Nomination for Rea-Proctor Homestead

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

FHR-8-300* (11-78) United States Department of the Interior Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form See instructions in How to Complete National Register Forms Type all entries - complete applicable sections 1. Name For HCRS use only received MAR 3 1 1982 date entered June 2,1982 historic Rea-Proctor Homestead and/or common 2. Location Proctor Farm street & number 180 Conant Street Nff not for publication city, town Danvers N/Aavicinity of congressional district 6th state Massachusetts code 3.

Classification 025 county Essex code 009 Category Ownership _ district - public x building(s) x private structure both site Public Acquisition - object N fk in process being considered Status x occupied _ unoccupied work in progress Accessible - yes: restricted - yes: unrestricted x no Present Use X agriculture commercial educational _ entertainment - government industrial _ military museum park private residence religious scientific transportation other: 4. Owner of Property name John L. Sawyer & Elizabeth J. Harris Sawyer: 16 Hickory Lane street & number Harris: 16641 Marquez Terrace Sawyer: Darien N/A city, town Harris: Pacific Palisades vicinity of 5. Location of Legal Description state Connecticut 06820 California 90272 courthouse, registry of deeds, etc. Essex County Registry of Deeds street & number 36 Federal Street city, town Salem state Massachusetts 6.

Representation in Existing Surveys title Inventory of the Historic of the Conmonwea1th # 32/ date 1981 has this property been determined elegible? - - yesx no _federalx state county - _ local depository for survey records Massachusetts Historical Commission city, town Boston state Massachusetts 7. Description Condition _excellent good X fair deteriorated ruins unexposed Rea-Procter Homestead, 180 Conant St., Danvers Check one X unaltered - altered Check one X original site moved date NA Describe the present and original (if known) physical appearance

Description of the property

The Rea-Proctor Homestead is situated on the north side of Conant Street in Danvers (formally North Beverly and before that, Salem Village). The Rea-Proctor House is a frame building of 2½ stories, with gable roof, 3 chimmeys, clapboard siding, and 18 rooms. The property contains almost 1½ acres of meadowland and is clearly visible from the Route 128 expressway. The phased development of this farmhouse is reflected in its variegated roofline, wings and asymmetrical facade. doorway The principal facade has five bays; its roughly centered features half-height sidelights and a channeledarchitrave with center and corner blocks. The original eastern portion of the main building was constructed (according to tradition) in 1692 as a half-house. By 1731, the Rea family had enlarged the house by adding two bays on the west, although the roofline here is slightly lower.

Extensive interior improvements were made throughout the building by Captain Isaac Rea during his ownership (1798-1803)- The panelling, wainscoting, Indian shutters, and much of the hardware probably date to this period, and remain in prime condition. It may have been during this period that the window sash were replaced with 8/12 lights and the fireplaces were made smaller. After 1812 a wing containing two rooms was built on the west. This 2½ story addition has a chimney and plain doorway on the east end of its facade. In the mid-nineteenth century a small 1½ story ell with separate chimney was added in the back of the house. This back wing and the original 1692 portion of the house have been used during the last hundred years mainly as a summer residence and are, from a preservationists viewpoint, in pristine condition.

There are no heating ducts and only minimal electric and plumbing work, minimizing modern intrusions into this historic house. Although basically in sound condition, the structure does need substantial stabilization measures. Of the several outbuildings which were once on the property, only the old 3-stall carriage shed with storage room remains. As with the house, it is in need of preservation.

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

Significance Period prehistoric 1400-1499 1500-1599 x 1600-1699 x 1700-1799 x 1800-1899 1900 Areas of Significance - Check and justify below archeology-prehistoric - community planning x archeology-historic conservation x agriculture economics architecture education art engineering commerce exploration/settlement. communications industry invention Specific dates 1692 Builder

Statement of significance

/Architect Statement of Significance (in one paragraph) landscape architecture law literature _ military - music - philosophy X politics/government - religion science sculpture social/ humanitarian theater transportation other (specify) Unknown The Rea-Proctor Homestead is associated with two events of national significance: the Salem Village witchcraft delusion of 1692, and the Essex Junto plot, c. 1804, in which Timothy Pickering and other Federalists hoped to organize New England and New York to secede from the Union. In addition, this Farmsite is significant as a site of continuous agricultural activity. The early 19th agricultural experiments which Timothy Pickering conducted here are precisely documented and invaluable to the study of early American agriculture. The House is also important for its evidence of architectural evolution.

