When I do not walk to work down Lafayette Street, I drive down Jefferson Avenue through a neighborhood called Castle Hill, which has neither a castle or a hill. I’m not sure it ever had a castle–nineteenth-century antiquarians assert that the great Nanapashemet, majestic leader of the Pawtucket confederation of tribes before the arrival of the Old Planters, maintained some sort of “castle” in this area, but I don’t know if this can ever be verified or if it is the source of the place-name. Much later, this land was owned by the (almost) equally royal Derby family of Salem, who maintained a vast farm to sustain and complement their city properties.The great diarist (and gossip) the Reverend William Bentley tells us about a walk in early June of 1809 in which he passed to Castle Hill upon which Mr. E. H. Derby has erected a small summer house of two small square stories, the upper of smaller dimensions, in the Italian style. It wants the grandeur of the former house which occupied this space [was this the castle? It didn’t last long in any case–destroyed in the “Great September Gale” of 1815]. He has shut up the old road by Forest river road & opened a new road, over a New Bridge finished last year, leading to the Mansion House upon the road to Marblehead. The Garden is extensive and well arranged, without any unnatural or useless ornaments. The old Farm House at the foot of Castle Hill is in a state of decay. At this season the hill & fields are alive…….So castle or not, there was certainly a hill, surrounded by Derby farmland and pastures, including the “Great Pasture”, bounded by Mill Pond, over which one could look north to Salem the town, almost a separate town altogether. This perspective is illustrated by two great steroeviews from the 1870s and 1880s, both taken from Castle Hill.
Stereoviews by Moulton and Fogg from the 1870s and 1880s; paintings of Pickman and Derby farms (Corné) from the early 19th century; Northeast Auctions and Historic New England.
Castle Hill is referred alternatively to the “Great Pasture” or the “Salem Pastures” all the way up to the turn of the twentieth century (and even after) but changes are coming, ushered in by the Boston and Maine Railroad, the filling-in of Mill Pond, and the leveling of the hill by the Massachusetts Broken Stone Company, which also maintained a quarry in this pastoral realm for a while. In his 1894 article entitled “Some Localities around Salem” Henry Mason Brooks of the Essex Institute opined that I dislike to see these old localities disappear, but change will come and we must make the best of it. If you compare the Salem Atlases of 1874, 1897, and 1911 you do see a changing landscape and streetscape in Castle Hill, as members of the growing French Canadian population of Salem moved into the area with the foundation of Sainte-Anne Parish in 1901: this church, which burned down in 1982 and was rebuilt over the next few years, remains the center of Castle Hill. A decade later, the 1912 annual report of Salem’s first planning commission identified Castle Hill as the future of Salem: The great area comprising the Salem Pastures may be made into splendid home sites with magnificent views, and winding roads with good grade can readily be built when the proper time comes. It is here that Salem must develop if it is to have the future which we believe its traditions justify, and the business demands. Much more housing did indeed follow, but large parts of the pasture and woodland were preserved later in the form of Highland Park/ Salem Woods and Olde Salem Greens. And if you drive off Jefferson Avenue just a few feet, you can see the rocky remains of the hill anywhere and everywhere.
April 14th, 2016 at 2:16 pm
I grew up in Castle Hill. The hill was taken down for use as ballast by the B&M RR. Massachusetts Broken Stone ran the quarrying operation. There are several articles in my collection scrapbooks about the need or crushed stone for road building. Early trucks had little capacity & there were many quarries in operation in the teens & 20’s.
April 14th, 2016 at 3:55 pm
Thanks, Nelson.
April 14th, 2016 at 8:48 pm
Outstanding Lesson Of My Beloved Castle Hill !!! My Memere And Pepere Moved To Castle Hill In 1905…
April 15th, 2016 at 6:40 am
Thanks Fred…tell us more!
April 15th, 2016 at 10:48 am
After the local population left it after a massacre during the Taratine War, in time William Brown will own it. He would have a fine mansion on top of the hill. During an earthquake the house slid down the hill. William Brown lost the property during the Revolutionary War. Brown was a Tory and fled Salem. He was then appointed governor of Bermuda. Richard Derby’s wife was related to the Brown’s. So this property and Derby Square, which was owned by Brown, was passed to Elias Hasket Derby. The property and house is mentioned in Hawthorne’s “Brown’s Folly”. Then the mansion was described as derelict. Castle Hill Stretched from Broad Street to the Salem Woods. There is still a fine view of the harbor from the summit above the Broad Street playground.
