THE RETROSPECT OF THE YEAR. 89 



the time of the settlers in 1628-30, when the old lean-to 

 was universal, up to 1700 when the hip roof was prevalent. 

 This style lasted until about 1750 at which time and up 

 to 1780 came the elegant structure of which Judge Endi- 

 cott's and the Peabody house in Danvers are good illus- 

 trations as was also the Pickman house on Essex street. 

 After this came what is wrongfully called the colonial, 

 the fine square house with its graceful doorway, windows 

 and much interior decoration, of which there are many 

 fine types in Salem. In illustration he cited houses in 

 Salem, Boston, Newburyport and Portsmouth. The dif- 

 ferent periods of architecture referred to were not drawn 

 in arbitrary lines, but overlapped each other. 



Monday, Feb. 13, 1893. Sidney Perley, Esq., of Sa- 

 lem, lectured on "The Geological Evolution of Essex 

 County." Mr. Perley traced the gradual development of 

 this county into a habitable place through the earliest geo- 

 logical periods, giving scientific causes for and the origin 

 of the different sorts of rocks which are found in the 

 county. He stated that New England was probably 

 the oldest part of this continent, as well as of the earth. 

 Illustrating the various stages of development, he quoted 

 the pockets of lead at Nevvbury and the earthquake at the 

 same place in 1727. 



Plum Island, he said, was a perfect example of the for- 

 mation of islands by sand bars. The rocking stones of 

 Gloucester he accounted for by the erosion of frost and 

 water. Speaking of the bog iron deposits, he stated that 

 iron was first worked from these bogs in Lynn in 1642-3, 

 in Boxford, 1668, and Amesbury in 1728. 



The surface formation of Essex county, as it now ex- 

 ists, was largely caused by the action of the glaciers, they 

 having brought and deposited here large quantities of sand, 