The property thus meets criteria A, B, and C of the NRHP. Built in 1692 by Joshua Rea, Sr. and his son, John Rea, this house was to remain in the Rea family until 1803. Joshua Rea, Sr. was a leader among Salem Villagers - active in municipal and church affairs. He and others in his family were defenders of neighbors accused as witches (John Proctor and Rebecca Nurse) at a time when such defense was a personal risk. Indeed, Joshua Rea, Sr's real estate transactions indicate he may have divested himself of this' house and farmland for fear of re- prisals for his defense. An independent-thinking man, Joshua Rea, Sr. was the only one among the twenty-five original members of the Salem Village church who opposed Rev. Parris (the central figure among accusers of "witches") in 1695.

With Salem's development as a mercantile center and major port, successive generations of the Rea family developed skills, in addition to farming, which reflected and supported Salem's growth. Thus John Rea (owner from 1692-1731) was a husbandman (farmer); Gideon Rea, Sr. (owner from 1732-1750) a weaver; Gideon Rea (owner from 1750-1798) a cooper (barrelmaker); and Isaac Rea (owner from 1798-1803) a sea captain and merchant. Captain Isaac Rea was associated professionally and politically with members of the Essex Junto (the conservative wing of New England Federalists). Upon the death of his wife in 1803, Isaac Rea sold the Rea Homestead to George Stuart Johonnot. to Massachusetts from Pennsylvania, "buying him out" of an unwise land investment, so he could again use his talents to represent Federalist interests (Pickering had been Postmaster General, U.S. Secretary of War, and U.S.

Secretary of State under Presidents Washington and Adams). In 1803, Timothy Pickering became U.S. Senator from Massachusetts. Johonnot had owned the Farm for just a few months, selling it to Timothy Pickering in 1804 at a price 17% below his purchase price, and one which Pickering considered "a bargain. a barpai 9 p7ce 17% betov During Senator Pickering's ownership of the Farm, he played the allegedly central role in the Essex Junto's plans for secession of New England, New York, and other mid- Atlantic states from the Union. Aside from his political activities, Pickering immersed UIM NOT VERFI 9.

The rest of the file

Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.

Major Bibliographica References ARRFAGE MOT VERIEIED Boyer, Paul, and Stephen Nissenbaum, Salem Possessed: The Social Origins of Witchcraft (Cambridge, MA: Harvard Univ. Press, 1974). Essex County Probate Records, Essex County Courthouse, Salem, Mass.: Rea family probate records, Dockets 23310; 23320 esp. 10. Geographical Data Acreage of nominated property 1.427 acres. Quadrangle name Salem, Mass. UMT References Quadrangle scale 1:25000 A1,9/ |3|4,2|845 Zone Easting 14714670 Northing Zone C E Easting JLLILL LLILLL Northing LLILLL FLL G ILLJLILILIL HLy Luld LLiLl Verbal boundary description and justification See Attached Deed Description The property nominated is the homestead lot of the Proctor Farm. The lot is rectangular, measur ing approximately 240' x 260'. It is bounded on the south by Conant Street, on the west and north by the Proctor Farm, and on the east by the Thomas A.

Flatley Industrial Park. List all states and counties for properties overlapping state or county boundaries state N/A code county code State code county code 11. Form Prepared By name/title Wendy Frontiero, Preservation Planner, with Elizabeth J. Harris organization Massachusetts Historical Connission date March 1, 1982 street & number 294 Washington Street telephone 617 727-8470 city or town Boston state Massachusetts 12. State Historic Preservation Officer Certification The evaluated significance of this property within the state is: national .state local As the designated State Historic Preservation Officer for the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Public Law 89 665), I hereby nominate this property for inclusion in the National Register and certify that it has been evaluated according to thecriteria and procedures setforth by theHeritage Conservation and Recreation Service.

State Historic Preservation Officer signature ValuhWeslowki ie Executive Director, Massachustts Historical Comm- dare 3/18/82 For HCRS use only I hereby certify that this property is included in the National Register Entered in the oye National Register fr Keeper of the National Register date 6/2/82- Attest: Chief of Registration date GPO 938 835 FHR-0-300 (11-78) United States Department of the Interior Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form Continuation sheet Item number For HCRS use only received date entered 8 Page 2 himself during Senate recesses into pioneering techniques of scientific agriculture at his Farm, and kept careful records of his experiments with plants and stock. Original plans of his plantings on the homestead lot are located in the Essex Institute in Salem.

Though bitter political enemies, Pickering and Jefferson corresponded on agricultural experiments (Pickering during these years sold Jefferson a corn-shelling machine he had invented). Unlike the Jeffersonians with their slaves, the abolitionist Pickering took pride in tilling the soil with his own hands. His vision of scientific agriculture was essential for a New England that was separated from the Jeffersonian South. Timothy Pickering sold the Farm in 1806. In 1812 Daniel Proctor purchased the Farm and since that year it has been continuously owned and farmed as a family farm by the descendents of Daniel Proctor. In the last quarter of the 19th century the Rea-Proctor Farm was a showplace of the town of Danvers. Since 1940 the Rea-Proctor Farm has been a symbol of agricultural continuity in a modernizing environment.

