Hale, Reverend John, House

The Rev.John Hale House,1694, faces northwest on Hale Street in a residential area of Beverly. Within a few blocks are its old associates the First Parish Church, the Ancient Burying Ground, where the Hale family is interred, and the Training Field. Directly across the street is the site of Rev.Hale's first house of 1665. Traditionally it has been said that the frame of the old house was used in constructing the new in 1694. This seems to be born out by Town Records which describe how Rev. Hale was granted lumber "to build half of ye frame of ye dwelling house he is now building, July 25,1694." The original 2½ story ridge roof house was parallel to the street, running east-west.

In 1745 a 2½ story gambrel wing was added to the front of the house with gambrel end to the street, running north-south. The entrance door is now in the west elevation of this addition. From 1891 through the early 20th c., various jogs and ells were added to the south and east of the original struct- ure. The entire house is covered with grey clapboard. The original section of the house is three bays wide and 1 deep. Windows vary between 8/12,12/12, 14/21, and 9/9. The northwest corner of the facade retains an 8/12 bay over a 12/12 bay. The west elevation has an attic window and one 12/12 bay over a 12/12 bay. - The 1745 gambre1 addition is two bays wide and two deep. The facade faces west, - at right angles to, and virtually obscuring, the north facade of the original structure.

The entrance door is off-center on the southern side of the facade.

Rev.John Hale was the first settled minister of the first "gathered church" of Beverly, then called Cape-AnSide of Salem. He was born at Charlestown, Mass. on June 3,1636, and was the son of Robert and Rebecca Hale. Robert Hale emigrated from England, probably Kent,in 1632. His son,John, graduated from Harvard College in 1657. John came to Beverly in 1664 and served as "teacher" until his ordination as their minister in 1667. His acceptance speech is still extant. He served the church until his death on May 15,1700.

In 1690, he was ordered by the General Court, along with two other ministers, tha Co to be "ministers of God's word, be desired to accompany the General and forces, in the expedition against Canada, to carry on the worship of God in that expedition." In 1692 the witchcraft delusion broke out and the good reverend was caught up in the trials. He testified at the trials of two of his own parishioners and they were subsequently arrested. However, in October 1692, a Wenham resident accused his wife,Sarah Hale, of witchcraft, and. she was taken to prison.

"The whole community was convinced that the accusers, in crying out upon Mrs.Hale, had perjured themselves; and from that moment their power was destroyed; the awful delusion ceased; the curtain fell, and a close was put to one of the most tremendous tragedies in the history of real life"... It was here that Rev.Hale, in 1697, wrote a w. work entitled "A modest inquiry into the nature of witchcraft, and how persons guilty of that crime may be convicted; and the means used for their discovery discussed, both negatively and affirmatively, according to scripture and experience." Rev.Hale was first married to Rebeckah Byles by whom he had a son,Robert, the next owner of the house.