NORTH SHORE BREEZE 
AND REMINDER 
Vol. XIII 
Manchester, Mass., Friday, September 17 
No. 
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Site of Salem’s New Reservoir, Famous Landmark 
KATHER:NE GAUSS 
N the town of Danvers and not far from the Beverly 
line is a long rounded rise of land formerly called 
Long hill and later in the Witchcraft days Leach’s hill 
and “still later its name was changed to Browne’s Folly 
or Folly hill, the name now given to it. There are but 
few trees upon its surface and within the last half year 
the putting in of the reservoir for Salem’s water supply 
has added another and most conspicuous identification 
mark. The hill has an interesting history which wil! bear 
retelling for the many who are not familiar with the 
stories current about it. It is a sightly place and in 1848 
a coast stirvey station was established there. From the 
summit of the hill the country for miles around is visible. 
Mr. Ezra D. Hines of Danvers says that Dr. Grigzs, 
tae physician of Salem Village, lived at the foot of tne 
hill with his family. And it is said that if Dr. Griggs had 
stood out firmly against the delusion about Witchcraft in 
Salem that the ensuing horrors would never have hap- 
pened. When the first cases appeared, Doctor Griggs was 
called, a consultation had, and the opinion gravely ad- 
venced that the afflicted children were bewitched. 
William Browne of Salem, in 1740, erected a splen- 
did mansion upon the summit of Folly hill and called it 
Erowne Hall, after a place in Engl ne which had _ be- 
longed to his ancestors. ‘The building consisted of two 
wings, two stories high, connected by a spacious hall, the 
whole presenting a front of 80 feet.” The floor of the 
hall was painted in imitation of mosaic and above over- 
hung a balcony. This hall was of magnificent size and 
it is related that on one occasion an ox was roasted whole 
and served up to a numerous dinner party. 
Hawthorne describes the latter days of the house so 
fittingly that it is well to quote his remarks to a Salem 
friend. He says :— 
“The house was certainly an unfortunate one. While 
still in its glory, it was so tremendously shaken by the 
€arth quake of 1755, that the owner dared no longer 
reside in it, and practically acknowledging that its am- 
bittous site rendered it indeed a folly, he proceeded to 
locate it on humbler ground. 
“The great house actually took up its march along 
the declining ridge of the hill and came safely to the 
bottom, where it stood till within the memory of men 
now alive. The proprietor, meanwhile, had adhered to 
the Royalist side, and fled to England during the Revoln- 
tion. The mansion was left under the care of Richard 
Terby, who had a claim on the Browne property, through 
his wife, but seems to have held the premises precisely 
as the refugee left them, for a long term of years, in the 
expectation of his eventual return. ‘The house remained 
with ali its furniture in its spacious rooms and chambers, 
ready for the exile’s occupancy, as soon as he should re- 
appear. As time went on, however, it began to be 
neglected and was accessible to whatever vagrant or idle 
school boy or berrying party chose to enter through its 
ill secured windows. 
“But there was one closet in the house which every- 
body was afraid to enter, it being supposed that an evil 
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spirit—perhaps a domestic demon of the Browne family 
-—was confined in it. One day three or four score years 
ago, some school boys happened to be playing in the 
deserted chambers, and took it into their heads to develop 
the secrets of this mysterious closet. With great difficulty 
aud tremor, they succeeded in forcing the door, As it 
flew open, there was a vision of people in garments of 
antique magnificence—gentlemen i in curled wigs, and tarn- 
ished gold lace, and ladies in brocades and quaint head 
dresses, rushing tumultuously forth, and tumbling upon 
the floor. The urchins took to their heels in huge dis- 
nay, but crept back after a while, and discovered thit 
thie apparition was composed of a mighty pile of family 
portraits. After standing many years at the foot of the 
hill, the house was again removed in three portions and 
was fashioned into three separate dwellings which were 
erected in various parts of Danvers.” 
The above account gives a very good idea of the last 
days of the old house although it is thought that the 
baunted house is a myth from the brain of the story 
teller. 
However, it is known that the house later formed 
three separate dwellings in Danvers and that the ha'l, 
which has been described later, was attached to the old 
Danvers hotel, where many state affairs were held. The 
officers of the militia at their May trainings had their 
headquarters in this same hall. ‘The selectmen of the 
town met there and last but not least, the meetings of 
the old Danvers Lyceum were in this famous room. 
When the old hotel was taken down to make room 
for the present hotel, the hall was removed to Maple 
street, where it stood until the great Danvers fire of 
June, 1845, when it went up in fire and smoke. The 
other two portions of the Browne house have been lost 
sight of for all time, doubtless having been destroyed. 
And now on the site of the old ‘house on Folly hill 
is the immense reservoir above mentioned, which “for 
generations to come, is to mark that rise of ground 
southern Danvers. 
THE ScHOOLS oF HicHER LEARNING in America are 
now having an enviable opportunity. For decades it has 
been the fashion for American students to seek instruc- 
tion in the higher schools of Europe. The graduate 
schools there have been the Mecca of students seeking 
higher training. Frequently the instruction obtained 
could have been acquired in America. It has been dan in- 
tellectual fashion. The war has ended this and the in- 
creasing number of graduate students has made it possible 
for institutions of learning to enlarge their graduate de- 
partments. The ill winds that have injured the colleges 
of Europe have helped American schools. 
Tuer Darinc ATremMpP’ to rescue an Italian fisherman 
off Manchester last week by three polo players is a com- 
rientary on the blessings of peace. How much more hu- 
mane and honorable such activities are to the destructive 
barbarism of the old world, 
