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Text
TO:
FROM:
HISTORIC SALEM, INC.
Mr. & Mrs. Robert J. Powers
REFERENCE:
384 Essex St., Salem, .Ma.
- HISTORIC PLAQUE
Research indicates that the above building sometimes
referred to as The East India House and The Sprague-Stearns
House was built by Captain Joseph Dean in 1706.
pla~ue,
ering the historic
In consid-
we feel historically correct in
placing the following:
BUILT BY
CAPT. JOSEPH DEAN
'
1706
.
Other alternatives were possible. ·Most people in Salem
..·
..
·
today know this house as The East India House.
indeed, an exciting part of its heritage.
This was,
In 1929, it was
:
named The East India House by Dr. John Ballou, who was living
there at that time.
It was run as an Inn and a Tea Room during
the following period and was so named, according to Mr. James
Ballou, because of their grandfather who had many artifacts of
.
the East India trade period.
as the Stearns-Sprague House.
It is also sometimes referred to
This refers to the period between
1774 and 1929 when Colonel Joseph Sprague and his decendents,
the Stearns' owned it.
Major Sprague, who later became a Colonel,
was one of the_ leading spirits on the patriot side when the British
arrived in Salem in February, 1775 .
.. '.'.
In our five years of ownership, we have alw8ys
~
..
. "'
refprr~a
to it
�as the East India House.
style and
fla~or
of the period of the house ana keeps us
in touch with its origins.
,;.,
''
The connotation reflects the
�March 11, 1976
TO:
HISTORIC SALEM, INC.
REFERENCE:
FROM:
Buildin~
at 384 Essex Sto, Salem, Ma.
Sometimes known as the East India House, StearnsSprague House
Mr. & Mrs. Robert J. Powers
Certain questions existed as to the exact date when
the building at 384 Essex St., Salem, Ma. was constructed.
Through a thorough research and investigation of documents
fil~d at the Registry of Deeds, Essex Cty., ProLate ~t., Essex
Ct~, a11d The Essex Institute, we confidently conclude and
confirm that Captain Joseph Dean, did in fact, build said
house between 1705 and 1706. We submit the tollowing:evidence:
1.
Records of Essex Probate Court show that Capt. Joseph
Dean died in 1709. His estate was inventoried in 1710
and showed, among other possessions, his dwelling place.
(see inventory)
2.
Records at 't'he Essex Institute indicate that a lar~e
tax increase occured between the years of 1706 and 1707.
3.
Documents at The Essex Institute indicate that Joseph
Dean married Elizabeth Flint in 1697 and had four
children between 1697 and 1709. This in!ormatiop is
confirmed in deeds at the Registry of Deeds.
4.
Deeds at the Essex Registry of Deeds show that Thomas
Flint conveyed the said lot to Joseph Dean, for 30 lbs.
on May 7, 1'706.
5 •• The Essex Institute's copy of Historic District Comm.
findings show said building dates 1706. Many other
references site building date 1706 or circa 1706.
Weaving the above facts together one has to conclude the
following:
The building that now rests at the corner of
Essex and what has become lmown as Flint Street, formerly
Dean's Lane, was constructed by Joseph Dean before 1707 for
his wife, Elizabeth (Flint), and family, on land sold to him
by his father-in-law, one Captain Thomas Flint. As you know,
Salem residents at that time were inclined for financial
reasons, not to disclµse tho possession of valued property
which might be taxed by the crown. Joseph Dean died in 1709.
His estate inventoried in 1710, listed· his dwelling place.
Obviously then, the b~ilding wns constructed prior to his
demise. One can logically conclude when ojJserving the tax
records, the inventory and appraisal of Joseph Dean's estate
and the fact that he had four children between 1697 and 1709,
that the building was constructed between 1705 - 1706 and that
he first paid tax to the crown on the building and property in 1707.
,- .,.'
�J/;' ·_
'-- ... -~--
;..!-· •.
OWl~ERS
o:e
. ...
·
384 ESSEX STH.EET' SALEM' MASSACEUSE'l'TS
Elizabeth Spooner'.
on May 11, 1672
sold to:
(Blk. 5 Lf 69)
( Westerly from a lar.o tliat leads from Main St. to
North River northerly and easterly by lancl of
Jos. Douglass and southerly to Main St •••• )
CAPT. TI-IOS. FLINT who, on May 7, 1706, sold to:
(Ek. 13 Pg.182)
(,.containing 60 pole" of ~round more or less being about
3/4 part of that land which I formerly bought of Elizabeth
Spooner late of Salem, died having sold the other 4th part
therof to Edmond Bridges, late of Sale~, aforeHaid deed &
said piece of land hereby sold being abutted and Lounded
as followth: westerly with a lane that leads from Maio St.
and ye North River, northerly and easterly with ye land of
Jos. Douglas and southerly with ye Main St. to have and
to hold ye said piece of parcel of land with all •.. "
MR. JOSEPH DEAN who, died on Dec. 29, 1709
(Probate court; will & Inventory dated Feb. 5, 1711
listing "Dwelling house •.. 60 pole of land, about
36 rod of land Ly John Simpsons"
Joseph Dean married to Elizabeth Flint (mar. 1697)
had 4 children. The property in question passed
to the anly son, Joseph (IToseph the Hatter~)
Joseph, the Hattermarried Elizabeth Bowers. They
had 3 sons. Upon the demise of Joseph, the Hatter
the property was beque~thed to 2 of his sons:
Joseph and John.
