The Pickering House (circa 1664
) is a
First Period
First Period is an American architecture style in the time period between approximately 1626 and 1725, used by British colonists during the earliest English settlements in United States, particularly in Massachusetts and Virginia and later in ...
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 at 18 Broad 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 ...
'
McIntire Historic District. The house was 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 have been the oldest house in the United States continuously occupied by one family. However, in 1998, the Goodhue family moved into the house, with Albert Goodhue as the primary caretaker. 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. Across the street is the Broad Street Cemetery, one of the three oldest in Salem.
History
Although the core house is first period, it has evolved considerably over the years. The original house was two stories tall, with a single room on each floor, and an entry bay. The left side was then added circa 1682
by his son, John Pickering II. In 1751, Deacon Timothy Pickering raised a rear lean-to up to a full two stories, which is how the house exists today.
![Pickering House, Salem, MA](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Pickering_House%2C_Salem%2C_MA.jpg)
In 1841 the front facade was reworked in the
Gothic Revival style
Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...
, with the facade gables probably dating from this time. Many of the house's external features date from this alteration, including the roof finials, round windows in the gables, cornice brackets, and exterior entry porch. Family records also suggest that a passageway was cut through the chimney stack at this time, and that the exterior chimney was remodeled to today's columnar style at this time. The Gothic-style fence with its cut-outs and obelisk finials was also added in this renovation. In 1904 a two-story ell was added to the rear. In 1948,
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
architect Gordon Robb carried out interior restoration work to reintroduce more Colonial Revival features.
See also
*
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 & ...
*
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 ...
*
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
References
* Bryant F. Tolles, Jr., ''Architecture in Salem: An Illustrated Guide'', University Press of New England, Hanover and London, reissued 2004.
External links
Pickering House- official site
{{National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts
Houses completed in 1664
Historic districts in Essex County, Massachusetts
Protected areas of Massachusetts
Historic house museums in Massachusetts
Museums in Salem, Massachusetts
Houses in Salem, Massachusetts
Historic district contributing properties in Massachusetts
Colonial architecture in Massachusetts
National Register of Historic Places in Salem, Massachusetts
1664 establishments in Massachusetts
Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Essex County, Massachusetts