Historic Salem, Inc.

06/07/2026

Have you started taking your photos for the Salem 400+ Photo Contest? 📸

Running through August 15th, this free photo contest celebrates Salem's history, scenery, and community. It consists of three categories:

1. 🕰 𝙎𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙢 𝙏𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙏𝙞𝙢𝙚
𝘔𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘚𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘮’𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵. 𝘏𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘤 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘶𝘴𝘦, 𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘯 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴-𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴, 𝘰𝘳 𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳.

2.🕵️ 𝙃𝙞𝙙𝙙𝙚𝙣 𝙎𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙢
𝘍𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘥𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘴, 𝘵𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴; 𝘥𝘰𝘰𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴, 𝘪𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬, 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘦𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘚𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘮’𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺.

3. 🏡 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝘾𝙞𝙩𝙮
𝘈𝘯 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯, 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘚𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘮—𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦, 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴, 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴, 𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴.

Make sure to share this contest with your friends, families, coworkers, neighbors, and anyone else who might be interested. It's a fun, free, and easy way for everyone to celebrate Salem's 400th Anniversary!

Learn more about the contest here: https://historicsalem.org/news-events/salem-400-photo-contest/

We can't wait to see what you share! 💜💙

06/07/2026

Alongside preservationists across the country, Historic Salem, Inc. mourns the loss and celebrates the remarkable legacy of Margot Wellington. A dedicated preservationist and civic advocate, Margot played a pivotal role in some of New York City’s most significant preservation victories, including efforts to save Grand Central Terminal and the historic Broadway theaters. Throughout her career, she championed the protection of historic places and helped shape the preservation movement for future generations.

You can read the tribute from the Municipal Art Society of New York, where she served as Executive Director, here: https://www.mas.org/news/remembering-margot-wellington/

MAS is grateful for the life and contributions of our former director Margot Wellington—a New Yorker fiercely devoted to the betterment of our city. It is our hope that we honor Margot’s legacy each day by carrying out the MAS initiatives that she so helped shape. Through Jane’s Walk and our tours program, we invite the public to engage with our city at street level. On the advocacy front, MAS encourages investment in our built environment and preservation and adaptive reuse over demolition. That way, New Yorkers can enjoy well-maintained public spaces and a future that pays homage to our rich history—not only to protect our city’s cultural heritage, but to ensure a more sustainable future for all of us. Read about Margot’s life and civic leadership, through the link in our bio.

06/01/2026

Welcome back to another house history post! This month, we're featuring a house fine enough for both privateer and president. Meet 82 Washington Sq E, the 1783 Francis Boardman House. 🩶

In September 1782, Francis Boardman purchased a parcel of land on Salem's Training Field from his father-in-law, merchant John Hodges. Within the year, he had begun construction of what Rev. William Bentley would later call "an elegant house, which for situation is the best in town."

Born in Ipswich in 1746, Boardman first went to sea as as a young boy and worked his way up from cabin hand to mate, keeping logbooks (now at the Peabody Essex Museum!) that record voyages to Jamaica, London, Cadiz, and the West Indies. By his mid-twenties he held his first command. During the Revolution, he served as a privateer and commanded vessels like the brigantine "Fortune" and the ship "Thomas".

In 1782, Capt. Boardman bought land from his father-in-law and began construction for his house. It was completed in 1783, the same year the Revolutionary War ended and he returned to trading. The home was considered a fantastic architectural sight; in 1789, the Boardmans hosted what Rev. William Bentley described as the social event of the season — a dance party that drew all of Salem's best families to "the chamber of Capt. Boardman's elegant house."

When George Washington visited Salem that same October, locals hoped he would lodge at Boardman's house overlooking the Common. To their disappointment, Washington had already committed to staying at Joshua Ward's House. In order to satisfy the wishes of those who wanted him to visit, his route out of town was redirected to pass directly by it.

400+

Read more about this house here: https://hsihousehistory.omeka.net/items/show/43 (in bio!)
82 Washington Sq E
Salem, MA

Citation: Captain Francis Boardman House
Library of Congress, Detroit Publishing Company Collection.

05/15/2026

Historic Salem, Inc. is pleased to announce that it has launched a Salem 400+ Photo Contest! 📸

Running throughout the summer, this free-to-enter photo contest will serve as a way for us to celebrate Salem's past, present, and future. It consists of three categories:

1. 🕰 Salem Through Time
2.🕵️ Hidden Salem
3. 🏡 Your City

With these themes we hope to encourage a slow, intentional relationship with Salem over these next few months. We invite the public – from the littlest citizen to the seasoned photographer – to show us how centuries collide, buildings tell stories, our presence shapes this city, and so much more.

Learn more about the contest here: https://historicsalem.org/news-events/salem-400-photo-contest/

We can't wait to see what you share! 💜💙

05/11/2026

Tomorrow is your last day to RSVP for our upcoming talk The New Urban Fabric: Balancing Growth and Heritage! ✨

Celebrate the 400th anniversary of Salem by examining its past and looking towards its future. Hear from experts in architecture, planning, and preservation as they seek to answer a pressing question: 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙙𝙤 𝙬𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙘 𝙛𝙖𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙘 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙤𝙡𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙨𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙩𝙝? Our host David Dixon (Stantec) will lead this panel discussion featuring Steven Gerrard (Annum Architects), Mark Pasnik (), and Sarah Scott (Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC)). 💬

What would you like to ask our panelists? Comment down below! 👇

🎟 Register by May 11th: https://historicsalem.org/events/a-salem-400-conversation-the-new-urban-fabric-balancing-growth-and-heritage/

(P.S. Members can join this event for FREE after HSI’s 2026 Annual Meeting!)

