Crowninshield-Bentley House
Encyclopedia
Colonial America
The colonial history of the United States covers the history from the start of European settlement and especially the history of the thirteen colonies of Britain until they declared independence in 1776. In the late 16th century, England, France, Spain and the Netherlands launched major...
house in the Georgian style, located at 126 Essex Street, Salem, Massachusetts
Salem, Massachusetts
Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,407 at the 2000 census. It and Lawrence are the county seats of Essex County...
. It is now owned by the Peabody Essex Museum
Peabody Essex Museum
The Peabody Essex Museum , originally the Peabody Museum of Salem and the Essex Institute, in Salem, Massachusetts is the oldest continuously operating museum in the United States, and holds one of the major collections of Asian art in the US; its total holdings include about 1.3 million pieces, as...
and open for public tours from June to October.
The house was originally built for sea captain John Crowninshield at a site on 106 Essex Street. It is a symmetrical five-bay structure, clapboarded, two stories tall, with three small dormers through the roof, and a central entry door. Some believe it may have started as a "half house" on the east side, and been expanded in 1761 and again in 1794. The building was moved to its present location in 1959-1960, at which time it was restored.
Four generations of Crowninshields lived in the house until 1832. Its main historical interest centers upon Reverend William Bentley
William Bentley
William Bentley was an American Unitarian minister, scholar, columnist, and diarist....
, a boarder from 1791 to 1819.