April 15th, 2016 at 11:17 am
That is a great view–and from the top of the high school too! I do believe that Browne’s folly was on Folly Hill in Danvers?
April 15th, 2016 at 12:31 pm
It’s likely that the Brown house was built on what later became the right of way for the Eastern Rail Road. Roughly where the Ocean Ave bridge once stood..
The Cressey – Dockham warehouse, Colonial Rd, is located where the Mass. Broken Stone rock crusher was. It ate up the granite for use by the B&M as ballast.
The bridge was real time saver as it allowed bypassing the city center. It relieved much E -W traffic when it was in place. It would make even more of an improvement if it could be replaced .
The B&M Castle Hill rail station was nearby. A new bridge may allow access by pedestrians from Ocean Ave. It may be necessary if the new RR stop is built. Loring Ave had a RR station at about the same era. Station Rd never had a station, though. The Jefferson & Ocean Ave bridges were wooden “Pony Truss” style. The Eastern RR had a large complex at the end of Northy St. It maintained all he roads wooden bridges.
Photos of all of Salem’s early RR facilities are super rare !
Visit my collection locate at the SSU Archive to see my extensive Salem rail collection .
April 15th, 2016 at 12:33 pm
Absolutely—except I think we are confusing our Brown houses! I think Salem needs a station in South Salem again.
August 22nd, 2018 at 6:06 pm
Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote about Browne’s folley in Danvers with the same story about the house being destroyed by an earthquake.
April 24th, 2016 at 9:53 pm
I just acquired a copy of the 1912 Report earlier tonight.! See Susan for the photos I have showing the Loring Ave , Lead Mills & the Castle Hill RR depots…I have photos & news clips on all plus the Ocean Ave bridge..
February 12th, 2017 at 10:12 am
Hi Nelson,
Where can I find the link to your Castle Hill photo’s?
Thanks Norm Corbin who grew up in Castle Hill.
July 28th, 2016 at 7:47 pm
I grew up in Castle Hill from 1955 to 1977. Went to Saint Anne’s School. My grand parents (Victor & Aurise Corbin) were very involved with the construction of the original church in 1908. Both of my parents Victor Corbin Jr. and Therese Frechette were from Castle Hill. I was very fortunate to live there with many cousins nearby. Norm Corbin
February 21st, 2017 at 2:14 pm
Norm; All of my photos are now at the SSU Archives. If you are local, call them at 978-542-6781 for an appointment. BTW, were you in Troop 83 ??? I have a scrapbook covering the local scout units between 1957 to 1961,
February 21st, 2017 at 3:28 pm
I live about an hours drive from Salem State. It would be interesting to see your files. I have cousins in Salem who may be interested. I was never in Troop 83 but my older brothers were.
February 11th, 2017 at 11:16 pm
Hrllo, Thank you Norm Corbin. We share the same aunt but on different sides of the family…my mother’s brother Roland was married to your mother’s sister Katherine …aunt Kikit and uncle Roy Pelletier…least not our cousin Elaine Frechette…..My great grandfather was killed by a train located on Jefferson Ave. at the stone crusher where the rail tracks still cross the street near Jefferson and Jackson. Hey Freddy please give your mother our best from the Burke girls from Cloutman St. Does anyone remember having to get the school hall ready for the nun shower at Christmastime? Kathleen Burke
February 21st, 2017 at 3:14 pm
Hello All;
The B&M crossed Jefferson Ave close to Jackson St. this was the
Tannery Branch. http://salemdeeds.com/salemdeeds/atlases_pages.aspx?atlastype=Atlases&atlastown=SALEM&atlas=SALEM+1897&atlas_desc=SALEM+1897&pageprefix=
See this map for the Castle Hill stone quarry.
http://salemdeeds.com/salemdeeds/atlases_pages.aspx?atlastype=Atlases&atlastown=SALEM&atlas=SALEM+1897&atlas_desc=SALEM+1897&pageprefix=
Anyone remember the penny candy old at Marcorel’s variety store ?
