Henry Perkins Benson

Henry Perkins Benson served as the thirty-ninth mayor of Salem from 1916 to 1917, beginning his term at a difficult time in the city’s history, following the devastating Salem Fire of 1914. Elected under a new city charter in December 1915, Benson brought clear vision and effective leadership to the task of recovery and rebuilding. His administration helped guide Salem through the immediate post-fire crisis, restoring civic stability and laying the groundwork for the city’s renewal. Before becoming Mayor, he was already involved in civic affairs, serving in the Salem City Council in 1902 and the board of aldermen in 1906.

Benson was born on December 30, 1866, in Salem, the son of George W. Benson and Elizabeth Poole, and the grandson of shipmaster Capt. Samuel Benson. He grew up in a family of notable accomplishments: his brother Frank W. Benson was a world-renowned Impressionist painter, while another brother, John P. Benson, became a respected architect and later an artist noted for his maritime paintings. Henry attended the Phillips School and Salem High School before enrolling at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, from which he graduated in 1886.

In 1892, Benson married Rebecca Appleton Broadhead of Salem, the daughter of Frederick Broadhead and Eliza T. Broadhead. The couple had three daughters: Rosamund (Storrow), Ruth (Pickering), and Rebecca (Haskell).

Following his education, Benson entered the cotton trade, joining the Boston firm A. Emerson & Co., where he rose to become president. In 1905, he became a director of the Naumkeag Steam Cotton Company, one of the nation’s leading textile producers, and in 1920, he was elected its president, a position he held until his retirement in 1946. Beyond business, Benson maintained wide-ranging interests, including early automobile ownership, reflected in his 1949 memoir, Half Century of Motoring in Essex County, as well as yachting, golf, and society life (Union Club, Newcomen Society, and many others).

Henry P. Benson lived a long and productive life, remaining active in business and community affairs well into his later years. He died on May 9, 1957.

He is buried in Section G, Forest Avenue, Lot #1964.


Photo from the Pickering House, Salem, MA.