John Hathorne House

The following data is extracted from The Essex Antiquarian - May, 1899.

John Hathorne House. This lot and all the lots between this and Summer street, north of the Corwin land, belonged to Ralph Fogg in 1659, the tract containing about two acres. Mr. Fogg returned to England, and established himself as a furrier, first in Plymouth, and subsequently in London. He died in England about March 15, 1673-4, leaving the real estate to his widow Susanna and his three sons, John, David and Ezekiel. At the request of the widow, the brothers being together in Boston May 28, 1674, David and Ezekiel released the real estate to John, who then resided in Barnstable, Devonshire, England.¹
John Fogg released to his brother Ezekiel, who was a merchant of London, but at that time in New England, a small portion of this lot, being that part within the four dashes, for thirty pounds, Jan. 2, 1674-5, the strip being then occupied by Hilliard Veren;² and Ezekiel conveyed it, still being occupied by Mr. Veren, for ten pounds, to John Marston, jr., of Salem May 21, 1676.³ Dea. John Marston, sr., of Salem, carpenter, conveyed it to John Hathorne, esq., of Salem, merchant, Aug. 25, 1685.⁴
The remainder of this lot, and all the tract west of it and north of the Corwin land, had come into the possession of Colonel Hathorne about 1675, probably by deed from John Fogg. Colonel Hathorne divided the tract west of this lot into house lots, as shown on the map, and conveyed them to several parties, as hereinafter stated. Most of them were sold on one day, May 19, 1699.
Washington street was probably the only street laid out in Salem in the earliest days. It crossed the peninsula at its narrowest part, to form communication between the two rivers most advantageously. Its width was four rods, and except the slight widenings it received in the distant past at several points it is the same now. The breadth was unnecessary in the early days; and, 6: 1 mo: 1661, the town granted to Henry West, a sadler, a plot (shown on the map near house of Col. John Hathorne) two rods in length, and eighteen feet wide at one end and twenty at the other, on which to build a house. He erected a small house on it, and owned the place until Aug. 16, 1671, when he sold the house and lot to John Marston, jr., of Salem, carpenter.⁵ Aug. 25, 1685, Deacon Marston conveyed the land and house to Colonel Hathorne.⁶ On the south side of this lot was about a square rod of land without the travelled way which the town had permitted Thomas Tuck, the blacksmith, to use in connection with his shop. This is the triangular-shaped lot marked on the map. The town granted this lot to Colonel Hathorne March 31, 1684, and it was laid out to him by the selectmen twelve days later.
Upon the large lot that had belonged to the Foggs Colonel Hathorne erected his mansion house (where it is shown on the map), probably soon after his purchase, about 1675. He removed the house that he had bought of Deacon Marston in 1700, and probably allowed to become a part of the street again the lots that had been granted to West and himself.
Colonel Hathorne died in 1717, at the age of seventy-six. The house and lot were then valued at three hundred pounds. He devised his real estate to his sons Ebenezer, Joseph and Benjamin. Benjamin Hathorne lived in Salem, being a mariner, and he conveyed his interest in his father's real estate in Salem to his brother Joseph July 13, 1726;⁷ and Ebenezer, who resided in London, England, being a mariner, conveyed his interest to Joseph, while in Virginia, July 10, 1732.⁸ Joseph Hathorne resided in this house, and was a mariner. He conveyed the estate to John Higginson of Salem, gentleman, for eight hundred and twenty-five pounds, Aug. 3, 11726;⁹ and on the next day Mr. Higginson reconveyed it to Mr. Hathorne, who is then called a mariner.¹⁰ Mr. Hathorne died possessed of the house and lot in 1762, having devised his real estate to his wife Sarah for her life, with remainder to his sons William and Daniel and daughters Ruth, wife of David Ropes, and Sarah, wife of Daniel Cheever, equally. A partition was made Nov. 9, 1763, the sons taking the Hathorne farm and the daughters this house and lot.¹¹ April 6, 1764, the daughters divided the premises, Mrs. Ropes taking the house and eastern part of the lot, and Mrs. Cheever the western part of the lot.¹² There were upon this lot below the house, in 1772, three shops occupied by Samuel Archer, Samuel Blyth and Ebenezer Swan, respectively. The house was burned down in the great fire, Oct. 6, 1774, the shops escaping the flames.

Source: The Essex Antiquarian - May, 1899

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