the largest building in Essex county and one of the largest in New England. Hawthorne hill is one of the most elevated in town, and this building is visible for miles and miles across the country and far out to sea. The winding road leading to the summit is as smooth as a gravelled road can be. The slopes are nicely graded and turfed, while around the building at the top of the hill are beautiful flower-gardens. The area owned by the State is 1974 acres, and the extreme elevation is 257 feet above sea level. There are ten sections in the main group, connected by fire-proof corridors. Each of these sections is, in itself, a large building. The structure is four stories in height and is built of brick in the domestic Gothic style of architecture. The administration building is sixty feet in width and ninety-seven feet in length. Immediately in the rear of this, is another building 180 feet long and sixty feet wide. Extending outward from these buildings, are three more on either side, each 147 feet long by sixty-four feet in width, each successive building on a side falling back of the preceding fifty feet, more or less. Lying obliquely to these buildings, and connected with them, are the two extreme sections, each 117 feet long and fifty-six feet wide. The distance from the extreme points of the two buildings most remote from each other, is, in a straight line, 1180 feet. These two extreme wings are for the more excited patients. The interior is finished in superb style, the ceilings and walls being richly frescoed. Nothing that ingenuity could suggest, or money procure, for the comfort and convenience of the unhappy inmates has

been omitted. The asylum is calculated to accommodate about 500 patients. Ascending the tower, on the southerly side, we find ourselves more than a hundred yards above sea level. At our feet repose the numerous villages of Danvers, Peabody, Lynnfield, Wenham and Middleton, while in the distance we see Salem, Beverly, Cape Ann, Marblehead, Baker's and Lowell islands, Lynn, Topsfield and other places.

Our view of Danvers is perfect. We see here at a glance a thriving town that has grown rich from market-gardening, brick-making, and the manufacture of shoes. There are rising 140 farms with 295 farmers; also 101 brickmakers, 522 shoemakers and 335 common laborers. The orcharding exceeds that of any other town in Essex county; 20,000 appletrees alone are cultivated for their fruit. To this we may add a yearly crop of onions amounting to 14,000 bushels, and other garden produce in proportion. The annual manufacture of bricks often reaches four, and sometimes five millions. Good clay for this purpose is abundant. The gathering of peat from the meadows, for fuel, is also an extensive business; and then there are flourishing carpet-manufactories and iron-works.

Thirteen hundred families, consisting of 6024 persons, dwelling in 1014 houses, make up the sum total of population. The valuation of the town is $3,341,100 and the productions during the year 1874 amounted to $2,488,522. Danvers was incorporated as a town on June 16, 1757, and is said to have derived its name from Sir Danvers Osborn, an English nobleman, and at one time a Governor of New York.

On December 31, 1638, it was "agreed and voted (by the people of Salem), that there should be a village granted to Mr. Phillips and his company, upon such conditions as the seven men appointed for the town affairs should agree.” This was the origin of the name "Salem village," so long applied to the settlement in Danvers. In 1671, the people of this village were released from parish charge to the First Church. They still kept up worship, however, sometimes by means of laymen, and again by regular preachers. Rev. James Bagley was first pastor of the church and began his labors on October 28, 1671. He was succeeded by Rev. George Burroughs who was subsequently executed for witchcraft. The first meeting-house stood very near the site of the present edifice on what was then known as "Watch-house hill." On the 23d of October, by a vote of Salem, the "village" and the "middle precinct" were, "with the consent of the legislature," allowed to become a separate town. The General Court refused to sanction the vote because it would increase the number of representatives, but constituted them a district instead of a town, the act of incorporation dating January 28, 1752. The name Danvers was given the new district at this time. The subject of making it a separate town was brought before the legislature again, before long, and, on June 16, 1757, the act incorporating the town of Danvers as a separate municipality was passed. On May 18, 1855, the town was divided into Danvers and South Danvers. South Danvers was given the name of Peabody on April 13, 1868.

The first town meeting was held on March 4,

1752, in the meeting-house of the north parish. The order for this meeting began thus: "These may notify the inhabitants of Salem alious Danvers, etc." Daniel Eppes, Esq., was moderator, Daniel Eppes, jr., clerk, and James Prince, treasurer. Daniel Eppes, jr., Capt. Samuel Flint and Deacon Cornelius Tarbell were chosen selectmen. Among the names of the other officers chosen at that first meeting were many so familiar to the old town at the present time, such as Putnam, Preston, Derby, Andrews, Proctor and others. The population at this time was about 500 and the number of houses 140.

Speaking of the first settlers of these two towns, Hon. Charles W. Upham says: "Their descendants remain in large numbers on the same area to-day. Perhaps it would be safe to say that in no district of our county have old families been so numerously preserved. Very many now occupy lands which their first American ancestors cleared."

This town has furnished three members of Congress, all of whom became men of note. They were Samuel Holton, Nathan Reed and Daniel P. King. It has given to the military service of the country such men as General Israel Putnam, General Gideon Foster and General Moses Porter: and in the wars of the revolution, of 1812, that with Mexico in 1846, and in the late civil war, Danvers did her whole duty, both in the number of men and in the quality. Samuel Holton was a man of extensive public service. Born

1 Essex Inst. Hist. Coll., Vol. 10, p. 1.