I took a walk in downtown Salem today as the first major snowstorm of the year was just winding down. There was at least a foot of snow on the ground after a blizzard hit overnight. The photo to the left and the one below are of the statue of the founder of Salem Roger Conant. In 1626, he founded Salem, Massachusetts and was its first governor, but in 1627 he was replaced by John Endicott. He remained active in town affairs and is today memorialized in a statue across from the Salem Common.[4] He died on November 19, 1679 in Beverly, a nearby town which he also helped found. Check out the wikipedia article on him here to find out more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Conant_%28Salem%29

On Essex Street i took the shot below of the Gardiner-Pingree House which is a National Historic Landmark at 128 Essex Street in Salem, Massachusetts. The house was built in 1804 by Samuel McIntire in a Federal style. It was added to the National Historic Register in 1970. The house is owned by the Peabody Essex Museum as part of the Essex Institute, and is open for guided tours. It features 18th and early 19th century furnishings.