144 



House." It was finished in 1806, and taken down in 1839, 

 and in that year the fifth and present house was huilt. 

 Rev. Charles B. Rice, the present pastor, was installed 

 Sept. 2, 1863. His predecessors were James Bailey, 

 1671 to 1680; George Burroughs, 1680 to 1683 ; Samuel 

 Parris, 1689 to 1696 ; eToseph Green, 1698 to 1715 ; Peter 

 Clarke, 1717 to 1768; Benjamin Wadsworth, 1772 to 

 1826 ; Milton P. Braman, 1826 to 1861 — a list of revered 

 and honored names of men who, in their times, Avere dis- 

 tinguished for their learning and piety. 



The general aspect of the town is rather level, though 

 it is diversified with numerous elevations. The land 

 appears to be well adapted to agricultural purposes, and 

 is dotted with workshops of the manufacturing industries 

 that add so much to the thrift of many of our New Eng- 

 land towns. 



The common at Danvers Centre is a place of some in- 

 terest, from the fact that it was given to the village "for 

 a training place forever," by the will of Nathaniel Inger- 

 soll, the leading man of the village. It has doubtless 

 been used as a parade ground from the earliest times ; 

 and the rudiments of military practice have probably 

 here been imparted to those who have taken up arms 

 against the Indians, the French and the British. 



Danvers has, from the earliest times, been closely iden- 

 tified with the prominent events in our history. With 

 the exception of the town most directly concerned by 

 locality, it gave up more victims than an}' other in the 

 Lexington fight. It was the al:K)de of the first and also 

 of the last liritish governor of Massachusetts. The 

 Collins House, now owned by Mr. Francis Poabody, 

 has been greatly improved by him without disturbing the 

 old fashioned aristocratic appearance of the place, and is 

 always an interesting object of contemplation, partly 



