July 16, 1915. 
NORTH SHORE BREEZE and Reminder. 
Some Places of Historic Interest in Salem 
KATHERINE GAUSS 
Garden of the Ropes Memorial, Salem. 
THE stranger in Salem who approaches Essex street in 
the vicinity of Cambridge street finds himself con- 
fionted with a scene of interest and beauty. Looking ‘0 
the right he will observe, at the intersection of North 
street, the most ancient dwelling house known to be stand- 
ing in New England. This is the witch house, a struc- 
ture associated with Roger Williams and Judge Jonathan 
Corwin. Above it are two lovely old houses—one the 
former home of the astronomer, Nathaniel Bowditch, and 
the house further on is a delightful old homestead, with 
gambrel roof and‘ old Provincial porch and massive chim- 
neys, abutting on the grounds of the old stone church- 
edifice of English design, built by the North Parish in 
1836. On this site was once the orchard of the famous 
Quaker champion, Thomas Maule. 
And then at last the stranger stands before a dignified, 
pre-revolutionary, wooden mansion with its stately. trees 
and lawn. The lines of the original estate, which is before 
the eyes, ran from the main street to the North River. 
There was no Federal street laid out before 1765, and 
before 1750 there was no suspicion of the lane which was 
the forerunner of the street which at different periods 
bore such names as “the town way,” “the back street,” and 
“the new street,” until, in 1792, it was officially designated 
by the name of Federal street. 
This house is the Ropes Memorial, established by the 
wills of Mary Pickman Ropes, who died in 1903, and 
Eliza Orne Ropes, who died in 1907, comprising the fam- 
ily mansion, -with its contents and surrounding land, 
together wth an ample maintenance fund and a special 
fund for botanical lectures, gives to Salem a unique gift, 
the only one of its kind—a memorial to a fine old Salem 
family, richly endowed by the late sisters, thus providing 
most carefully for the future of the estate. 
The Mansion House was built about 1719 and was 
purchased by Judge Nathaniel Ropes in 1768. Judge 
Ropes was the son of a previous Nathaniel, whose grand- 
father, George Ropes, the founder of the family in 
America, came from England in the middle of the seven- 
teenth century. Judge Ropes was a loyalist, and on the 
17th of March, 1774, while he lay ill, the mansion was 
attacked by a mob of patriots and his death, which 
occurred the following day, was no doubt hastened by the 
action of the howling mob. The house since the first 
purchase has never left the hands of the Ropes family. 
It formerly stood directly upon the street, but was moved’ 
back and remodelled for the Misses Ropes in 1894. 
The house contains priceless treasures in furniture, 
china, glassware, paintings and ornaments of all kinds. 
Cine of the gems of the house is the gold band wedding 
tea set of Mr. and Mrs. Orne. The china has been pre- 
served unbroken for 100 years. Russian glass imported 
by Joseph Orne and fine wares imported from the eastern 
countries provokes the enthusiastic praise of all who view 
it. Fine portraits of the various members of the different 
periods of the Ropes family are also of great interest. 
The garden which runs at the side and in the rear 
of the house is perfectly beautiful in the spring and sum- 
mer months. Enclosed on three sides by a high brick wail 
and on the western side it is separated from the front 
lawn with its fine old trees by a low retaining wall. The 
garden is a formal one of the older type, the borders 
planted with hardy shrubs and the central beds filled with 
oid-fashioned flowers—a garden most suited to a house 
of colonial design.» A large variety of plants such as 
hollyhocks, tulips, jonquils and foxglove furnish vivid 
colors, and a collection of rare shrubs from China, the 
eift of the Arnold Arboretum, provides ample means of 
instruction for the botany classes which are to be con- 
ducted under the free fund of the Ropes will. 
In respect to the terms of the will of the Ropes sisters 
which say that no public meetings or large crowds shall 
enter the house, it has been arranged that small parties 
of visitors may go over the house and gardens on Tues- 
day, Thursday and Saturday afternoons, accompanied by 
intelligent guides who make the journey about the place 
doubly interesting. Since the house was opened many 
visitors from allover the country have availed them- 
selves of the opportunity. The garden is open every day 
of the week, including Sunday, from two to five o’clock 
p. m, 
