From Teen Captain to the Knights of Columbus

When his mariner merchant father ran into monetary difficulties, he removed his 14-year-old son from school and put him to work on a ship. Thus began Nathaniel Silsbee's noteworthy career as a sea captain and merchant of Salem.

Nathaniel immediately signed on as a clerk on coasting vessels where he would monitor cargo bought and sold ensuring it was safe and undamaged. After several successful voyages, he was offered a berth on the Brig, the Three Sisters, as supercargo. A supercargo was responsible for the sale and purchase of cargos.

In this capacity, he was the agent of the owner, Elias Derby, and empowered to buy and sell for him. The Three Sisters went around the Cape of Good Hope in 1788 and proceeded to Batavia (Jakarta) and China before returning some 17 months later. This was one of the first ships opening China trade.

While at sea, he learned navigation skills as well as sailing from the captain. His pay for this voyage was $5 a month and what income he derived from an "adventure."

An adventure was a private speculation that could make a separate profit. In Silsbee's case, his father, still in dire straits, was only able to supply six boxes of codfish worth $18, which went bad on the voyage. His father died in 1791.

After a few coasting trips and a trip to Virginia as a Captain's clerk, Nathaniel was signed on as second mate bound for Madera. In 1792, at the age of 19, he was given command of the ship, Benjamin, by Elias Derby bound for the Cape of Good Hope and India with management of the voyage up to his own discretion. 

When he with his first mate, Charles Derby, picked up the ship papers at the Custom House they were told it was the first time a captain and first mate were both minors bound for the East Indies.

During this voyage, he demonstrated that he was not only an able mariner, but a world class merchant as well. He managed to sell his cargo at great profit due to a war between France and England, convert his profits to gold that tripled in value when he was caught in an embargo at the Isle of France port, Mauritius.

When allowed to leave, he converted the gold into another cargo of coffee and spices and headed for Salem.

Arriving at the Cape of Good Hope, he saw another opportunity for profit so he hired two Salem vessels that were there to bring his cargo home while he loaded another cargo of wine and merchandise for the Isle of France that was desperate for supplies.

He then sold his cargo at three times its cost and managed to get away from that port while being pursued by a war brig intent on enforcing a new embargo.

When he arrived at Salem after this 19-month voyage, he had made more than 100% profit for Derby and made himself enough money to buy the house and land his father had once owned and give it to his mother for her and his sisters and brothers. He also had sufficient monies to start investing.

Over the next 10 years, he made a number of very successful voyages and was able to invest in and eventually buy his own ships. With his help, his  younger brothers became ship captains before they were 21 years of age.

He received a Letter of Marque for his privateer ship, Herald. A Letter of Marque was provided by the US Congress giving him and his ship authority to seize any French vessel without fear of being charged with piracy.

This Letter was issued in retaliation for French seizures of American Ships. A privateer who seized a merchant ship with a Letter of Marque was entitled to a large share of the profits from its seizure and sale.

Retiring from the sea

In 1801, at the age of 28, Nathaniel Silsbee retired from the sea to focus his attention on merchant interests. In 1802, Silsbee married Mary Crowninshield, the daughter of one of Salem's wealthiest merchants.

In 1815, he was named a commissioner to organize the Boston Branch of the Bank of the United States. In 1816, he became a member of Congress representing Salem until 1821. From 1823-1825, he was president of the Massachusetts Senate. In 1826, he became a U.S. Senator where he remained until 1835.

In 1818-1819, Silsbee had a home built on the Salem Common that he envisioned as rivaling the homes being built for John Forrester at 29 Washington Square North and John Andrew at 13 Washington Square West, which were being built at the same time. Silsbee's house shared many of the architectural features of those other houses before later renovations.

According to Dr. Bentley's diary that chronicled the mansion building around the renovated Common, the original design had a Palladian window over the entrance as well as a Federalist columned porch.

During his time in politics, Silsbee frequently entertained guests at his home. Some notable ones were the Presidents Adams and Madison, General Lafayette, his friend and colleague in the Senate, Daniel Webster, as well as Senator Henry Clay of Virginia.

After Nathaniel Silsbee died in 1850, his son Nathaniel Jr. moved into the mansion, which he renovated in the Italianate style altering the front of the
building through the addition of over scaled window treatments and a balustrade front entrance. These changes as well as others make it difficult to envision the original Federalist Architecture according to Tolles in Architecture in Salem.

Nathaniel Silsbee Jr. lived here while he served as mayor of Salem (1849-1851 and 1858-1859). He was also a state representative for Salem. In 1860, he was appointed treasurer of Harvard University and moved to the Boston area selling his mansion to Edward Kimball a Boston businessman.

Knights of Columbus

Kimball and his family lived here until 1907 when the mansion was sold to the Knights of Columbus who converted it into their clubhouse. When purchasing the mansion, they were also able to buy many of the furnishings from the Kimball family. They commenced their occupancy with a gala garden party on June 7, 1907 that was attended by some three thousand.

In the 100-plus years, the Knights of Columbus have had this building it has hosted numerous fundraisers and has repeatedly opened its doors and responded to the needs of Salemites from the great fire of 1914 to the recent Melba House blaze in March of 2011.