The Boston beltway (Route 128) lies to the south; Beverly Airport lies to the north; residential developments lie to the west; and an industrial park lies to the east. In addition to the existing house and carriage shed, there are foundations of a barn, squash house and several other outbuildings. Certain of these sites, all located on the 1.4 homestead lot, are virtually littered with early household arti- facts, farm tools, and hardware. with its numerous The continuity of one-family ownership since 1812, family documents, diaries and photographs, and its strong oral tradition, combined with the precise agricultural journals of Timothy Pickering and his descriptive letters, offer historic archaeologists a unique opportunity to interpret the evolution of a New England farm over three centuries.

FHR-8-300A (11/78) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR HERITAGE CONSERVATION AND RECREATION SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTOR Y -- NOMINATION FORM FOR HCRS USE ONLY RECEIVED DATE ENTERED CONTINUATION SHEET ITEM NUMBER PAGE 4 Essex County Registry of Deeds, Essex County Courthouse, Salem, Mass.: Rea family deeds, esp.: 19/180; 53/246-7; 58/64; 60/135; 75/145-6; 164/184.Johonnot, Pickering, Porter, Proctor deeds: 172/195; 172/240-1; 173/223-4; 197/207. Pickering, Timothy, MSS, Essex Institute, Salem, Mass.: Agricultural Journals, 1771-1819; Cash book, 1780-1829; Personal Letters (see esp. years 1803-1807). Prentiss, Hervey Putnam, "Timothy Pickering and the Federalist Party, 1801-1804," Institute Historical Collections, LXIX, January 1933, No. I, pp. 1-35. Sawyer/Harris collection of Proctor Family MSS: maps, plans, diaries, photos, tapes.

Proctor Farm, 180 Conant Street, Danvers, Mass. Stone, Edwin M., History of Beverly,. . (Boston, Mass.: James Munroe, 1843), p. 80. Salem Village list of rates, 1690-1694. In print at Essex Institute, Salem, Mass. BK6 /7U PG572 Quitclaim Deed Short Form & PLAN SEE PL. B.: /62 PL- 75 DANVERS, MASS. Rea-Proctor Homestead I, Helen A. S. Jones, Verbal Boundary Description, #10 of Randolph, Coos New Hampshire, County, Xasxxotksx% being xumarrsed, for consideration paid $19,708.00 grant to Elizabeth Jones Harris 16641 marquez Terr.

of Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles County, California with quitrlaim cournants all right, title, and interest which I may have in and to a certain lot of land, with the buildings thereon, situated in Danvers in the County of Essex, Commonwealth toexleedxie of Massachusetts, bounded and described as follows: Commencing at the Westerly corner thereof on Conant Street by land now or formerly of Helen A. S. Jones and John &iadSueotenthonee tunning by a stone wall NORTWESTERLY 33° 34' 25" 259.25 feet by land now or formerly of Jones and Sawyer; NORTHEASTERLY 63° 28' 13" 239.13 feet, more or less, by land of Jones and Sawyer, to a stone wall; thence by a stone wall SOUTHEASTERLY 33° 50' 10"261.00 feet by land now or formerly of Thomas J. Flatley to Conant Street; thence SOUTHWES TERLY by said Conant Street 240.59 feet, more or less, to the stone wall and bound begun at.

Being 1.427 acres, more or less, and shown as Lot 1 on Plan of Land by Frank C. Hancock, Surveyor, dated October 1, "Plan of Land in Danvers MA, Property of Helen A. S. Jones and John A. Sawyer," said Plan to be recorded herewith. Being also a portion of the Proctor Farm, so called, owned and occupied by me in common with my brother, John A. Sawyer, conveyed by Jones and John A. Sawyer, dated December 18, feaorded in Essex South District Registry of Deeds, Book 3932, Page 251. 1947, and Being also a portion of the real property devised by will of Margaret P. Wood, recorded in Essex County, Massachusetts, Registry of Probate, Estate of Margaret P. Wood, No. 310,547.

