107 Federal Street inventory form page 2 BUILDING FORM 107 Federal Street, Salem
ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION see continuation sheet
Describe architectural features. Evaluate the characteristics of this building in terms of other buildings within the
community.
107 Federal Street is a modest 2 1/2 story Second Empire building. The style is well represented in the district
including good examples at 348 and 386 Essex Street. The building has an irregular plan, since it sits at the SW
corner of Beckford and Federal streets and has a canted corner facing the intersection. There are four bays on
Beckford Street and two bays on Federal. There is a storefront at the first story facing Federal Street and the
facade above the store is sheathed in flushboard siding. It is topped by a bell cast mansard roof which is
interrupted by two dormers on the north elevation,three on the east elevation and one on the south. The
pedimented dormers are enriched with keystones,dentils and scrolls. There is a brick rear-wall chimney on the
south slope of the roof. The storefront is ornamented with paneled pilasters topped by a plain projecting cornice.
The storefront has oversized 6-light display windows with plywood skirts framing a recessed entrance with a recent
metal and glass door with a sidelight. The transom is filled with an air conditioner. The comer storefront window
retains its skirt panel below. A plain projecting cornice runs across the top of the storefront on Federal Street and
at the corner and lst bay on Beckford Street. The recessed residential entrance in the west bay on Federal Street
has double wood panel doors surmounted by a transom. On Beckford Street, the one storefront bay has been fulled
with clapboard. A second story oriel in the west bay of the Federal Street elevation has a bracketed cornice and a
paneled skirt. The storefront cornice wraps around the skirt of the oriel. Other ornament includes incised brackets
at the main cornice and heavy hood molds with brackets at the windows. A door in the S bay of the east elevation
is topped by a bracketed door hood and the opening is filled with clapboard. One window on the south elevation
has been filled with clapboard The shuttered windows have 2/2 sash and there is one jalousie window in the
storefront. A single metal panel door in the west elevation(S bay)has a transom covered with plywood.
The building sits at the sidewalk along Beckford and Federal Streets. There is a paved parking area to the west of
the building.
HISTORICAL NARRATIVE x see continuation sheet
Discuss the history of the building. Explain its associations with local(or state)history. Include uses of the
building and the role(s) the owners/occupants played within the community.
107 Federal Street was constructed ca 1884 for John Chandler. There is some confusion regarding the exact
ownership of the property since the HSI report indicates that Joseph Chandler, John's father,purchased the
property at the SW corner of Federal and Beckford Streets in 1873,but the father Joseph had died in 1863. It is
possible that Joseph Chandler, the son of Joseph and brother to John, purchased the property, since the will
referred to mentions that Joseph Chandler lived in Cambridge, not Salem. Joseph Chandler Sr. lived in Salem
until his death. The property had an existing store and residence on it at the time. In 1837,the property was
occupied by a Mr. Farrington,a druggist,who had his store here. Sometime between 1883 and 1897,John
Chandler demolished the existing buildings on the site to build a new grocery store and dwelling. In 1874, John
Chandler moved from his parents' house at 7 River Street to 107 Federal Street,where he lived and ran a grocery
store. But it appears that the new building was probably built ca 1884, soon after John Chandler purchased the
property from the estate of Joseph Chandler in August 1883. Prior to 1874,the grocery store was located across
the street at 106 Federal Street. It appears that sometime after John Chandler died ca. 1903, Albert Jenks came in
to run the grocery store at 107 Federal Street. In the 1910 directory,Jenks was listed as living at 126 1/2 Federal
Street and his occupation was grocer, 107 Federal. Since John Chandler and his wife had no children,the building
was bequeathed to The Association for the Relief of Aged and Destitute Women and the Salem Seaman's Orphan
and Children's Friend Society. These organizations sold the property in 1912 to Albert Jenks. Following the
death of Anna F. Jenks, the property was transferred to Mildred A Herrick& Samuel F. Bridges in 1941. The
property was sold six times between 1941 and 1968. It has recently been occupied as a convenience store at the