Salem MA Real Estate

William Hunt Double-House // c.1858

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The William Hunt Double House, located at 10-12 Lynde Street in Salem, is a 2 ½ story wood-frame Italianate building that showcases the emerging presence of the Victorian style on residential buildings in the mid-19th century, even in cities with strong support for Colonial and Federal period styles. The two-family house was built by William Hunt, a prominent Salem merchant, as a rental property with occupants of the building in 1859 including: John W. Lefavour, a cashier, and Benjamin F. Faber, a merchant. The property remained in the Hunt Family for three generations, and was converted to a boarding house in the 1930s. In November 2018, a fire gutted much of the building, displacing the residents, and concerned neighbors as to the future of this great property. Luckily for us, the owners hired  Seger Architects, Epsilon Associates and Groom Construction to fully restore the building to its former glory. The resulting project won a Salem Preservation Award and received Federal and State Tax Credits to offset restoration costs. What a great success story!

Old Salem Central Fire House // 1861

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This mid-19th century brick structure on Church Street in Salem, Massachusetts, was built as the Central Fire House for the City. The Salem Fire Engine House was erected in 1861 from plans by an unidentified architect, in an eclectic style focused on function over frills. The façade is dominated by three engine bays with five windows on the second floor, surmounted by a decorative brick cornice. The hidden feature of the fire house is the three-story hose-drying tower capped by a slate mansard roof at the rear of the building. This building remained a fire house for 115 years until 1976, when due to larger fire engines and the tight constraints of the lot and surrounding streets, made use of the building a burden for fire-fighting. The City of Salem sold the building to private owners in 1976  for $24,000, and they underwent renovations to the building from designs by David Jaquith undertaken under the direction of the Salem Redevelopment Authority which sought to promote renovation of select historic buildings within the Downtown Salem Historic District. The recessed entrances through the old engine doors is a nice touch and retains the original fabric of the building. The old Salem Central Fire House is now occupied by Crazy Good Kitchen and the East Regiment Beer Company.

James Roope House // 1916

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The only historic brick residence located in the charming Salem Willows neighborhood of Salem, Massachusetts is this stately Colonial Revival house at the corner of Bay View and Juniper avenues. The brick dwelling was constructed in 1916 for James Roope, President and Treasurer of the Salem Lumber Company. Designed by Boston architect, Gordon Robb, it is two stories high, with a shallow hipped roof. The central entry has leaded sidelights and a pedimented porch with trellises at the sides.

Streeter Cottage // 1882

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In 1881, Gilbert Streeter and his wife Rebecca purchased a small house lot in the Salem Willows for a summer cottage for them to retreat across town to during the warmer months. Gilbert Streeter was an amateur historian, businessman, publisher of the Salem Observer and was able to afford a second residence in his hometown. The Streeter cottage was built by 1882 and stands out not only for its excellent state of preservation, but for its unique architecture. The cross-gabled form cottage is covered in board-and-batten siding with bargeboards lining the eaves.

Joseph P. Allen Cottage // 1877

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One of the most picturesque and charming summer cottages (now year-round residences) in the Salem Willows neighborhood in Salem, Massachusetts is this Victorian on Bay View Avenue. The cottage was built around 1877 for Joseph Pray Allen (1822-1897) who was a police officer who likely climbed the ranks in the force to afford a second home in the city. The 1 1/2-story cottage has decorative bargeboards at the eaves and stick bracket at the gable. Perfection!

Patrick Dempsey Cottage // c.1875

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This charming mini-mansard summer cottage is located in the coastal neighborhood of Salem Willows, in Salem, Massachusetts. The neighborhood developed in the 1870s-1900s as a summer colony for middle-income families who wanted a second home away from the hustle-and-bustle of urban living in favor of ocean breezes. The cottage likely dates to the mid-1870s as one of the earliest summer homes in the neighborhood, and historic maps show it was owned by a P. Dempsey. It appears this is Patrick Dempsey (1821-1902), an Irish immigrant who settled in Lowell, Massachusetts, making it big as a liquor dealer and saloon-keeper. The Second Empire style cottage has a partially enclosed porch, but retains much of its original character and is located right on the water with sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean.

William Bates Summer Cottage // 1885

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While Salem is best-known for its First Period and Federal style buildings, the Salem Willows neighborhood features some of the finest Victorian summer cottages in the Boston area. This cottage was built in 1885 by William Marston Bates (1820-1912), a Salem-based dentist, as his summer retreat when not in the office. The Stick style cottage has a steep gable roof with jerkinhead clip at the facade and a wrap-around porch with decorative jigsawn bracketed details. The house is a well-preserved example of the style, examples of which are becoming less-and-less frequent in recent years.