History of Peabody, Massachusetts

Peabody is a historic town in Massachusetts. Located in Essex county, Peabody was originally a part of Salem before being incorporated as its own town in the 18^th century.

The following is a timeline of the history of Peabody:

1629:

• The area is settled as a part of Salem. The colonists call the area a number of names such as Northfields, Salem Farms and Brooksby.

1644:

• The Nathaniel Felton Sr House, a Colonial-style house, is built for Nathaniel Felton Sr on what is now Felton Street.

1650:

• The Robert Goodell House, a Colonial-style house, is built on Robert Goodell’s farm on what is now Goodale Street.

1662:

• The John Upton House, a Colonial-style house, is built for local blacksmith on a 200-acre farm in West Peabody on what is now Lowell Street.

1666:

• John Proctor leases 300 acres of Emanuel Downing’s 700-acre farm on Lowell Street and requests permission to sell liquor at the tavern on the property.

1670:

• The Lieutenant George Gardner House, a first period house, is built for Lieutenant Gardner on Bow Street.

1683:

• The Nathaniel Felton Jr House, a Colonial-style house, is built for Nathaniel Felton Jr on what is now Felton Street.

1692:

• On March 21, Peabody resident Martha Corey is arrested on charges of witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials.

• On April 4, Peabody resident Elizabeth Proctor is accused of witchcraft and arrested.

• On April 11, Elizabeth’s husband, John Proctor, is accused and indicted on three charges of witchcraft.

• On April 18, an arrest warrant is issued for Martha Corey’s husband, Giles Corey, and he is arrested and examined in Salem Village the following day.

• On May 1, Peabody resident Nathaniel Felton Sr signs a petition in support of accused witch Rebecca Nurse.

• On August 5, Nathaniel Felton Sr and Nathaniel Felton Jr sign a petition in support of John and Elizabeth Proctor.

1700:

• The William Shaw House, a Colonial-style house, is built for William Shaw on Lowell Street.

• Thorndike Proctor, son of John Proctor, purchases the 300 acres of farm land that John Proctor previously leased from Emanuel Downing on Lowell Street.

• The John Proctor House, a Colonial-style house, is built on the Proctor Farm on Lowell Street. Parts of the house were built in 1648 by Emanuel Downing, after the original house was destroyed in a fire in 1645.

1705:

• The Needham – Gould – Walcott House, a Colonial-style house, is built for Anthony Needham on Lowell Street and is acquire by his son-in-law Thomas Gould.

1737:

• The Deacon Joseph Seccombe House, a Colonial-style house, is built for Deacon Joseph Seccombe on Main Street.

1750:

• The Thorndike Proctor House, a Federal-style house, is built on Andover Street.

• The John Southwick House, a Georgian-style house, is built on Lowell Street.

1752:

• The area is set off from Salem and incorporated as a district in Danvers.

1760:

• The King House, a Georgian-style house, is built on Lowell Street.

1761:

• The John Osborn House, a Colonial-style house, is built in Wilson Square on Central Street.

1770:

• The Flint House, a Colonial-style house, is built on Lowell Street.

1773:

• The Daniel Jacobs House, a Colonial-style house, is built on Central Street.

1774:

• The John Upton house on Lowell Street opens as a tavern and inn.

1775:

• The Henry Buxton House, a Colonial-style house, is built on Central Street.

1780:

• The King House, a Federal-style house, is built on Lowell Street.

• The George F. Osborne House, a Greek Revival-style house, is built on Park Street.

1790:

• The Charles H. Dodge House, a Greek Revival-style house, is built for blacksmith Charles H. Dodge on Park Street.

1793:

• The George Peabody House, a Federal/Greek Revival-style house, is built for cordwainer Daniel Purrington on Washington Street.

1795:

• The Joseph Osborne Jr House is built on Main Street.

• Thomas Peabody purchases what later comes to be known as the George Peabody House on Washington Street when George Peabody is born there on February 18 of that year.

1798:

• The Hickey-Osbourne Block is built on Main Street.

1800:

• The Augustus H. Sanger House, a Greek Revival-style house, is built on Park Street.

