Jerry,
I grew up in Salem and lived in a famous home that was originally built around 1770. When my parents bought the home, for $15,000, it had previously been remodeled to be a rooming house. They later sold it for $45,000. The new owner’s plan was to restore the home to its prior condition. The home has been written about many times over the years. This article provides some of the details along with some photos:
https://www.preservingsalem.com/grimshawe-houseThe article in incorrect about the home being used for a barber shop. My father was a barber and he set up a “barber shop” in the basement where he gave me and my brothers haircuts. A later article said that the barbering equipment was still in the basement.
Nathaniel Hawthorne married one of three sisters, Sophia Peabody, who lived in the home. There have been several books written about Nathaniel Hawthorne and the three Peabody sisters.
There is also a famous burial ground next to the home where famous people at the time who died were buried. My brothers and I would hit fly balls to each other in the cemetary and hop over tombstones
. No respect!
While in grammar school, I would daily pass the Nathaniel Hawthorne statue on the way to school. And I often passed by the Customs house where he worked at one time.
Living in that home, and being exposed to roomers of all stripes for many years, I came to understand the human condition early on. It was a great and valuable experience. We could have written a book or started a TV series on the things that went on in that home.
As can be seen by this Zillow piece, the home has a modern price value:
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/53-Charter-St-Salem-MA-01970/56124234_zpid/There were a few pizza places at the time in Salem, owned and run mostly by Greeks. That is where we went.
Peter
