History by the Sea | Salem, Massachusetts

17th Century Architecture - Salem, Massachusetts

Salem, MA 01970, USA

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

Salem, MA, USA

54 Washington Street, c. 1920
Salem State University Archives and Special Collections
View Full Image

Historical Photographs of Salem, Massachusetts

Almshouse and Hospital for Contagious Diseases Burial Ground - Salem, Massachusetts

Salem, MA, USA

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
Jim McAllister

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.

Collins Cove Condominium Complex, 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.

UPDATE: View the Almshouse Burial Ground Memorial Proposal and Letters of Support

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

Salem, MA, USA

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

Salem, MA, USA

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: