The Chestnut Street District is a historic district bounded roughly by Bridge, Lynn, Beckford, and River Streets in
Salem, Massachusetts
Salem ( ) is a historic coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, located on the North Shore of Greater Boston. Continuous settlement by Europeans began in 1626 with English colonists. Salem would become one of the most significant seaports tr ...
. It was added to the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
in 1973 and enlarged slightly in 1978. The district contains a number of architecturally significant works of
Samuel McIntire, a builder and woodworker who had a house and workshop at 31 Summer Street, and who designed and built a number of these houses, and others that display the profits made in the
Old China Trade
The Old China Trade () refers to the early commerce between the Qing Empire and the United States under the Canton System, spanning from shortly after the end of the American Revolutionary War in 1783 to the Treaty of Wanghia in 1844. The Old ...
by Salem's merchants. The district is a subset of a larger locally designated
McIntire Historic District.
Saunders House
The first of the great brick Federal houses to be constructed was the Thomas Saunders House at number 39 Chestnut, built in 1805 and later remodeled by Arthur Little (1893). Saunders also built the famous McIntire-designed double house next door at numbers 41-43, in 1810, as a wedding present for his daughters Mary Elizabeth and Caroline, who married brothers Leverett and Nathaniel Saltonstall.
Leverett Saltonstall I was Salem's first elected mayor.
Hamilton Hall
Hamilton Hall is a
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
at 9 Chestnut Street in
Salem, Massachusetts
Salem ( ) is a historic coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, located on the North Shore of Greater Boston. Continuous settlement by Europeans began in 1626 with English colonists. Salem would become one of the most significant seaports tr ...
. Hamilton Hall was built in 1805 by
Samuel McIntire and added separately to the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
in 1970.
Ropes Mansion
The
Ropes Mansion (late 1720s), also called Ropes Memorial, is a Georgian
Colonial
Colonial or The Colonial may refer to:
* Colonial, of, relating to, or characteristic of a colony or colony (biology)
Architecture
* American colonial architecture
* French Colonial
* Spanish Colonial architecture
Automobiles
* Colonial (1920 au ...
mansion located at 318 Essex Street. It is now operated by the
Peabody Essex Museum
The Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) in Salem, Massachusetts, US, is a successor to the East India Marine Society, established in 1799. It combines the collections of the former Peabody Museum of Salem (which acquired the Society's collection) and th ...
and open to the public.
Peirce-Nichols House
The
Peirce-Nichols House (ca 1782), is an elegant example of late-Georgian craftsmanship. It is located at 80 Federal Street, and was built for Jerathmiel Peirce, partner in the shipping firm of Waite & Peirce, owners of the
''Friendship'' and several other ships. Designed early in the career of Samuel McIntire (1757–1811), and modified later by him, the building gives a unique view into his methods and styles. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1973, and is now owned by the
Peabody Essex Museum
The Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) in Salem, Massachusetts, US, is a successor to the East India Marine Society, established in 1799. It combines the collections of the former Peabody Museum of Salem (which acquired the Society's collection) and th ...
, which offers guided tours.
Stephen Phillips House
The
Stephen Phillips House is located at 34 Chestnut Street. A classic car show is held every year at The Stephen Phillips House. The Phillips House is now owned and operated as a
historic house museum
A historic house museum is a house of historic significance that has been transformed into a museum. Historic furnishings may be displayed in a way that reflects their original placement and usage in a home. Historic house museums are held to a ...
by
Historic New England
Historic New England, previously known as the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities (SPNEA), is a charitable, non-profit, historic preservation organization headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. It is focused on New England ...
and is open for public tours.
Pickering House
The
Pickering House (circa 1651) is a
Colonial
Colonial or The Colonial may refer to:
* Colonial, of, relating to, or characteristic of a colony or colony (biology)
Architecture
* American colonial architecture
* French Colonial
* Spanish Colonial architecture
Automobiles
* Colonial (1920 au ...
house, owned and occupied by ten successive generations of the Pickering family including Colonel
Timothy Pickering
Timothy Pickering (July 17, 1745January 29, 1829) was the third United States Secretary of State under Presidents George Washington and John Adams. He also represented Massachusetts in both houses of Congress as a member of the Federalist Party ...