• The George J. Sanger House, a Georgian Colonial-style house, is built on Park Street.

• The R. Southwick House, a Greek Revival-style house, is built on Spring Street.

1806:

• The John Price House, a Federal-style house, is built on Andover Street.

1809:

• The town purchases the 116-acre Nathaniel Nurse farm on Lynnfield Street to construct an almshouse.

1810:

• The General Gideon Foster House, a Federal-style house, is built on Washington Street and is later purchased by Revolutionary War hero General Gideon Foster in 1815.

1825:

• The Danvers Bank, a Greek Revival-style building, is constructed on Main Street.

• The John Upton house ceases operating as a tavern.

• The Sun Tavern/Dustin Hotel is built for Jonathan Dustin on Central Street. The tavern occupied the bottom floor while the hotel occupied the top two floors. After a fire in 1962, the third floor was removed.

• The Proctor Tannery building is constructed by Abel Proctor on Webster Street.

1826:

• The First Unitarian Church, a Greek Revival-style building, is constructed on Park Street.

1830:

• The Union Store – Bushby’s and Company Grocery Store, a Federal-style commercial building, is constructed on Main Street.

• The Dustin Block – Lalime’s Garage is built on Lowell Street.

• The Matthew Hooper House, a brick Federal-style house, is built on Andover Street for local businessman Matthew Hooper.

• A soap factory building is constructed on Howley Street.

1831:

• Sometime around or possibly prior to 1831, the Seven Men’s Bound marker is established on West Livingston Drive. The monument is a square granite post marking the boundary of Danvers.

1835:

• The Matthew Hooper House, a Federal-style house, is built on Andover Street.

• The Lexington Monument, a 22-foot-tall granite monument marking the site where the 300 minutemen from Peabody met before marching off to the Battle of Lexington, is erected on Washington Street.

1840:

• The Larrabee and Hingston Company Main Shop Building is constructed on Howley Street.

1843:

• The First Baptist Church, a Greek Revival-style building, is constructed on Summer Street.

1844:

• The Jonathan Dustin Block, a commercial building, is constructed by Jonathan Dustin on Lowell Street.

• The Peabody Almshouse, a brick Colonial Revival-style building that served as the town poor house, is built on the former Nathaniel Nurse farm on First Ave.

1845:

• The Augustus H. Sanger House on Park Street is rented out by owner A.H. Sanger as a Freemason hall.

• The White and Fiske’s Boot and Shoe Store is built on Lowell Street.

1847:

• The Sutton-Pierson House, a Gothic Revival-style cottage, is built on Washington Street.

• The Danvers Bleachery, a stone factory building, is constructed on Foster Street.

1852:

• The C. Northend House, a Gothic Revival-style house, is built on Aborn Street.

• The Leon E. Monnier Inc building is constructed on Pulaski Street and serves as a slaughter house until 1872. It was later occupied by a fertilizer company in 1897 and then by Leon E. Monnier in the 20^th century,

• The John Proctor House, a Federal-style house, is built for John W. Proctor, a local magistrate and descendant of accused witch John Proctor, on Washington Street.

1854:

• The Peabody Institute Library, an Italianate-style building, is constructed on Main Street.

1855:

• The community breaks away from Danvers and is incorporated as a town named South Danvers.

• The Conway Funeral Home, a Second Empire-style house, is built Central Street.

1856:

• The J. Price House, a Gothic Revival-style house, is built on Aborn Street.

• The Bowditch School is constructed on Central Street.

1857:

• A blizzard strikes the area and two inmates die in a fire at the Peabody almshouse.

• The Allen Block Addition, an Italianate-style commercial building, is added to the already existing Allen Block on Main Street.

1859:

• The Sutton Block, an Italianate-style building, is constructed on Main Street.

1860:

• The Osborne-Salata House, an Italianate-style house, is built for Thorndike Daniels on Washington Street and is later occupied by Dennison Osborne and Dr. Benjamin Salata.

• The population of South Danvers is 6,549.

1864:

• The Craig Print Works – Vaughn Machine Company, a three-story brick factory building, is constructed on Lynnfield Street.

