Grandmother's House in Salem

My grandparents owned this lovely colonial house on 29 St. Peter Street in Salem, Massachusetts and lived there from June 10, 1943 until May 20, 1969. Parker Brothers and the Salem Jail were just down the street. It was slated to be torn down as part of "urban renewal" in 1969. The land was taken to create Almy's parking lot. Not a great improvement in my estimation.

After they sold their house in Beverly, my parents (and I) lived with them for six months or so while a new house in Danvers was being built. I was four years old and I remember it as one of the best times of my childhood. I was given the little back bedroom with the slanted wall on the third floor (the sleep-over room) as my very own for the duration.

My Aunt Dell and Uncle Al were living in the apartment on the first floor and I would sneak down the back stairs connecting the two bathrooms to watch my aunt cook (everything she made smelled wonderful) and chase after her siamese cat, Dozo.

These old Salem News articles are from my scrap book. Some day I will have to visit Kimball Court to have a look for old times sake.

Below is my grandmother's kitchen. The stove stands in front of one of four blocked-off fireplaces. Another was in their living room, and two were downstairs in my Aunt's apartment. All had deep closets on either side. (The closet on the left in the living room was the candy closet.) Perhaps there was a fifth fireplace in my grandparents' third-floor bedroom. I can't recall now.