Christmas In Salem 2023 Part I – St Peter’s-San Pedro Episcopal Church (Salem, MA)

Date Of Event: December 2, 2023 (event is held annually the first weekend of Dec)

Location: 24 St. Peter St, Salem, MA

Cost: Tickets for Christmas in Salem are available online at www.historicsalem.org at a cost of $40 for non-Historic Salem, Inc. members and $35 for HSI members.  Tickets purchased the day of the tour are $45.  Tour tickets including the Friday night candle-lit preview are $120 for non-HSI members and $100 for members of Historic Salem, Inc.  Christmas in Salem proceeds support the preservation mission of Historic Salem, Inc. 

Hours: Sat & Sun 10-4

Parking: there are several parking lots and metered street parking throughout the city.

Website: Christmas In Salem

Summary: The Christmas In Salem event consists of a tour of historic homes and buildings in Salem, MA. Each year, home owners and building management open their doors to visitors to get a glimpse into what these historic homes look like and what stories they may have.

If you’ve traveled to Salem, MA, you’ve undoubtedly passed by the historic St. Peter’s-San Pedro Episcopal Church. Yet, you may not know it’s secret history.

As luck would have it, this church was the first stop of the Christmas In Salem event. An annual event for the 44 years, Christmas In Salem showcases historical homes and buildings which are tastefully decorated for the tours. The homes and buildings also display historical and seasonable appropriate items. Tour guides inform the visitors of the historical significance and background of each building.

Because of all of the information disseminated at this event and the number of photos taken, I have decided to break this event up into a series of posts. There were 10 houses on this tour. So, there will be 10 posts for this event. I hope you join me on this tour of some of the most historical and beautiful buildings in Salem, MA!

St. Peter’s Church was established on St. Peter’s Day, June 29th, 1733, on land given by Phillip English and was built by parishioners and their slaves. From then it has grown and changed dramatically. The present church, which is constructed of Cape Ann granite, is our second church building and replaced the original yellow wooden church exactly 100 years later, on June 29th, 1833.

Although this church was built in 1873 from Cape Ann granite sourced from Rockport, MA, the St. Peter’s-San Pedro Episcopal Church, the history of the church in other forms, stretches back to St. Peter’s Day, June 29, 1733. The current church, which has 1733 pews, is said to have been constructed by parishioners and enslaved Africans according to the historical guide for this event. But, a different church in this location existed back to 1733. In fact, the original church at the location is said to have been a small wooden church built in 1733. It was demolished and the current church was built in 1833.

There are many stories and facts within the walls of this church. For instance, the bells of the church, which were being repaired during my visit, have rung for every President of the United States. It is the oldest bell in the United States.

Another interesting fact about the construction of the church is these stained glass windows. The stained glass windows are the original windows. Yes, according to the tour guide, these windows are 190 years old.

Also, the organ you may see on the balcony in the background of these photos is Salem’s first organ acquired in 1743. It is said Puritans were alarmed by these Earth shattering advancements. Imagine what they would think of TikTok.

Another interesting historical fact about this church has nothing to do with religion. Written by Salem native Nathaniel Bowditch, American Practical Navigator which was first published in 1867, is still said to be on every Naval vessel to this day. It also acts as good cure for insomnia. Fun fact: the ferry which some of you reading this may have used to travel from Salem to Boston’s Long Wharf, is also know as the Nathaniel Bowditch.

Some of the more interesting stories and facts about this church and the changes that have occurred dealt with some of the policies of the church.

Before the break of the colonies from the British government and before the church found its current location, it was required for the church to say a prayer for the British crown. This did not go over well as one could imagine during and after the American Revolution. However, while some loyalist ministers fled to Nova Scotia and other parts, some loyalist ministers still wished to say this prayer. You will see in the photo below it was actually scribbled over in the prayer books and replaced with a prayer for the state of Massachusetts and the new country called the United States of America.

The church was not without its conflict and strife, however. Because of the harassment many of the parishioners felt by loyalists, some of the patriots would spit upon the loyalists from the balcony and rocks were sometimes thrown at the church because of its support of the British government.

There was an also a pew (which the tour guide is standing in) was dedicated to the British crown. This tradition was stopped of course after the American Revolution. But, as a lark, former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick sat in the pew during a service. The photos below show some of the items which were on display at the church throughout the years.

There are certainly many more facts and stories from this church. But, it would take up the whole day and time was of the essence if I was able to make it to all of the houses for this event.

As I was leaving, I noticed how the church was decorated tastefully for the event. There was also a band playing Christmas tunes in the basement. I could have stayed there all day listening to their melodies. But, there were many more stops for the Christmas In Salem event.