1867:

• The Southwick Strauss Tannery building is constructed on Lowell Street.

1868:

• On April 30, South Danvers is renamed Peabody in honor of George Peabody.

1870:

• The population of Peabody is 7,343.

1872:

• Saint John’s Parish, a Gothic Revival-style church, is constructed on Chestnut Street.

1873:

• The Peabody Central Fire Station, a Victorian eclectic-style fire house, is built on Lowell Street.

1875:

• The Peabody Engine No. 3 Firehouse, a Victorian Stick Style fire house, is built on Felton Street.

1879:

• The Ancient Order of Hibernians Hall is constructed on Lowell Street.

1880:

• The Second Congregational Church is built on Maple Street.

• The Howley Street Bridge is built over the North River.

• The population of Peabody is 9,028.

1881:

• The Soldiers and Sailors Civil War Monument, a 50-foot-tall monument dedicated to the 71 soldiers and sailors from Peabody who died in the Civil War, is erected in Peabody Square.

• The Peabody Water Works, a Romanesque Revival-style building, is constructed on Washington Street.

1882:

• The Essex Club Block, a brick commercial building, is built for the Essex Club on Main Street but was demolished sometime in the late 20^th century.

1883:

• Peabody City Hall, a Second Empire-style municipal building, is constructed on Lowell Street.

1884:

• The Newell – Knowlton Degreasing Firm, a factory building, is constructed on North Central Street.

1887:

• The Morrill Leather Company, a factory building, is constructed on Main Street.

1888:

• The South Congregational Church Parsonage is constructed on Chestnut Street.

1890:

• The population of Peabody is 10,158.

1891:

• The Peabody Electric Light Plant, a brick Colonial Revival-style building, is constructed on Endicott Street.

1893:

• The South Danvers Savings Bank, a brick building, is constructed on Main Street.

1894:

• The First Baptist Society Parsonage, a Colonial Revival-style building, is constructed on School Street.

1895:

• St. John’s Convent, a Second Empire-style building, is constructed on Chestnut Street.

1897:

• The Anshe Sfard Synagogue, a two-story brick building, is constructed on Little’s Lane.

1898:

• The Marine Hardware building, a brick factory building, is constructed on Foster Street.

1900:

• The A.H. and Son Company building, a brick commercial building, is constructed on Foster Street.

• Maistrellis Funeral Home, an Italianate-style house, is constructed on Elm Street.

• Saint John’s Rectory is constructed on Chestnut Street.

• The population of Peabody is 11,523.

1901:

• The Vaughn Machine Company – Corwin Machine Company, a brick factory building, is constructed on Lynnfield Street.

1903:

• The Third Peabody High School, a brick Romanesque Revival-style school building, is constructed on Central Street.

1904:

• The O’Shea Building No. 1, a Renaissance Revival-style commercial building, is constructed on Main Street.

1905:

• The L.B. Southwick Company, a brick building that served as a leather factory, is constructed on Foster Street.

• The Lawrence Leather Company, a factory building, is constructed on Webster Street on the site of the former Proctor Tannery. The building is later converted into the Tannery Apartments in the 1970s.

1906:

• The O’Shea Building No. 2, a brick Colonial Revival-style commercial building, is constructed on Main Street.

• The A.C. Lawrence Waters Plant, a factory building, is constructed on Pulaski Street.

1907:

• The J.B. Thomas Hospital, a brick hospital building, is constructed on King Street.

1910:

• The population of Peabody is 15,721.

1911:

• The Samuel Brown School, a Classical Revival-style building, is constructed on Lynn Street.

1912:

• The Strand Theater, a Classical Revival-style building, is built on Main Street.

1914:

• The Peabody Leather Company factory, a three-story brick factory building, is constructed on Howley Street.

• Saint Paul’s Church, a Neo Gothic Revival-style building, is constructed on Washington Street.

1915:

• The French Block, a Classical Revival-style commercial building, is constructed on Main Street.

• Dobrotinar Building No. 1, a Colonial Revival-style commercial block. is built on Main Street.

• On October 28, twenty-one school children are killed in a fire at St. John’s School on Chestnut Street. The cause of the fire is suspected to be arson.

