17th Century Architecture - Salem, Massachusetts

17th Century Architecture in Salem, Massachusetts

First Period Architecture (approx. 1626-1725) is often characterized by a steeply pitched roof and a central chimney. This colonial style is strongly associated with New England, particularly North America's earliest European settlers which built homes along the coast of Massachusetts. Many of these homes have been greatly altered from their original 17th century construction or re-imagined as they once were. This list focuses on 17th century homes, additional First Period homes built in the early 18th century still exist in Salem.

• Samuel Robinson-Michael Chapleman House, c. 1650
  69 Essex Street
  SAL.2591
  Unsubstantiated -This home has been greatly altered.
• Retire Becket House, c. 1655
  54 Turner Street
  SAL.3427
  Moved to current location in 1924
• Pickering House, 1660
  18 Broad Street
  SAL.1044
  Oldest house in original location
• Pickman House, 1664
  43 Charter Street
  SAL.2506
• Gedney House, 1665
  21 High Street
  SAL.1156
• Stephen Daniels House, c. 1667
  1 Daniels Street
  SAL.2616
• Turner-Ingersoll Mansion, 1668
  (The House of the Seven Gables)
  54 Turner Street
  SAL.3425
• Ransom Boarding House, c. 1670
  14 Becket Street
  SAL.3277
  Unsubstantiated
• Jonathan Corwin House, c. 1675
  (The Witch House)
  310 Essex Street
  SAL.1510
• Narbonne House, 1675
  71 Essex Street
  SAL.2593
• Hooper-Hathaway House, c. 1682
  54 Turner Street
  SAL.3426
• John Ward House c. 1684
  Brown Street
  SAL.2454
• William Murray House, c. 1688
  39 Essex Street
  SAL.3239

Resource Guide - Photographs of Salem, Massachusetts

54 Washington Street, c. 1920
Salem State University Archives and Special Collections
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Historical Photographs of Salem, Massachusetts

• Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS)
• Library of Congress
• Salem State University Archives and Special Collections
• Frank Cousins Collections (Phillips Library - Peabody Essex Museum)
• Digital Public Library of America
• Hollis Images (Harvard University)
• Keystone-Mast Collection
• Salem Public Library
• John F. Collins Society
• MACRIS 
• Leslie Jones Collection (Boston Public Library)
• Salem Police Department Archives

Almshouse and Hospital for Contagious Diseases Cemetery - Salem, Massachusetts

 Frank Cousins, Almshouse on Salem Neck, c. 1890. Digital Commonwealth, Phillips Library.

The last almshouse to be built in Salem, opened in 1816 on Collins Cove. It was large — five stories — and was designed by Charles Bulfinch of Boston. 

Excerpt from 1815 report requesting a new Almshouse

City of Salem Archives

Bulfinch’s almshouse was intended to house 100 residents, many of whom were expected to work the adjacent farm to offset the cost of their stay. In 1884, after years of overcrowding, an additional building, designed by W.D. Dennis, was built on the property to serve as a hospital for contagious diseases. In all, the site was active for over a century and burials are often referenced in city documents. This cemetery would have served as the only option for patients who were unable to afford a funeral or that had no family to claim their remains. 

Hospital for Contagious Diseases, c. 1980
Unknown source

The almshouse building was razed in 1954, and the adjacent hospital in the 1980s to make way for the Collins Cove Condominium Complex. Many locals recall playing among the headstones as children while the site sat unused. During construction of the condo complex, at least five headstones were reported to have been uncovered, yet their whereabouts are unknown. The burial site remains unmarked and is only identifiable by the remnant of a single slate headstone. The names of those who rest here have yet to be discovered, though with additional research their identities may be revealed.

Approximate location of cemetery, 2019

UPDATE: Jen Ratliff, with the assistance of Historic Salem, Inc. has reached out to the City of Salem and Collins Cove Condo Association to request the burial ground be properly marked and honored. This request received the support of the Historical Commission on 11/6/2019.
The City is working toward erecting a memorial and informational sign to honor this site.

MEDIA:

• Salem State University: "Local Historian and Salem State Alumna Jen Ratliff Discovers Burial Site on Collins Cove" January 2020 
• The Salem News: "Forgotten Graveyards" November 2019
• Almshouse and Hospital for Contagious Diseases Burial Ground Research Packet, 2019

*Please respect this site and do not trespass on private property. 

126 Bay View Avenue - Salem, Massachusetts

126 Bay View Avenue, 1989 (MACRIS SAL.3484)

Historic Salem Inc. - 126 Bay View Avenue

Built for
Alfred Peabody
Merchant
c. 1876

The Juniper Point neighborhood was conceived of by Salem grocer Daniel B. Gardner, Jr., who purchased 45 acres of former farm land in September 1875, at the cost of $21,000. The area had long been used as a summer retreat, with many Salemites and tourists camping along the waterfront in tents. Gardner filed a plan with the City for cottage lots in October 1875 and in November submitted an updated plan which also included stable lots, two parks, and a public hall. The proposal created over 50 residential lots, more than 20 of which were sold in a single day, November 6, 1875. More lots were auctioned off in the summer of 1876 as the neighborhood expanded. The deed for each cottage stipulated that “no shop, store, public house, boarding house, saloon or stable shall ever be erected on said lot nor any building thereon used for any of said purposes.” The deeds continue to state, “that a strip thereof ten feet wide next to the high-water mark shall forever be kept open free and unobstructed as a public sidewalk or promenade.” These stipulations have been upheld in perpetuity.

Read more: www.historicsalem.org

Request your own House History: www.historicsalem.org

Frank Cousin's Salem

The Phillips Library recently announced the digitization of their Frank Cousins and Herman Parker collections, now available on Digital Commonwealth. In celebration of this, I have teamed up with Dr. Donna Seger of Streets of Salem to compare our top ten picks from the over 2,000 photographs dated between 1865-1914. I'm very curious to see if we choose any of the same images! 

Here are a few of my favorite photographs from the Frank Cousins Collection:

Group, John R. Treadwell, janitor and John J. Connors, constable, Peabody Museum
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Salem, Juniper Point, views, from tower of Pavilion
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Salem, 134 Essex Street, Plummer Hall, 1856, interior (Salem Athenaeum)
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Salem, 204-206 Essex Street, Ezekiel Hersey Derby house, 1800, by Samuel McIntire
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Salem, 27 Gardner Street, William Bickerton house
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Salem, 4 1/2 Federal Street, Abner Goodell house, interior library
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Salem, North Street from Bridge Street, view, ward 6
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Salem, 43 Essex Street at Hardy Steet, Edwards Market
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Salem, 145 Essex Institute, Lynde Block
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Salem, Ward 1, views from Custom House
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Don't forget to see what Dr. Seger picked over on Streets of Salem and then browse the collections yourself and let us know your top picks!