Essex Institute Historic District

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Essex Institute Historic District
Crowninshield-Bentley House, Salem MA.jpg
Crowninshield-Bentley House
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Location Salem, Massachusetts
Coordinates 42°31′20″N70°53′33″W / 42.52222°N 70.89250°W / 42.52222; -70.89250 Coordinates: 42°31′20″N70°53′33″W / 42.52222°N 70.89250°W / 42.52222; -70.89250
Area2 acres (0.81 ha)
Built1727
ArchitectMcIntire, Samuel
Architectural styleRenaissance, Italian Villa, Federal
NRHP reference No. 72000147 [1]
Added to NRHPJune 22, 1972

The Essex Institute Historic District is a historic district at 134-132, 128, 126 Essex Street and 13 Washington Square West in Salem, Massachusetts. It consists of a compact group of properties associated with the Essex Institute, founded in 1848 and merged in 1992 into the Peabody Essex Museum. Listed by increasing street number, they are: the Crowninshield-Bentley House, the Gardner-Pingree House (a National Historic Landmark), the John Tucker Daland House, and the Phillips Library (the latter two are physically connected). The John Ward House, which fronts on Brown Street but shares the 132 Essex Street address, is another National Historic Landmark within the district. The Andrew Safford House at 13 Washington Square West, built in 1819, was said to be the most expensive home in New England at the time. [2]

The principal buildings of the district are the Daland House and the Phillips Library, the latter of which was the main Essex Institute building. The Daland House was built in 1851, the Library in 1857, and the combination now serve as the library and research facility of the Peabody Essex Museum. The Library is a two-story building, although the second floor is two normal stories high (with suitably large windows), and originally served as exhibition space. [2]

The area behind the Phillips Library and south of Brown Street is a garden area that includes two other historical structures: the Vaughan Doll House, a modest late 17th century one-room structure that may have been a Quaker meeting house, and the Lyle-Tapley Shoe Shop. They both stand near the John Ward House, which faces into the garden as well. [2]

Just to the east of the Daland House stands the Gardner-Pingree House, an elegant Federal mansion built in 1804 by noted Salem architect Samuel McIntire. To its east, at the corner of Essex and Washington Square West, stands the Bentley-Crowninshield House, a c. 1727 Georgian house that was relocated from a site across Essex Street in 1860. The Andrew-Safford House is behind the Bentley-Crowninshield House, facing Salem Common. [2]

The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972; [1] all of the properties in the district were also included in the Salem Common Historic District in 1976.

On December 8, 2017, much to the dismay of Salem residents, Dan L. Monroe, PEM's Rose-Marie and Eijk van Otterloo Director and CEO, issued a press release announcing that the 42,000 linear feet of historical documents will be permanently relocated to Rowley, MA and Plummer Hall and Daland House, the two historic buildings which had housed the Phillips Library, will be utilized as office and meeting space. [3]

See also

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Crowninshield family

The Crowninshield family is an American family that has been prominent in seafaring, political and military leadership, and the literary world. The founder of the American family emigrated from what is now Germany in the 17th century. The family is one of several known collectively as Boston Brahmins.

Peabody Essex Museum Art museum in Salem, MA

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 and the Essex Institute. PEM is one of the oldest continuously operating museums in the United States and holds one of the major collections of Asian art in the United States. Its total holdings include about 1.3 million pieces, as well as twenty-two historic buildings.

Samuel McIntire

Samuel McIntire was an American architect and craftsman, best known for his work in the Chestnut Street District, a classic example of Federal style architecture. Born in Salem, Massachusetts to housewright Joseph McIntire and Sarah (Ruck), he was a woodcarver by trade who grew into the practice of architecture. He married Elizabeth Field on October 10, 1778, and had one son. He built a simple home and workshop on Summer Street in 1786.

Crowninshield–Bentley House

The Crowninshield–Bentley House is a Colonial house in the Georgian style, located at 126 Essex Street, Salem, Massachusetts in the Essex Institute Historic District. It is now owned by the Peabody Essex Museum and open for public tours from June to October.

John Tucker Daland House

The John Tucker Daland House (1851–1852) is an imposing, Italianate house designed by architect Gridley James Fox Bryant and is located at 132 Essex Street, Salem, Massachusetts, United States in the Essex Institute Historic District and now owned by the Peabody Essex Museum as home for the Essex Institute.

Peirce–Nichols House United States historic place

The Peirce–Nichols House is a historic house museum located at 80 Federal Street in Salem, Massachusetts. Designed early in the career of noted Salem builder Samuel McIntire (1757–1811), and modified later by him, the building gives a unique view into the methods and styles of McIntire. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1973 for its significance as an early masterwork of one the country's first recognized master builders. It is now owned by the Peabody Essex Museum.

Andrew–Safford House

Owned by the Peabody Essex Museum, the Andrew–Safford House. Built in 1819 and was designed in the Federal style by an unknown architect for a wealthy Russian fur merchant. It is reputed to have been the most costly house erected in New England at the time. The massive vertical façade and the four large columns rising from the ground to the third story on the south side make this one of the most impressive houses in Salem. The house is a contributing property to the Essex Institute Historic District, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Benjamin Pickman Jr.

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Peabody Museum of Salem United States historic place

The Peabody Museum of Salem (1915–1992), formerly the Peabody Academy of Science (1865–1915), was a museum and antiquarian society based in Salem, Massachusetts. The academy was organized in part as a successor to the East India Marine Society, which had become moribund but held a large collection of maritime materials in a museum collection at the East India Marine Hall, built in 1825 on Essex Street. The Peabody Museum was merged with the Essex Institute to form the Peabody Essex Museum in 1992. The East India Marine Hall, now embedded within the latter's modern structure, was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1965 in recognition of this heritage, which represents the nation's oldest continuously-operating museum collection.

Gardner–Pingree House United States historic place

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Salem Common Historic District (Salem, Massachusetts) United States historic place

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Dudley Leavitt Pickman

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Salem Athenaeum

The Salem Athenaeum, founded in 1810, is one of the oldest membership libraries in the United States. The Athenaeum is located at 337 Essex Street in Salem, Massachusetts in the McIntire Historic District.

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 the institute merged with the Peabody Museum of Salem to form the Peabody Essex Museum.

Harmony Grove Cemetery

Harmony Grove Cemetery is a rural cemetery in Salem, Massachusetts. It was established in 1840 and is located at 30 Grove Street. The cemetery is approximately 35 acres in size and was designed by Francis Peabody and Alexander Wadsworth.

Phillips Library (Massachusetts)

The Phillips Library of the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) is a rare books and special collections library. It is made up of the collections of the former Peabody Museum of Salem and the Essex Institute. Both had libraries named for members of the Phillips family.

This is a timeline of the history of the city of Salem, Massachusetts, USA.

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "NRHP nomination for Essex Institute Historic District". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved 2014-01-08.
  3. "Statement Regarding PEM Phillips Library". Peabody Essex Museum. Retrieved 2017-12-09.