Henry Laurens Williams

Henry Laurens Williams was born in Salem on July 23, 1815, to Captain Israel Williams and Lydia (Waite) Williams. His father was the first captain of Friendship, the flagship of the merchant partnership of Peirce and Waite. Following in this maritime tradition, young Henry began his career in the merchant house of Joseph Peabody and later became a partner with Henry Tucker Daland in the Boston firm of Daland & Williams.

In 1858, Williams retired from the shipping business and was elected a director of the Eastern Railroad. He served as the twentieth mayor of Salem during both the Nation’s Centennial and the completion of the City Hall Extension. At the dedication ceremony on May 8, 1876, Williams delivered an eloquent address reflecting on Salem's rich history while emphasizing the need to adapt to a growing and changing population. At the time of his death, he was serving as president of the Salem Five Cents Savings Bank and of the National Exchange Bank. 

Williams married Elizabeth Tucker Daland, daughter of John Tucker Daland. In 1846, the architect Gridley J. F. Bryant designed their residence at 342 Essex Street. Henry Laurens Williams died on September 21, 1879.

He is buried on Highland Avenue, Lot #563.