📅 Thursday, May 14, 2026 — Hawthorne Hotel
🗳️ Annual Meeting for Members: 6:00–6:45 PM (Essex Room)
🥂 Hors d’oeuvres & Cash Bar: 6:45–7:30 PM (Ballroom)
🎙️ Forum: 7:30–9:00 PM (Ballroom)

Members: FREE | Non-members: $20

Destination Salem, Massachusetts North of Boston

05/09/2026

The note beside this photo, found in the Historic Salem Inc.'s archives, states "rear entrance of the Joshua Ward House which suffers casually from the encroachment of the parking lots."

It raises the question: how do you live alongside history? Do you hear it in your creaky floors when you make your morning coffee? Do you cast mild annoyance at it when you trip over a loose brick in the sidewalk? Do you catch a glimpse of it in between the time it takes to walk to your car and start your engine?

In our upcoming talk The New Urban Fabric: Balancing Growth and Heritage, our panel of experts will dig into what it means to be a responsible steward of a city's built heritage — and what that looks like as the city keeps changing. This is a conversation that matters for preservation, planning, and community identity across the North Shore, so be sure to invite anyone who might be interested!

Where do you feel most connected to history? Leave a comment below! 👇

🎟 Register by May 11th: https://historicsalem.org/events/a-salem-400-conversation-the-new-urban-fabric-balancing-growth-and-heritage/

(P.S. Members can join this event for FREE after HSI’s 2026 Annual Meeting!)

📅 Thursday, May 14, 2026 — Hotel
🗳️ Annual Meeting for Members: 6:00–6:45 PM (Essex Room)
🥂 Hors d’oeuvres & Cash Bar: 6:45–7:30 PM (Ballroom)
🎙️ Forum: 7:30–9:00 PM (Ballroom)

Members: FREE | Non-members: $20

Image: Rear Entrance of Joshua Ward House, c. 1965
From Historic Salem, Inc. archives

Destination Salem, Massachusetts North of Boston

05/07/2026

Meet Mark Pasnik, our final panelist for the upcoming The New Urban Fabric: Balancing Growth and Heritage! 👋

Mark Pasnik is a professor of architecture at Wentworth Institute of Technology and a founding principal of the architecture and design firm OverUnder. He co-authored "Heroic: Concrete Architecture and the New Boston" and edited the books "Henry N. Cobb: Words and Works 1948–2018" and "Justice Is Beauty: MASS Design Group", all published by the Monacelli Press. Mark has received the AIA Young Architects Award and recognition for his scholarship from the Graham Foundation, DOCOMOMO US, the Boston Preservation Alliance, Historic New England, and the Boston Society for Architecture. He has taught previously at the California College of the Arts, Carnegie Mellon University, Harvard University, Northeastern University, and the Rhode Island School of Design.

Mark’s professional projects include a conservation management plan for Boston City Hall, the transformation of a public library in Haverhill, adaptations to 1970s-era athletic facilities at the University of Massachusetts Boston, public space initiatives at MIT, and planning for the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem. His academic studios at Wentworth have engaged with state and city agencies to study the future of Paul Rudolph’s Government Service Center, Marcel Breuer’s Madison Park campus high school, and O’Connell and Shaw’s 1930s Collegiate Gothic Brighton High School. Mark served as a member and chair of the Boston Art Commission for ten years and was selected in 2020 as an Out100 honoree, a designation which recognizes “culture-shifting impact” by members of the LGBTQ+ community.

And with that, you have met our very impressive line-up!

And good news -- we're extending the RSVP deadline to Monday, May 11th! Take these extra days to invite a friend or two join you. 😉

📅 Thursday, May 14, 2026 — Hawthorne Hotel
🥂 Hors d'oeuvres & Cash Bar: 6:45–7:30 PM (Ballroom)
🎙️ Forum: 7:30–9:00 PM (Ballroom)

Members: FREE | Non-members: $20

RSVP by May 11th 👉 https://historicsalem.org/events/a-salem-400-conversation-the-new-urban-fabric-balancing-growth-and-heritage/ 👈

02/01/2026

In celebration of Salem's 400th anniversary, this year's house history posts will travel chronologically through time. Today, we're featuring the oldest house in our database, the 1688 William Murray House! 🩶

39 Essex Street is one of Salem’s oldest surviving homes. Then called Ye High Street, William Murray purchased the property from Edward Wooland's orchard in 1687. A typical First Period home, the residence began as a single-cell timber-frame house — three window bays wide and one room deep — and a three-bay section was later added to the east end of the house.

Murray was an active member of Salem’s civic life in the late 17th century. Serving as a court clerk at several examinations during the 1692 Salem Witch Trials, he even joined in testifying against his neighbor Alice Parker.

Despite various restorations, it has maintained much of its original character. In recognition of its architectural significance and age, the William Murray House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.

400+

Read more about this house here: https://hsihousehistory.omeka.net/items/show/536
39 Essex Street
Salem, MA

Citation: William Murray House, Salem, Mass.
Photo by Anne Grady, 1986, courtesy Secretary of the Commonwealth William Francis Galvin, Chairman, Massachusetts Historical Commission.