Or the St Anne’s grades held behind the church,or the Derby School ? Fontaine’s almost supermarket ?, or the Giant Valu at Canal +
Jefferson ?
February 12th, 2017 at 9:57 am
Hi Kathleen Burke from Cloutman Street. I went to school at St..Annes with your sister Patty. Somewhere I have a First Communion picture with her. I hope she is doing well.
I have an article from the Salem News dated January 15, 1902 that my cousin in England who is a family historian forwarded to me. How do I post it? Also, the 1884 Salem map shows that Caste Hill was an interesting well protected spot because it is surrounded by water on 3 sides. The 1897 map above also shows this, but not as clearly.
February 21st, 2017 at 3:19 pm
Those photos were partial views cropped from 1870 vintage stereo views. They pre-date the quarry. I have about 4-500 stereos awaiting
visitors at the SSU Archive.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/salemstatearchives/sets/72157637848870013/
Enjoy!
August 21st, 2017 at 11:46 am
[…] of the Salem Common; French-Canadians (Quebecois) in The Point then spreading southwesterly towards Castle Hill; Italian immigrants in a tight knot on Mill Hill around St. Mary’s Italian Church; and most […]
August 22nd, 2018 at 8:47 pm
Loved reading this history
August 24th, 2018 at 11:23 am
Just started following this blog. I grew up in Castle Hill on Cleveland St. where St Anne School and convent were. My name is Ray Ouellette of the Ouellettes on Cleveland St. Would love to catch up with people from the neighborhood.
October 7th, 2019 at 7:35 pm
Hi Ray, I am Phil Raby,I grew up on Lawrence street I know your brother andy and I am a cousin to the Rabys that lived on Cleveland street. My great grandfather,Eustache Raby was an early resident of castle hill,he lived on jefferson ave between Blanchette’s/Macorelle’s and the rectory he contributed to the building of the 1901 St Annes church.
October 7th, 2019 at 10:49 pm
Hi Ray & Philip, I’m Norm Corbin from Wheatland Street. Both my parents grew up in Castle Hill (My mother was a Frechette). I graduated from St. Anne’s in 1969. My sister Collette recently mentioned there is a facebook page for people who grew up in castle hill. I’ve never seen it, good luck finding it. Norm
June 11th, 2019 at 5:45 pm
[…] Castle Hill never lost those varied attractions. Even today it is the most Norman Rockwell of Salem […]
August 1st, 2021 at 12:13 pm
Wondering.
I have often been fascinated by OLD ROAD in Salem (not far from Castle Hill).
I believe (with no facts to support me), that it is, in fact, a very old road, that was a main thoroughfare at one time.
Have you published any article on it?
Or perhaps it is just a road, like any other.
August 1st, 2021 at 3:17 pm
I have not.
August 1st, 2021 at 10:35 pm
I think I once saw an old map, where “Old Road” continued right up through the Salem Hospital property, into Salem.
More research needed.
August 2nd, 2021 at 7:34 am
I just looked at some old maps of the castle hill area. There was no formal Old Road in the 1909 version, so it isn’t very old. It could have been an old unmarked dirt path/road back in the 1800s. In the 1960s-1970s it led to the back entrance of the Salem Hospital. I had some grammar school friends living on it back in the 1960s.
August 2nd, 2021 at 11:07 am
Thanks, Norm!
March 22nd, 2022 at 11:57 am
I see Old Road mentioned above. In 1906 when the city bought the land from the Great Pasture Company, Old Road was a cart path with walls on both sides. It connected the smaller pasture (now Bertram Field and the parking lot behind Salem Hospital to the Great Pasture which now includes the golf and Salem Woods). These colonial common pastures were walled-in with the Ancient Way running through. The Ancient Way was a Native American path that started at the North River at River Street and went through Salem Woods to Vinnin Square. Harlen Kelsey and Sidney Perley both drew maps of the Ancient Way. Another vestige of the Ancient Way is the pedestrian right of way from River Street to Bridge Street.
March 23rd, 2022 at 7:49 pm
Thanks Chris; you know so much about the landscape of Salem—I’m so glad when you comment.
March 23rd, 2022 at 9:12 pm
Chris, I’m very interested in old Native American paths. There are several where I currently live in Northborough MA. I’ll have to look up the old ancient way in Salem. thanks for this info