Meaning and intending to convey all of my interest in the so called Proctor Farm homestead, and 1.427 acres of land situated at 180 Conant Street, Danvers, Massachusetts, together with the shed, wells, and appurtenant fixtures. I, Bayard Jones, husband of said grantor, and a resident of Randolph, Coos County, New Hampshire, release to said grantee all rights of tenancy by the curtesy, homestead, and other interests therein. Bttess....sur. hands and seals this. 28 day of Hovember ..1980 Neleu Helen A. S -o S Soneo Jones Ba y andh .040S the af Flasarmsette NOTARY The Siars SS. AKITONA - MARKOPA (O, Vavate 2i ..1920 Then/pectonally appeared the above named. Helen A. S. Jones andBavardJones and acknowledged the foregoing instrument to be...their....free act and deed, before me stulu basse Votary Publi Justice of the Pence My Commission expires...

My commission expires Matgl: 2094 VBP VBD 2 NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION / RETURN SHEET Property: Rea-Practar Homestead State, County: MA ESSex Federal Agency: resubmission nomination by person or local government owner objection appeal Substantive Review: Reviewer's comments: United States Department of the Interior Nationsi Park Service 31/82-1056 Working No. Fed. Reg. Date Date Due: Action: 24/82 5/157 ACCEPT RETURN_ 7/27/82 - REJECT_ photos_ maps - - sample - request _ appeal _ NR decision Recom. / Criteria Reviewer Discipline Date - see continuation sheet technical corrections cited below .substantive reasons discussed below -Nomination returned for: 1. Name 2. Location X 3. Classification Oumorship rubiic Aceutattion) 4. Owner of Property Status Accossibie Presont Use 5. Location of Legal Description 6.

Representation in Existing Surveys has thie property beon determined oligible? - yes - no Plese fiee en, if not appecctl meark 7. Description Conettien excellent good fair Check ene deteriorated ruins unexposed altered Check one original site moved date ascribo tho procent and ariginal (11 known) phryaical apposrance summary paragraph completeness clarity alterations/integrity dates boundary selection 8. Significanco Perted trass of Signifcance Chock and heatity bolow Spocifie datos Btatomont el Significance (in one paragrsph) Bulider Archltoo summary paragraph completeness clarity applicable criteria justification of areas checked relating significance to the resource context relationship of integrity to significance justification of exception other 9. Major Bibliographical References 10. Geographical Data Acroago ol nominatad property Quedrangle nemo.

UMIT Reterences Varbel boundary doscription and jestification 11. Form Prepared By 12. State Historic Preservation Officer Certification The ovaluatad eignificance of this property wlthin the state is: national state local Btate Historic Preeervation Ofticer signature 13. Other Maps Photographs Other Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to- Signed - Deloer 3yen - Date - 4/22/82 Phone: 202 272-3504 Comments for any Item may be continued on an attached sheet ..... ----- ... Netional Park Service .... EVALUATION / RETURN SHEET Property: AEA- proctor Aomestere State, County:. MA Essex Federal Agency: resubmission nomination by person or local government owner objection appeal Substantive Review: - sample Reviewer's comments: working No.- 231.82-1055 Fed. Reg.

Date: Date Due:_ 7/5/62 Intored ftigha ACCEPT_ National Register - RETURN - REJECT_ photos r maps - - request - appeal - NR decision Recom. / Criteria_ Reviewer- Discipline Date _ see continuation sheet technical corrections cited below _ substantive reasons discussed below -Nomination returned for: Name 2. Location 3. Classification Cologory Ouporabio Pabtic Acpuisttion 4. Owner of Property Btartus hecersatble Prosent Use 5. Location of Legal Description 6. Representation in Existing Surveys hee thle property boon determinad oligtote? - yes - no 7. Description Comdttiee _ exceltent good teir _ daterioraiad ruins _ unexposed Chock ane _unaiterad _altered Chock one _ original site _ moved dste lomartoo the prosoat and ertgimai (1 knorum) pirysieni apposrenco summary paragraph completeness clarity alterations/integrity dates boundary selection 6.

Significance Parted Arone ef 86 peeiie dates and jaattfy baber bellder Aretttos (la ono summary paragraph completeness clarity applicable criteria justification of areas checked relating significance to the resource context relationship of integrity to significance justification of excepticn other 9. Major Bibliographical References 10. Geographical Data Acreage of nominated property Quadrangie nomo UNT Poberences Varbel boundery descriptien and justticatter 11. Form Prepared By 12. State Historic Preservation Officer Certification Tho evetuuatac aigniticance of thie proparty wltihin the atate io: state - loca Date Miatoric Presorvation Officer eigneture 13. Other Maps Photographs Other Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to Signed Date - Phone: 202 272-3504 Comments for any item may be continued on an attached sheet The Proctor Farm DANVERS, MASS.

Rea-Proctor Homestead View looking north-west Photograph by Richers Studio* 1982 Negative filed with Elizabeth Harris (Co-owner) Photo 1 of 1 * Danvars, MA Rea-Proctor Danvers, Massac Phote by Richers January, 1982 Negative - clo View, looking