Peabody Square, November 1963.
Courtesy The George Peabody House & Peabody Leather Workers Museum
Peabody Square Through the Years
Get the book that celebrates over a hundred years of Peabody history through stunning images from the early years through today. The Salem News was pleased to have worked with the Peabody Historical Society & Museum and the Peabody Institute Library to bring this heirloom-quality, coffee-table book to their readers. Shipping in time for Christmas, this hardbound book is the perfect gift for any long-time Peabody resident.
---
The Soldiers and Sailors Monument has looked over traffic in Peabody Square since its erection in 1880, honoring Peabody natives who died in the Civil War.
Peabody Square, 1906.
Courtesy Mike Schulze
According to a Salem News article, "historian and Historical Society member Bill Power said at the time [of its construction that] the structure was meant to dominate the city and celebrate the bravery of local soldiers who fought in the Civil War. The monument was dedicated in 1881, and was designed by Thomas Crawford in the likeness of his other famous creation, which sits atop the U.S. Capitol building."
Cathy Haynes, left, is weighing items and Bill Clark is helping customers at the Clark Farm stand at the Peabody Farmers Market in July 1989.
Courtesy The Salem News
In 2016 the monument found a new home some thirty feet from where it originally stood. It is still a focal point of Peabody Square, and the hope is that the intersection in the center of the square is now much easier for commuters to navigate.
From an article about the project, "There were three major goals for the project, [Mayor Bettencourt] said: Make the square safer for pedestrians, make it easier for vehicles to maneuver through — 'It was difficult to make any left turn in Peabody Square,' said Bettencourt — and rejuvenate an area that had become worn and tired."
It will take time to discover whether these goals were accomplished, but in any case the Soldiers and Sailors Monument still stands proud over the people of Peabody in its new home next to the courthouse.
The still-new district courthouse in Peabody Square in the 1970s.
Courtesy The George Peabody House & Peabody Leather Workers Museum
See these and hundreds of other beautiful, historic photos throughout Peabody's history in the Salem News' new book, Celebrating Peabody: 100 Years of a City in the Making. Shipping in time for Christmas, this book is the perfect gift for any long-time Peabody resident.
$39.95