The Captain John Felt House onFederal Street in Salem, Massachusetts, is a surviving Georgian residence with ties to the American Revolution. In May 1757, John Felt purchased a lot on present-day Federal Street from Benjamin Lynde for 52 pounds, and began building his family home here. John Felt, a Salem native, worked as a shoreman, but was primarily an owner of vessels involved in the coasting trade, also owning a large warehouse to store the goods from the West Indies brought in by his ships. Felts title of Captain came from his involvement in the Essex county militia. Captain Felt was a key figure inLeslies Retreat, also called the Salem Gunpowder Raid, which took place onFebruary 26, 1775, in Salem. British Colonel Alexander Leslie led a raid to seize suspected cannons from a makeshift Colonial armory in Salem. Instead of finding artillery, Leslie encountered an inflamed citizenry and militia members ready to stop his search.These colonists flooded Salems streets, preventing Leslies passageand forcing him to negotiate. Ultimately, the Salemites convinced the British Regulars to stand down and return to Boston.No shots were fired, and no one was seriously injuredbut tensions were high and a skirmish was evident until Captain Felt stated, If you do fire, you will all be dead men. Had a soldier or a colonist gone rogue and fired their weapon, the American Revolution might have begun in Salem, and not Concord just weeks later. After the Revolution, Captain Felt sold his house and moved to present-day Danvers. After centuries of successive ownership by merchants, today, the Felt House is used (at least in part) as professional law offices.