Peabody

Settled in 1626 as part of Salem Town, incorporated in 1755 as part of Danvers and known as the South Parish. In 1855, the South Parish separated from Danvers and became the town of South Danvers, until it was renamed Peabody in 1868. Also known as Northfields, Salem Farms, and Brooksby.

Explore

Giles and Martha Corey memorial, Lowell Street near Crystal Lake. Erected 1992 near the former Corey home.

Nathaniel Felton Senior & Junior houses, 47 & 43 Felton Street. The Feltons defended their neighbor John Proctor during the Salem witch trials. Owned by the Peabody Historical Society and open to the public. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

General Gideon Foster House, 35 Washington Street. Headquarters of the Peabody Historical Society. In 1976, the tombstone of Hannah (Felton) (Endicott) Proctor (1663-1737) was discovered. Hannah married John Proctor’s son Thorndike (1672-1758) in 1697. Her tombstone is in the Victorian parlor of the Foster house.

“John Proctor” house, 348 Lowell Street. PRIVATE home. In the 1660s, John Proctor (1631-1692) leased 700 acres from Emmanuel Downing in what is now Peabody. In 1666, he was granted a license to operate a tavern on the main road. Around 1700, son Thorndike Proctor bought the property from Charles Downing. The farm remained in the Proctor family until 1851. While extensive studies have not been made, dendrology studies in 2018 showed the oldest section of the house (front west room) at this location was built in 1723.

John Proctor plaque, Quinn Square, Lowell Street. Original plaque dated from 1902, and was replaced in 1992.

Proctor’s Tomb, Route 128 North, exit 26 Peabody intersection, island between on/off ramps. Inside a stone fence with a sign that says “1821, Proctor’s Tomb,” there’s a large rectangular box with nothing inscribed on it. It could be the burial place of John Proctor’s descendants, since he owned property there in 1692, but no one knows.

Research

Peabody Historical Society & Museum, 35 Washington Street (headquarters). Ruth Hill Library & Archives, at the Osborne-Salata House at 33 Washington Street, includes vital records, genealogical materials, directories, maps, manuscripts, and photographs, as well as materials on Peabody cemeteries, churches, clubs, schools and government.

Peabody Institute Library, 82 Main Street. The public library’s archives are located in the Eben Dale Sutton Room. Collection includes rare books, manuscripts, photographs, prints, artifacts, and maps. Internet Archive collection online includes annual reports, newsletters, directories, ads, letters, speeches, and books.

Online Books & Records

History of Peabody, Massachusetts By Theodore Moody Osborne (1888)

Old Naumkeag: an historical sketch of the city of Salem, and the towns of Marblehead, Peabody, Beverly, Danvers, Wenham, Manchester, Topsfield, and Middleton by Charles Henry Webber and Winfield S. Nevins (1877)

Blog Posts

Unwavering faith: The testament of John Proctor

Giles and Martha Corey at Crystal Lake