The Hoffman-Simpson House
THE HOFFMANN-SIMPSON HOUSE
Captain Charles Hoffman, original owner of the handsome brick mansion at 26 Chestnut Street, was a prosperous merchant, whose hobby when ashore was the care of his famous garden. He was the importer of the first azaleas known in America, the old conservatories which he used being still in existence.
The present occupant of the house, Dr. James Simpson, has kept the beautiful old-fashioned garden intact, with the same varieties of flowers which Captain Hoffman originally planted. The central feature of the garden is an ancient summer-house, covered with a thick growth of ‘Dutchman’s Pipe,’ the vine being over eighty years old.
For sheer beauty and taste, the porch and doorway of this old mansion are scarcely surpassed by any in Salem. The fluted columns are Ionic, the architrave directly above ornamented with guttæ, while beneath the cornice is a line of ball moulding. The fine old door bears a brass knocker; the leaded glass of top- and side-lights is of exceptional charm. The casing of the doorway is finely moulded; and the designer has added a unique completing touch by painting the adjacent brickwork white.
The Doyle Mansion
THE DOYLE MANSION
The ‘Doyle Mansion,’ always so-called, stands at 33 Summer Street, and possesses a most interesting history.