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The Freedman Block at the corner of Endicott and Margin streets in Salem, Massachusetts was completed in 1915 in response to the Great Salem Fire of 1914. It was the largest of three projects undertaken by Isaac Freedman, a building supplies dealer who traveled to Salem from Roxbury following the fire. Freedman founded the Salem Lime and Cement Company and the I. Freedman Company, Inc., which he operated out of 47 Jefferson Avenue until construction was complete on the Freedman Block.
At the time, Freedman was also building a four-story brick apartment building on Harbor Street and another on Lafayette Street between Peabody and Ward streets. An investment of $161,000 (Almost $5 million in 2024)
The five-story Endicott Street building was constructed for industrial purposes with tapestry brick and was trimmed with artificial granite on a steel frame. The building was celebrated for its sturdy construction and handsome architecture which quickly earned the nickname “Salem’s Flatiron Building” due to its unique shape which mimicked New York’s Flatiron Building, which opened in 1902.
By November 1915, the factory space in the Freedman Block had sat empty for months. Despite efforts by Freedman and Mayor O’Keefe to lure a tenant, they were unsuccessful. The building was soon put up for auction. Freedman closed his businesses in Salem and relocated to Chelsea, Massachusetts.
In 1920, the building was sold to the produce company Eldridge Baker. The Salem Evening News added, “It is understood that Parker Bros. will occupy the building for their game business for several months…” In 1924, Parker Brothers expanded their Bridge Street property by purchasing a 55,000-square-foot parcel from the City of Salem.
The Freedman Block was razed around 1956. The location is now 87 Margin Street, which houses the John J. Walsh Insurance Agency.
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Freedman Block Photographs and Ephemera
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