Supreme Court Justice Joseph Story has his own stamp.
Story, a 19th-century justice who was born in Marblehead and later moved to Salem, is one of four former justices honored this week with commemorative stamps. The 44-cent stamps were issued Tuesday in ceremonies in Washington, D.C.
"It's a tremendous honor," said Emily Murphy, park historian at the Salem Maritime National Historic Site.
"I was at the Supreme Court for the event," said Neil Chayet, the Salem lawyer who lives in the Joseph Story House off Salem Common. He recently renovated the home.
The ceremony made a little history of its own, Chayet said.
"There have been stamps issued for justices before, but this was the first time the Postal Service and the Supreme Court worked together to commemorate the justices," he said. The ceremony took place at the Supreme Court.
Honored along with Story were former Supreme Court justices Felix Frankfurter, Louis Brandeis and William Brennan.
Story served on the U.S. Supreme Court from 1811 to 1845. He moved to Salem the year he joined the court and resided here until the mid-1830s.
"He was a very important and little-known figure," Murphy said, "I think mainly because of the time period in which he lived."
Story wrote the decision in the Amistad case, a slave rebellion in 1839 aboard a Spanish slave ship. The landmark ruling freed the slaves. The story was the subject of a 1997 movie by Steven Spielberg.
"That was one of the major pro-abolitionist decisions, I believe, made by the Supreme Court," Murphy said.
At this week's ceremony, Chayet met many of Story's descendants, who traveled to Washington for the event. "There must have been at least 40 to 50 members (of the family). ... Of course, I felt a part of the family since we're now living in his home."
Chayet said he hopes to host a ceremony at his house this fall to celebrate the new stamp.
In addition to his personal connection, Chayet said he also attended as host of the CBS radio show "Looking at the Law" and plans to air a segment on the release of the four stamps.
Although not as well-known nationally as Frankfurter or Brandeis, Story has lots of connections in this area.
He was born at 104 Washington St. in Marblehead in 1779. His father, Dr. Elisha Story, took part in the Boston Tea Party. Before being named to the high court, Story served in both the U.S. Congress and the Massachusetts House of Representatives.
His half-brother, William Story, was a captain of the Friendship. A replica of the 1797 merchant ship is based at the Salem Maritime Site.
Material from The Associated Press was used for this article.
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