This brick, Federal style house,is located adjacent to the First Universalist Church of Salem amongst a sea of urban renewal-period housing, and is a reminder for Planners to think about the long-term implications in their work. This house was built in 1811 forThomas Perkins, a local merchant whose brother was its first occupant. After successive ownership throughout the 19thand early 20th centuries, in 1950,Bessie E. Monroe purchased the premises and moved into the home. When the citybegan urban renewal planning for the area in the 1960s, the building was occupied by Bessie Monroe, who at the time was an elderly woman. The Salem Redevelopment Authority acquired the house through eminent domain and the house was targeted for demolition. The Redevelopment Authority, concerned with how relocation would affectBessie Monroes health, decided to take the property but allow Mrs. Monroe to live there until her death. This decision delayed the planned demolition of the building, even though all other targeted properties were demolished. Luckily, the renewal plan changed its focus from new construction to restoration of existing buildings between the time of the taking and Bessie Monroes death. The building was then sold to an owner interested in restoring the structure, now the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a testament to the benefits of preservation over short-sighted planning policy.