A Historic Reprieve

Ash Street was laid out in 1785 as a throughway from Bridge Street to Federal Street. According to old Salem maps that part of Bridge Street was called County Road then and where Federal Street is now, was called Forrester Street.

Near the center of town it quickly became a small neighborhood of modest wooden homes for mariners and trades people. As Salem grew, this neighborhood maintained its character even after the First Universalist Meeting House was built in 1808-1809 and dominated the neighborhood.

The house at 7 Ash Street, built around 1811 sits next to the Universalist Meeting House. It is currently in front of the Parish House which was built as a chapel in 1887 then converted to Parish House in 1889.

7 Ash is a unique example of a hipped-roof, two-story brick Federal dwelling built on a modest scale in keeping with the neighborhood. This was built for Thomas Perkins, a wealthy Salem merchant involved in the maritime trade who lived in Topsfield. When completed, he rented the house to his brother Elijah. Elijah, who was a chair /cabinet maker, had his wood working shop next door at 5 Ash Street.  

Elijah, as one of only fourteen chair makers in Salem, was probably kept very busy providing chairs for the new mansions of merchants as well as supplying furniture for merchants to use in the maritime trade. At this time Salem was one of the largest centers for furniture making in New England. Many Salem pieces are still to be found in museums and collections around the world. Unfortunately these artisans, many of whom produced museum quality work, chose not to sign their furniture.

Elijah Perkins remained in this house until his death around 1841. The house stayed in the family until the 1860’s.

Throughout the 1800’s this street housed a number of mariners and trades people who worked in the factories of Salem. After the Perkins family moved in the 1860’s this house changed hands among tradesmen until 1905 when John Howe the Turnkey for the Salem Jail moved here. He and his family remained here until 1944 when it changed hands a few times before being bought by George and Bessie Munroe in 1951. George who was a gardener for the Salem Park Department remained here until his death. His widow Bessie Munroe was here in 1968 when the first rumblings of change and urban renewal focused on this street and neighborhood.

At the time the Mayor and City Council were agonizing over the downtown area and the business losses that were piling up. The downtown was fast becoming a ghost town with businesses moving out and many buildings, especially along Essex Street, empty. Over a five year period there was a decrease of over 1 million dollars in tax revenue mainly from the downtown area that they felt had to be rescued.

Desperate to do something to improve the tax base they embraced urban renewal and managed to get approval for several ambitious renewal plans. While there was opposition to the destruction of historical buildings and neighborhoods that opposition did not prevail. The city leadership did not buy the arguments that renovation was a better way to go nor had they yet embraced the idea that Salem could truly be a tourist destination if it kept its historic perspective.

There may well be a cautionary tale here for Salemites to ponder when contemplating uses for the power plant. Head long rushes to address the tax base don’t always turn out the way we want and we’re left to live with the consequences.

In the late 60’s and early 70's the takings by eminent domain began. As the Salem Redevelopment Agency acquired the properties they were demolished. Ash Street with the exception of the Meeting House was slated for total demolition. At the time Bessie Munroe then in her 80’s was living at 7 Ash Street. She was very upset about this and resisted leaving her house. 

The Salem Redevelopment Agency in response to Bessie’s age and health agreed to let her stay in the house until her death. This house somewhat removed from the proposed condo development along Federal Street, was not an integral part of the plan. The destruction of the rest of the street took place. At that time the city was still in the planning stages for the development that wouldn’t take place until the late 1970’s.

By the time of Bessie’s death in 1975 the perspective of city government had shifted from renewal to restoration and there was an
acknowledgement that this wasn’t just one more old house to be removed but one of the few prime examples of modest Federal-Era architecture that was worth preserving. It is the only one of its type left in Salem.

With this new perspective, the building was offered for sale to persons interested in restoration and not removal. The building has been restored and is now once again in private ownership.

In 1983 this house was added to the National Register of Historic Places and is designated as the Bessie Munroe House in honor of her efforts to save it, a fitting tribute to this woman’s courage in the face of adversity. In the past, the house was referred to as the Thomas Perkins House by Bryant Tolles in his book Architecture in Salem.