1916:

• The Korn Building, a Gothic Revival-style commercial building, is constructed on Lowell Street.

• Saint John’s School is rebuilt on Chestnut Street.

• The Peabody Historical Society purchases the General Gideon Foster House on 35 Washington Street to use a headquarters.

• Peabody is incorporated as a city in Massachusetts.

1917:

• The Carr Leather Company of Salem purchases the former Knapp factory building on Foster Street after the Salem fire of 1914 destroyed the company’s original factory in Salem.

• The Saint Vasilios Greek Orthodox Church, a Colonial Revival-style building, is constructed on Paleologos Street.

1919:

• The F.P. Osborn Company building is constructed on Endicott Street.

• The Raymond E. Porter Building is constructed on Lowell Street and served as the Peabody District Court House.

1920:

• The population of Peabody is 19,552.

1923:

• The Saint Stanislaus Society building is constructed on Little Street and serves as a meeting place for the local Polish community.

1924:

• The Health Department Office building, a Colonial Revival-style medical building, is constructed on Lowell Street.

• The Morris Goldenstein Block, a Colonial Revival-style commercial block, is built on Main Street.

• The Washington Apartments building is constructed on Main Street.

1926:

• The Symonds Apartments, a Colonial Revival-style building, is constructed on Main Street.

• The Famsworth School, a brick Colonial Revival-style school building, is constructed on Central Street.

1928:

• The Standard Hardware Building, a brick commercial building, is constructed on Main Street.

1929:

• The North Central Street Pedestrian Bridge is built over the MBTA tracks on North Central Street.

1930:

• The population of Peabody is 21,345.

1936:

• The South Middleton Bridge is built on Boston Street over the Ipswich River.

1937:

• The Johnson Street Extension Bridge is built on Johnson Street.

1938:

• The Route 114 Bridge is built on Route 114.

1939:

• The Peabody Main Branch of the U.S. Post Office, a Colonial Revival-style building, is constructed on Foster Street.

1940:

• The First National Grocery Store, an Art Deco commercial building, is constructed on Main Street.

• The Route 128 Bridge is built over Waters River on Route 128.

• The population of Peabody is 21,711.

1945:

• The Waters River Railroad Bridge is built over the Waters River.

1950:

• The Knights of Columbus Leo Council 508 building, a Colonial Revival-style building, is constructed on Main Street.

• The population of Peabody is 22,645.

1951:

• The Saint Thomas the Apostle Roman Catholic School is constructed on Margin Street.

1952:

• The Peabody Cooperative Bank is built on Main Street.

1954:

• In May, downtown Peabody was flooded when the dam of the Eastman Gelatin Corp. burst.

1957:

• The Temple B’nai Brith Cemetery Chapel is constructed on Sabino Farm Road.

1958:

• In September, the Northshore Mall opens on the former Elias Hasket Derby farm on Andover Street.

• The Route 128 Bridge is built over an unnamed access road.

1960:

• The population of Peabody is 32,202.

1969:

• The Route 114 Bridge is built over the B&M Railroad tracks on Route 114.

1970:

• The population of Peabody is 48,080.

1977:

• The new Peabody District Courthouse is built in Peabody Square.

1980:

• The population of Peabody is 45,976.

1987:

• The Johnson Street Bridge is built over the B&M Railroad.

1990:

• The population of Peabody is 47,039.

1992:

• On September 22, two memorial markers are erected for Giles and Martha Corey on the shore of Crystal Lake near Lowell Street, which was once a part of their farm, on the 300^th anniversary of Martha Corey’s hanging.

2000:

• The population of Peabody is 48,129.

2010:

• The population of Peabody is 51,251.

2020:

• The population of Peabody is 54,481.

Sources:
“History.” Peabody Historical Society, peabodyhistorical.org/history
“Nathaniel Felton Sr. and Jr. Houses.” Salem Witch Museum, salemwitchmuseum.com/locations/nathaniel-felton-sr-and-jr-houses/
“Properties.” Peabody Historical Society, peabodyhistorical.org/properties
MACRIS, Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System, mhc-macris.net