nation-wide, as a $500 reward for Murphy’s whereabouts was posted. Over the next few months, the Boston Globe speculated on Murphy’s destination, predicting Canada, Mexico, and South America as options.

In March 1894, the bank made headlines again when it reported that its late treasurer William H. Simonds, Jr. had also embezzled from the bank. Simonds died less than two months before Murphy fled Salem and a review of his books revealed irregularities. Simonds had worked at the bank since 1865 and had been treasurer for thirteen years when he died. Clarence Murphy, who was named a trustee of Simond’s will, appeared to confirm this suspicion in a letter that was forwarded to a friend in Salem after his escape. Murphy claimed that he confronted Simonds about missing funds, and then was recruited by him to help cover up his misdeeds. Murphy ultimately began skimming himself, which in turn was concealed by Simonds. Upon Simonds death, Murphy realized that it was only a matter of time before he would be discovered by a new treasurer. After William H. Simonds, Jr. was publicly accused of fraud, his widow filed a deed conveying her home on Washington Square to the bank as repayment; the house had an estimated worth of $7,800.

After over two years on the run, Clarence Murphy was apprehended in San Francisco on January 31, 1896. Murphy had been living under the pseudonym of C.M. Clark. Three weeks prior, a detective named Gaston Strauss contacted Salem City Marshal John W. Hart, asking if the reward for the capture of Clarence Murphy was still valid. Hart replied that the moment Murphy was in his custody, the reward would be paid. Strauss notified San Francisco police who then apprehended Murphy. While in custody with his hands in cuffs, Murphy opened and jumped through a window to the pavement below, a drop of fourteen feet. Two shots were fired by police at Murphy but missed. He was recaptured a short time later and placed in a steel cell.

Murphy’s capture made the front page of the Boston Globe; his return to Salem and subsequent trial were closely followed by the press. The Globe interviewed Murphy for three hours while on the way back to Salem, during which he admitted that he had been stealing from the bank for eighteen months and began after discovering Simond’s fraud. He credited his own downfall to an addiction to poker playing, which worsened once in California. Clarence Murphy was returned to Salem on February 17, 1896, on the 7:10 pm train. Over 1,000 people turned out to witness the event. The Boston Globe reported, “Murphy’s reappearance in Salem after an absence of 36 months and 15 days recalls a statement made by him soon after he fled from the bank that it would be a cold day when he returned, and the readings of the thermometer tonight showed that prediction was accurate.”

Clarence Murphy’s bail was set at $25,000 while he awaited trial, which began on May 26, 1896. He was charged with embezzling $47,000 from Salem Savings Bank. Clarence A. Evans, a fellow clerk at the bank testified against him. On May 29th, Murphy was found guilty and sentenced to 10-15 years. He was paroled in 1905 and his sentence reduced to 10 years for good behavior. He moved to the home of his brother in Beverly, where he lived out the remainder of his life.

*This article was written by Jen Ratliff for use by Salem State University Archives and Special Collections. 

Blizzard of 1978 - Salem, Masscahusetts

Massachusetts National Guard outside the Hawthorne Hotel. 1978

This year marks the anniversary of the Blizzard of ’78. The storm formed on Sunday, February 5, 1978 with most of its snowfall occurring between the morning of February 6th and the evening of February 7th. In total, the Greater Boston area received an average of 27 inches of snow. The damage for the effected Northeast region was more than $520 million (estimated to be $1.95 billion today.) Salem took weeks to recover and the National Guard was brought in to help clear roads, assist emergency personnel, and aid in search and rescue missions.

*This article was written by Jen Ratliff for use by Salem State University Archives and Special Collections. 

Images above are from their collections.  

Bewitched - Salem, Massachusetts

Still shot of Bewitched in front of The Witch House

In June 1970, Hollywood came to Salem with the filming of Bewitched. The cast and crew stayed at the Hawthorne Hotel while filming in the city and nearby Gloucester. They filmed some interiors in the Hotel, most notably a scene with the lobby’s elevators. The Hawthorne Motor Hotel, as it was called at the time, appears in name and can be seen in the background during travel scenes but the Hotel’s façade was replaced with a Hollywood set. Other notable Salem locations that appear in the Salem Saga episodes include: the Witch House, The House of the Seven Gables and Hawthorne Boulevard.

On July 15, 2005, a bronze Bewitched Statue of Elizabeth Montgomery’s character Samantha was unveiled in Lappin Park to a crowd of 1500 spectators. The unveiling was a collaboration between the city and the TV Land network. Bill Asher, the late Montgomery’s ex-husband was in attendance for the event, along with Erin Murphy, who played Tabitha.

 *This article was written by Jen Ratliff for use by Salem State University Archives and Special Collections. 

Spenser: For Hire - Salem, Massachusetts

Spenser: For Hire scene in front of the West India Goods Store

Spenser: For Hire (1985-1988) starring Robert Urich (Spenser) and Avery Brooks (Hawk) chronicled two fictional detectives as they solved crimes in the Greater Boston area. In Fall 1986, the show filmed in Salem, Massachusetts, where the two helped a 12-year-old girl face her nightmares and stop a string of arson attacks. Production filmed in multiple areas around Salem including Chestnut Street and Salem Maritime National Historic Site, where the West India Goods Store was transformed into an occult shop. The episode “Shadowsight” (S2 E9) premiered on December 13, 1986.

Spenser: For Hire,“Shadowsight” (S2 E9) - Warner Brothers