Salem Cornerstones: Cornerstones of a Historic City

by K. David Goss, Jim McAllister, Bryant F. Tolles Jr., et al.

Book Overview

Salem Cortnerstones is an all-in-one history, photo album, and guidebook to one of America's great centers of history and culture. This indispensable guide to historic Salem includes chapters on: maritime trade, the witchcraft trials, exceptional architecture, and Nathaniel Hawthorne. Five leading historians explain it all, including the story of Salem since Hawthorne's death, with over seventy illustrations and six maps.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1889833096
• ISBN13: 9781889833095
• Release Date: July 1999
• Publisher: Commonwealth Editions
• Length: 144 Pages
• Weight: 3.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 9.9" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

A Guidebook for Tourists and the Intellectually Curious

This book is divided into five sections: 1. Maritime history of the city 2. The witchcraft trials of 1692 3. Historic architecture 4. Famous author Nathaniel Hawthorne 5. Salem past and present The book includes several photos, several in beautiful full page color. Salem, of course, is probably best known for the infamous witchcraft trials, and the book does a wonderful job in simply explaining the madness that took place in that year. However, Salem also played a very important role in shipbuilding and ships were built there that sailed all over the world. Famous author Nathaniel Hawthorne spent half of his life in Salem, and the book includes great photos of him and his family. The Turner house, better known as The House of the Seven Gables graces the cover in addition to a beautiful full color nighttime photo inside the book. For those planning a trip to this historic city maps are provided throughout the book showing specifically where to find the historic buildings and the significance they hold in the city's history. I find this to be a wonderful five star book of interest to the tourist and those interested in the history of our country.

Nice guide to Salem

Plymouth and Salem are two of my favorite vacation destinations and I'm always looking for good pictorials on these historic towns. This book combines great photos (70 in color), six helpful maps to the most interesting sites, and brief histories of the architecture and people of Salem. Chapters cover maritime history, the witchcraft trials of 1692, and info on Salem's favorite native son Nathaniel Hawthorne. Historic architecture is divided into sections: First Period from 1626-1725, Georgian Colonial Era 1720-1780, Federal 1790-1830, Green Revival and Victorian Eclectic Styles 1830-1910, and Colonial Revival from 1889-1940 with important examples from each period. The following are well represented: Rebecca Nurse homestead, witch trial judge Jonathan Corwin's house, Pickering house, John Ward home, Crowninshield-Bentley house, Derby House, Gardner-Pingree home, and many others. The Turner-Ingersoll home, more commonly known as The House of The Seven Gables from Hawthorne's novel, is also here. This fascinating home stands within a complex which also includes the home of Hawthorne's birth, a sea captain's counting house, gift shop, and some picturesque gardens - all situated on Salem harbor. Many other sites are also mentioned including the Peabody Essex Museum founded in 1799. Great book for fans of colonial history and particularly for first-time visitors to Salem.

Indexer's Point of View

I indexed this book. It's an excellent collection of long essays by different authors on different aspects of Salem, including its architectural history, maritime tradition and, of course, the witchcraft trials. In addition to being easy to read and informative, it's also a handsome edition, with full color photographs on nearly every page. Well worth adding to your history collection. I receive no profit from sales of this book, and recommend it only because it is worth reading.