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 Henry Kemble Oliver.
• He is buried in Broad Street Cemetery, with an unusual stone marker with piano keys etched in the stone.

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.

Henry K. Oliver Find a grave

"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