Federal Street Hymn

• The hymn, Federal Street, was composed by Henry Kemble Oliver,(1800-1885) of Salem. He taught school in Salem from 1818-1842, and played organ first at St. Peter's Church and later at North Church.
• After serving as mayor in Lawrence, Mass. and a stint as state treasurer during the Civil War, he returned and was elected mayor of Salem for four years.
• He received honorary music degrees from Harvard in 1862, and from Dartmouth in 1883.
• He started two musical organizations in Salem, the Mozart Association and the Salem Glee Club. His collection of Original Hymn Tunes came out in 1875. He also published a Collection of Church Music (1860) and the National Lyre (1848).
• The Federal Street Hymn was named after the street in Salem which his wife Sally (Cook) had grown up on.
• Oliver School in Salem was named for him.

See Also

Essex Institute Historical Collection "Origin of the hymn-tune Federal Street" Vol. 49, p. 184

American Hymns Old and New by Charles W. Hughes, p. 505.

Federal Street Hymn Image of original score

"A dedicated servant of state, two cities" Salem News, April 23, 2007, p. B5

Vertical File in Salem Collection - Federal Street Hymn

Vertical File in Salem Collection - Oliver, Henry K