Salem in the Aftermath
The burned area in Salem stretched over a mile from the Blubber Hollow industrial area all the way into the wharves in Palmer’s Cove. Over 1,300 buildings burned, including both homes and businesses. Even newer buildings which had been built to withstand fire stood no chance, surrounded by older wooden buildings which were quickly consumed by the flames.
One tragic loss was the twin-towered St. Joseph’s Church in the French neighborhood, which had finished construction only three years before, in 1911. The neighborhood was destroyed, including many of the historic homes on Lafayette Street. Other homes in what is now the McIntire Historic District escaped destruction only through a change in the wind.
The City Orphan Asylum burned as well, though not before the nuns successfully evacuated the children and older women who lived there. The same occurred at the Salem Hospital. Pequot Mills, owned by Naumkeag Steam Cotton Company, was almost entirely destroyed.
Report of dangerous ruins
Building ruins after the fire
Debris falls from a burned out building
Building ruins after the fire
People observing the ruins
Ruined chimney at or near Pequot Mills
Ruined chimneys after the fire
A burned building falls in front of
Saint Joseph's Church
Electric light station surrounded
by ruins
Downed electric wires and
building ruins
Militia members and civilians in front of the ruins of Pequot Mills
Falling chimney
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Report of dangerous ruins
This report details the investigation of the dangerous ruins in the burned area in Salem, dividing them into two categories. The first category was of ruins that presented an imminent danger to passersby, and the second was of ruins that should be demolished before any work was done in the area.
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People observing the ruins
The ruins quickly became a curiosity. Newspapers reported that 200,000 people came from other towns and cities to view the destruction.
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A burned building falls in front of Saint Joseph's Church
A burned building, possibly the parish house, falls in front of Saint Joseph's Church on Lafayette Street. The church, only recently constructed in 1911, was gutted by the fire. The parish would use the cellar and tower bases until a new church was built in 1949. The new Saint Joseph's was later torn down and replaced with affordable housing in 2013.
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Electric light station surrounded by ruins
The electric light station on Peabody Street survived the fire, as it was constructed without any wood and had open space on three sides of the building. It was reported that two men remained safely inside during the entire fire. Electricity was provided to Salem for eleven days by the Peabody Municipal Light Plant as a reciprocal gesture for Salem's assistance during a fire at the Peabody plant in 1913.
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Militia members and civilians in front of the ruins of Pequot Mills
The Naumkeag Steam Cotton Company, the largest employer in the city, suffered the loss of nearly all of its 20 buildings at Pequot Mills, with only two small storehouses surviving. The company rebuilt, introducing electric power to the new mills, before eventually moving their operations out of Salem in 1953. The complex was converted into the Shetland Park office park in 1958.
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Curated by: Rhiannon Stewart
With Assistance From: Yolande Bennett
