The house is now in the possession of John Pickering, the eighth of the line, whose son John will succeed his father. The ancient house, in all the dignity of old age, is the central feature of the lot, a picturesque historic mansion, considered one of the most important landmarks of Salem, Massachusetts.
CHAPTER IV
"THE LINDENS"
Nowhere in American history is there a colonial home more closely linked with England than is "The Lindens," for here it was that Governor Gage, during his sojourn in the colonies, made his official home. This house, situated at Danvers, Massachusetts, was erected in or about 1770. The exact year is not definitely known, as at that early period the records were scanty, but about this time the mansion, which is now standing, was built by one Robert Hooper, a rich Marblehead merchant, who was thought to be a Tory at heart.
Plate XVI.—"The Lindens," Danvers, Mass.
When Governor Gage, sent over by order of the king from England to convene the General Court, came to this country as a stranger, he naturally demanded a residence suited for his station. This was in 1774, probably four years after the completion of the building.
Robert Hooper offered this house to the governor as a summer home. Being retired, as it was several miles from Salem where the court convened, and also surrounded by extensive grounds, it proved most suitable for the general's residence, a magnificent home in keeping with what he demanded.