JOSEPH (The Hatter) & ELIZABETH DEAN sold to:
(Bk. 124 Pg. 254,55)
Apr. 7, 1767
("about an acre bounded northwest, Main St.
westerly, southerly - way leading to Great Pasture so on
land of Nathaniel Ropes, esq. and east and northeast
partly on land of Matthew Mansfield & partly on land of
Billings Bradish as the same as now fenced being the
same land contained in Edward Flint's ~eed of July 14, 1744
JOHN & SARAH DEAN
JOSEPH SPRAGUE
& JOSEPH DEAN, who sold to:
from
JOHN, DEAN on Oct. 24, 1774 (Bk. 134 Pr;. 54
" .. (same description as above) ••• "also the easterly & northerly parts of my said Father's
homestead land conveyed to me by the same deed bounded
westerly on a lane, called Dean's Lane, 35' northerly,
85' & easterly 125' & ~· on land late of Joshua Hicks
deceased now of James Grant & Mary his ~ife, to the Main
St. southerly on the Main St., 53k' to the center of the
front of said homestead land from which center the
line runs northerly to a stake in the center of a line
�~
·'-
\it?..
', ·: ··.~.--.,.
""'."--~··•,,
,. ~I
~
•·
drawn from said Dean's Lane on the west to said Grant's
land which lies on the north side of said homestead &
from said stake the line runs westward to Lean's Lane
aforesaid keeping said distance of 35' from said Grant's
land on the north as aforesaid. Also the easterly
eud of my said Father's mansion house divided :from the
remainder by the west side of the Great Entry till you
come to the uppermost chamber or garret floor ...
JOSEPH SPRAGUE from JOSEPH DEAN on Feb. 21, 1775:
(Bk. 123 Pg. 220)
" .•. Westerly part of house & land under same and thereto
adjoining situate in said Salem which were conveyed
to me by Father and Mother, Joseph Dean & Elizabeth,
his wifei Bk. 124, leaf 255, bounded south on Main St.
about 53 2 ', west on Dean's Lane; so-called, 139' &
north and east on land & the other part of said dwelling
now belonging to Joseph Sprague which he lately pur
chased of my borther, John Dean, by a deed in which the
several boundaries on said east and northerly sides of
premises are partially described in Bk. 134, Lf. 54.
(Joseph Sprague's daughter married Dr. William
Stearns. Upon Joseph Sprague's death, the
Stearns' move into the house.)
STEARNS DECENDENTS to FRANKLIN BALLOU on Nov. 12, 1930:
SALEM FIVE CENTS SAVINGS BANK
on July 31, 1937:
SARAH S. BALLOU who deeded it to JOHN B. MARY E. BALLOU
on Mardi 5, 1959:
(Bk. 5239 Pg. 161)
who, on Jan. 15, 1965, sold it to:
FRED
& ADALAIDE WINTER, who on March 10, 1971 sold to:
ROBERT
& MARY L. POWERS, the present owners.
(Bk. 5750
P~.
203)
bounded and described as follows:
southeasterly by Essex
St1 93.07 ft.; westerly by Flint St. by 2 courses,
22.48 ft. & 131.29 ft.; northerly by land now or
formerly of Stearns 74.25 ft.; easterly by land now or
formerly of Silsbee or Lou~ee, 119.87 ft.
�FAMILY TREE OF 384 ESSEX ST., SALEM, MA.
ELIZABETH SPOONER
CAPT. THOS. FLINT
(married 8-16-1697)
CAPT. JOS. DEAN
s . JOS • LEAN r ·
( 'l'he Hatter)
d•
r
ELI ZALE TH
(b. 1701)
married
SAMUEL FIELr
(in 1731)
I
married
ELIZABETH E:.OWERS
ELIZABETH (FLINT) DEAN
d.DESIPEE
(b. 1702)
d.MARY
(b. 1709)
married
I
THOS. 5LANE~
married
JOHN ROPES
1 s. JOS. DEAN (wife, Martha)
""
s. JOHN DEANl(wife,Sarah-1766)
(wife,Rebecca- 17
:. [ s.
JONATHAN
COL. JOS. SPRAGUE
(died 1808)
1774- -75....._-'-----~_;_----"
I
I
SPRAGUE I'ECENDENTS
THE STEARNS
J PRANKLIN
J
SALEM FIVE CENTS SAVINGS
E.ANK
f sARAH
S. BALL04
JOHN E. & MARY E. Ell LLO!J
FH.ED & AL-ALA I DE i 1:1 NTER
HODERT
·
.... --,
.\.·.•·.,.,
& MARY POWERSf
l
��William 8tearns House (East India House, 384 Essex Street
Owner: :Mrs. Franklin Ballou
1971, March Robert Powers
"Among all the numerous tabernacle doorways nnd porches
which ndorn (older) survivins
~alem
houses of the period
before 1793, the only one which we may confidently attribute
to Mcintire is that of the William itea.rns house • • • It
(Fiske Kimball).
Taken from:
Essex Institute Historical Collections
April - July 1957
SAMUEL MCINTIRE
A BICENTENNIAL SY':'POSIUM
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Essex Street
Historic Salem, Inc. House History
A resource made available by Historic Salem, Inc. detailing the history of Salem's houses.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
384 Essex Street, Salem, Massachusetts 01970
Subject
The topic of the resource
House history
Description
An account of the resource
Built by Captain Joseph Dean in 1706; also known as the William Stearns or Stearns-Sprague House; at one time run as the East India House guesthouse.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Historic Salem, Inc.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Historic Salem, Inc. house histories
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Historic Salem, Inc.; Salem Historical Society
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
Built 1706; researched 1976
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Researched by Mr. and Mrs. Robert J Powers
Language
A language of the resource
English
1706
384 Essex Street
East India House
Joseph Dean
Salem MA
Stearns-Sprague House
William Stearns