I’m really glad that I’ve made my blog relatively apolitical, and I’m equally grateful that I am not an American historian: I wouldn’t want to be in a position to explain what happened yesterday. Hopefully my words and images can serve as a distraction for some, as they do for me. Along with history in general, I’ve always found historical architecture comforting in times of stress: older buildings seem like testaments to both what we have achieved and what we can endure. Yesterday was a beautiful and bright election day, when anything seemed possible. After my husband and I voted in the parish hall of one Salem Catholic church (St. John the Baptist) we made our way down Federal Street (past the newly-refurbished Probate Court, which was quite literally shining in the sun) to another parish, St. James, where he is working on the restoration and conversion of the former rectory and convent into condominiums. The rectory building is unique in that it was built (in 1889) by the parish priest, the Reverend John. J. Gray, for his residence and then later donated to the archdiocese. As you can see it is a huge Italianate building which has been taken down to the studs: the banisters, mantles, and floors are all wrapped up in protective materials and the doors and windows are all being restored to their original condition. Lots of Eastlake details. The same developers have purchased the 1878 building across the street, which served as a convent for the Sisters of Notre Dame, an order that joined the parish in 1864. I could only explore the front foyer of this huge building, which appears to have been stripped of much of its interior detail (not to mention its radiators) as it was utilized in an institutional capacity in recent years. It is also Italianate (which must have been Father Gray’s favorite style–I certainly came away with a lot of admiration for his ability to expand his parish’s physical presence during his tenure), with a mansard roof.
The newly-published Probate Court and Registry of Deeds building on Federal Street, and further down, nos. 161 (the Rectory) and 162 (the Convent).
Sometimes I worry that too many of Salem’s historic buildings have been carved up into condominiums, but not with these two structures, as they are very large in scale and physical space–much too big for one family or even two or three in the case of the rectory and four or more in the case of the convent–and quite neglected. The units built within both will be comparatively large, and through their conversion both buildings will (hopefully) endure for many more years to come.
Inside the Rectory: first, second, and third floor views, and an exterior side door to the basement.
The Convent: front foyer, looking up–hope to get into the rest of the building at a later time. I love radiators.
November 9th, 2016 at 12:24 pm
[…] Enduring Edifices […]
November 9th, 2016 at 1:11 pm
Thanks Donna! Like you, I regret the carving of buildings into condos… and I do wish that radiators were still in fashion. Much easier on those of us with asthma!
All the best
Jean >
November 9th, 2016 at 1:11 pm
Love old buildings. Always have. So glad they are finding a new use.
November 9th, 2016 at 2:51 pm
I would love to have a few of those old radiators – we had those at my convent school and they were grand – I loved them – esp for warming frozen hands and drying wet socks and gloves from the ride to school. Anyone with a desk close to those old heaters was Very Popular! We literally sat on them until the nuns yelled at us to get down!
November 9th, 2016 at 9:03 pm
I have radiators with shelves on top all through my house and I can’t get my cats off them all winter long!
November 9th, 2016 at 4:18 pm
So glad these two buildings are being renovated. I always wondered what was going on with the convent…glad it’s being brought back to life.
November 9th, 2016 at 9:02 pm
Me too!
November 9th, 2016 at 5:40 pm
Great to see that a lot of the beautiful woodwork is being preserved. Also, opening the walls allows the contractor to replace the old plumbing and especially the wiring, so that it meets today’s standards. The last thing Salem needs is a 21st century conflagration. Great photos, as usual, Donna.
November 9th, 2016 at 9:02 pm
I’m privileged to be able to sneak in!
November 13th, 2016 at 8:48 pm
Well, since I’m catching up and the election is a few days behind us, I note with amusement that the first blog I encountered that mentioned it belongs to a U.K. academic.
November 26th, 2017 at 4:40 pm
[…] in more readily discernible Italianate style with Mansard roof, across the street into condos only began this autumn and units will not be available until Spring 2018. The conversion includes taming the long […]