. This house is believed to be the oldest house in the United States continuously occupied by one family. It is located at 18 Broad Street,
Salem, Massachusetts
Salem ( ) is a historic coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, located on the North Shore of Greater Boston. Continuous settlement by Europeans began in 1626 with English colonists. Salem would become one of the most significant seaports tr ...
and is open to the public under the auspices of the nonprofit Pickering Foundation.
The Witch House, Jonathan Corwin House
The Witch House (also called the Jonathan Corwin House), was the home of Judge
Jonathan Corwin
Jonathan Corwin (also Curwin or Corwen, November 14, 1640 – June 9, 1718) was a New England merchant, politician, and magistrate. He is best known as one of the judges involved in the Salem witch trials of 1692, although his later work als ...
and is the only structure still standing in
Salem, Massachusetts
Salem ( ) is a historic coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, located on the North Shore of Greater Boston. Continuous settlement by Europeans began in 1626 with English colonists. Salem would become one of the most significant seaports tr ...
with direct ties to the
Salem Witch Trials
The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1693. More than 200 people were accused. Thirty people were found guilty, 19 of whom w ...
of 1692.
The Salem Athenaeum
The Salem Athenaeum was founded in 1810 and is one of the oldest
private library
A private library is a library that is privately owned. Private libraries are usually intended for the use of a small number of people, or even a single person. As with public libraries, some people use bookplates – stamps, stickers or ...
organizations in the United States. The Athenaeum is located at 337 Essex Street. In 1905, the Athenæum sold the building at 132 Essex Street to the
Essex Institute
The Essex Institute (1848–1992) in Salem, Massachusetts, was "a literary, historical and scientific society." It maintained a museum, library, historic houses; arranged educational programs; and issued numerous scholarly publications. In 1992 th ...
(now the
Peabody Essex Museum
The Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) in Salem, Massachusetts, US, is a successor to the East India Marine Society, established in 1799. It combines the collections of the former Peabody Museum of Salem (which acquired the Society's collection) and th ...
), and with the proceeds constructed the building it currently occupies, at 337 Essex Street. Dedicated in 1907
Francis Cox House
The Francis Cox House was built in 1846 and is situated at the corner of Chestnut and Summer street.
John Bertram Mansion
![1820 Salem Massachusetts map bySaunders BPL 12094](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/1820_Salem_Massachusetts_map_bySaunders_BPL_12094.png)
This High Style Italianate brick and brownstone mansion was built at 370 Essex Street in 1855 for
Captain John Bertram When Captain John Bertram died in March 1882, his widow donated their home (The John Bertram Mansion) and this became the Salem Public Library.
The Salem Public Library opened its doors on July 8, 1889.
See also
*
List of the oldest buildings in Massachusetts
This article lists the oldest buildings in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States of America, including the oldest houses in Massachusetts and any other surviving structures. Some dates are approximate (indicated with a "") and b ...
*
List of the oldest buildings in the United States
*
List of historic houses in Massachusetts
This is a list of historic houses in Massachusetts.
Western Massachusetts
Berkshire County
* Lenox
** The Mount ( Lenox) – author Edith Wharton's estate; 1902
** Ventfort Hall ( Lenox) – Jacobean style mansion, built 1893 – George & ...
*
National Register of Historic Places listings in Salem, Massachusetts
*
National Register of Historic Places listings in Essex County, Massachusetts
References
{{National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts
1973 establishments in Massachusetts
Historic districts in Essex County, Massachusetts
Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts
History of Salem, Massachusetts
National Register of Historic Places in Salem, Massachusetts
Protected areas established in 1973
Tourist attractions in Salem, Massachusetts