The White-Lord House
THE WHITE-LORD HOUSE
Like other old New England towns, Salem once possessed a ‘Common,’ originally a pasture for cattle. The Salem Common consisted of eight acres of land. In early days this tract was swampy, containing several small ponds, and thick with blackberry bushes. At the eastern end was an enclosure in which animals might be shut up at night. The herdsman was a regular functionary of the town, like the ‘fence-viewer’ and ‘herring inspector,’ and under bonds for the honest performance of his duty. In 1770 the almshouse was erected upon the northeast corner of the plot; but in 1801 this was much improved by grading and the setting-out of trees, Colonel Elias Hasket Derby heading the subscription-list for the purpose. A few years later the field was fenced in, with four entrances or ‘gateways’ consisting of tall wooden arches with suitable ornamentation. The ‘Western Gateway’ was crowned by one of McIntire’s famous eagles, gilded; while upon the face of the arch appeared a medallion of Washington in profile—the ‘Common’ having been dedicated in 1802 to the General under the name of Washington Square. This famous medallion measured thirty-eight by fifty-six inches, and was carved from McIntire’s sketch of Washington made while he stood on the porch of the City Hall to receive the welcome of the citizens of Salem in the Square below.
On the various sides of Washington Square stood many of the chief mansions of the old town. Among these were the Boardman house, the Hosmer-Townsend-Waters house, the Crowninshield-Devereux-Waters house, the Baldwin-Lyman house, and that now under consideration, the White-Lord house. This, erected in 1818, stands at 31 Washington Square. Its doorway has been said to embody reminiscences, architecturally speaking, of two famous houses in Germantown and Philadelphia.
The Salem Club
THE SALEM CLUB
Closely resembling in its architectural features the Baldwin-Lyman porch at 92 Washington Square, East, and the Dodge-Shreve porch at 29 Chestnut Street, the porch of the Salem Club at 29 Washington Square presents a fine example of the Corinthian style which came into vogue in Salem about 1816. A wrought-iron balustrade on the porch roof adds an unusual touch.
Like so many old family residences in Salem, which in time became converted to public use through their acquisition by societies, homes, and lodges, the building now housing the Salem Club was once a private dwelling. It was built in 1818 for John Forrester. After this fine mansion passed out of the Forrester family, it was owned by Colonel George Peabody, whose daughter married the Honorable William C. Endicott, Secretary of War in Cleveland’s Cabinet.