Customer Reviews

Salem: Cornerstones of a Historic City

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I indexed this book. It's an excellent collection of long essays by different authors on different aspects of Salem, including its architectural history, maritime tradition and, of course, the witchcraft trials. In addition to being easy to read and informative, it's also a handsome edition, with full color photographs on nearly every page. Well worth adding to your history collection. I receive no profit from sales of this book, and recommend it only because it is worth reading.

Plymouth and Salem are two of my favorite vacation destinations and I'm always looking for good pictorials on these historic towns. This book combines great photos (70 in color), six helpful maps to the most interesting sites, and brief histories of the architecture and people of Salem. Chapters cover maritime history, the witchcraft trials of 1692, and info on Salem's favorite native son Nathaniel Hawthorne. Historic architecture is divided into sections: First Period from 1626-1725, Georgian Colonial Era 1720-1780, Federal 1790-1830, Green Revival and Victorian Eclectic Styles 1830-1910, and Colonial Revival from 1889-1940 with important examples from each period. The following are well represented: Rebecca Nurse homestead, witch trial judge Jonathan Corwin's house, Pickering house, John Ward home, Crowninshield-Bentley house, Derby House, Gardner-Pingree home, and many others. The Turner-Ingersoll home, more commonly known as The House of The Seven Gables from Hawthorne's novel, is also here. This fascinating home stands within a complex which also includes the home of Hawthorne's birth, a sea captain's counting house, gift shop, and some picturesque gardens - all situated on Salem harbor. Many other sites are also mentioned including the Peabody Essex Museum founded in 1799. Great book for fans of colonial history and particularly for first-time visitors to Salem.

On a recent visit to Salem, I bought a copy of this book. I'm glad I did-it's an superb publication with excellent
photographs and maps of Salem. The essays about the Town are well-written and really bring the history of the place
to life. Particularly good is Joseph Flibbert's essay on Hawthorne's relationship with the town and how it is reflected
in his writings. Recommended for history buffs, especially of New England history.