Then & Now: Window To the Past

Do you recognize this distinctive building that you’ve probably driven by many times?

This view of 1 Brown St. from the mid-1970s shows the Johnston Realty Agency that operated in this pre-revolutionary house for some 20 years from 1960 into the early 80s.

It is easy to imagine the Master Mariner, Daniel Bray, standing on the deck of one of John Derby’s ships in the 1760s as it headed for its home port of Salem thinking about what he’d do with his share from the voyage.

In those pre-revolutionary days, the growing Salem merchant fleet did most of its trading in the West Indies, Spain and Portugal.  These were dangerous days for Salem mariners. Few ships exceeded 60 tons, but they sailed in rough seas with the added threats of buccaneers as well as French and English cruisers.

With the French and Indian War (Seven Years War in Europe) raging from 1756 to 1763, the French and British battled for supremacy in North America. The French considered colonial merchant ships the enemy while the British saw them as a resource that could be used with impunity.  It wasn’t until after the Revolutionary War that Salem became the center of the China trade.

Daniel Bray, married a few years earlier, built this Georgian style house on his family’s land on Brown Street in 1766. In 1770, with a growing family, he purchased the land his house was on from his parents.

During his sailing days, Daniel Bray sailed as ship’s master on a number of John Derby’s ships to far ports as did his son, Daniel Bray Jr., who was captain of the brig "Canton" that made passage from Canton and Marseilles, France in just 11 months and 25 days. In 1817, this was quite the accomplishment in the age of sail.

In his later years, Daniel Bray retired from the sea and at the age of 60 took on the job of manager for Derby Wharf, one of the busiest wharves in all of North America. Daniel Bray died in 1798.

This house remained in the Bray family until 1856 when it was sold to James Kelley. James Kelley was also a mariner and later a night policeman in Salem. The house remained in his family until 1901 when it was sold.

It appears that it was around 1902 when the front of the house was altered so that A. E. Briggs Grocery store could open here. In 1905, W.F. Saunders Grocery took over while also running the Sterling Candy Company from this location until 1915. From 1916 to 1918, three different people ran a variety store here.

In 1918, Sarah W. Symonds, the noted Salem sculptor of bas reliefs and miniatures that commemorated Salem scenes, operated her studio here. From here, she sold collectible commemoratives, miniatures and cast iron sculptures that are still sought after today . She also ran a small shop across from the on Turner Street for a number of years.  Her Colonial Studio Gift Shop in this building operated until the late 1950s. Sarah Symonds passed away in 1967.

In 1960, the Johnston Real Estate Office took over the building as seen in the photograph. Johnston Real Estate operated here until the early 1980s.

From 1982 to 1983, the Essex County District Attorney had an office here.  That same year, the Essex Institute, now the , bought this building and land. Since then, it has been rented for brief periods as a gift shop. I recall Witch Way Gifts opening here in 1992 before they moved to Derby Street  where they remain.

In recent times, however, it has been empty and has some building issues that have earned it the unsafe building mark currently on its front door.

I recently spoke with the facilities manager, Bob Monk, and learned that the Peabody Essex Museum is in the process of compiling an historical, architectural history of the house and its changes over the years.

When this historical forensic examination is completed, they will have a good idea of the historic fabric of the building and how it can best be used in the future. This will be done in keeping with the Peabody Essex Museum’s mission statement: “to celebrate outstanding artistic and cultural creativity by collecting, stewarding and interpreting objects of art and culture in ways that increase knowledge, enrich the spirit, engage the mind and stimulate the senses.”

We are fortunate that the PEM has stewardship of this historical gem. Hopefully, an appropriate use will not be long in coming to this location.