Nomination for Old Town Hall Historic District

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

PH0006335 DB-72.000-149 HB No utn Form 10-300 (July 1969) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM (Type all entries - complete applicable sections) STATE: Massachusetts COUNTY: Essex FOR NPS USE ONLY ENTRY NUMBER 4 19/2 DATE NAME COMMON: AND/OR HISTORIC: LOCATION Old Town Hall Historic District Old Town Hall Historic District Cong. District #6, Michael J. Harrington STREET AND NUMBER: #215-231 Essex St., #121-145 Washington St., #6-34 Front St., Derby Square CITY OR TOWN: Salem STATE Massachusetts CODE 025 COUNTY!

EsSex CLASSIFICATION CATEGORY OWNERSHIP (Check One) District Site Building Structure Object Public Private Both Public Acquisition: X In Process Being Considered/ 1 RFCENVEn 15 S72tUs NATI ON RECE Occupied Unoccupied E Proparyation work lin progress CODE 009 ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC Yes: Restricted Unrestricted No PRESENT USE (Check One or More as Appropriate) Agricultural Government Commercial Industrial Educational Military Entertainment Museum Park Private Residence Religious Scientific Transportation - Other (Specify) - Comments OWNER OF PROPERTY OWNER'S NAME: Public and private STREET AND NUMBER: see above location CITY OR TOWN: Salem LOCATION OF LEGAL DESCRIPTION COURTHOUSE, REGISTRY OF DEEDS, ETC: Essex County Registry of Deeds STREET AND NUMBER: Federal Street CITY OR TOWN: STATE: Massachusetts CODE 025 Massachusetts STATE: Essex COUNTY: STATE CODE Salem Massachusetts REPRESENTATION IN EXIST ING SURVEYS TITLE OF SURVEY: Inventory of the Historic Assets of the Commonwealth DATE OF SURVEY: 1971 Federal X] State DEPOSITORY FOR SURVEY RECORDS: Massachusetts Historical Commission STREET AND NUMBÉR: State House, Beacon Street CITY OR TOWN: Boston STATE: Massachusetts 025 DEC County - Local 1972 ENTRY NUMBER CODE 025 DATE FOR NPS USE ONLY DESCRIPTION (Check One) [X Deteriorated Excellent X Good :X Fair CONDITION (Check One) * Altered.

- .X Unaltered..: Moved Ruins O Unexposed (Check One) Original Site DESCRIBE THE PRESENT AND ORIGINAL (if known) PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Description of the property

The Old Town Hall Historic District includes eleven brick buildings of the Federalist period (1780-1830) and seven which were built within the next fifty years. Together they represent the best remaining small area of early commercial buildings in downtown Salem. This compact area extends from the southeast corner of Washington and Essex Streets, along Essex Street to in- clude the building east of Derby Square and both sides of the Square to Front Street including the buildings on either side of the southern end of Derby Square. The district also includes numbers 6 through 34 Front Street as well as 125 through 145 washington Street. IThe Old Town Hall was built in 1816 and is an excellent example of a Bulfinch-influenced, Federal period public building./ Five bays wide and eleven bays deep, it is a brick structure with a pitched roof.

The main facades, which are on the gable ends and face north and south, are pedimented, accented by a wooden cornice with modillions and ornamented by fanlights.A small cupola is centered on the ridgepole. A belt course runs between the first and second floors. All the doorways and windows have rounded tops, with simple fanlights over the first floor windows which are recessed in narrow arches. MAs the Hall was originally built to be a market house as well as meetinghouse, it is possible that these first floor recessed window areas were once open to the street. On the south facade three entrances in the first, third and fifth bays are reached by a flight of granite steps; at the north end the center entrance is at street level. Above both north and south central entrances are Palladian windows.

The large square brick building at 231 Essex Street (Low's Building) dominates the junction of Essex and Washington Streets. Three bays wide, the original Greek Revival structure (1826) faces on Essex Street and has a pitched roof. This facade has a large pediment with dentilled cornice; tall round-topped windows two stories in height rise from the second floor while the first floor has shop windows with a center entrance. In 1877 the west elevation was altered by the addition of Gothic style towers. This west facade; five baysowide, is three stories high with Gothic windows on the third floor and a canopied first floor center entrance. A new course of brick was laid over the old on the north facade and square granite blocks were set in an arched pattern above all the windows, both old and new. The Hale Building at 221-225 Essex Street was built c.

1874 and is the only Salem example of a cast iron front. It is five stories high with a bracketed cornice and sides and rear of brick. The facade fenestration, seven bays wide, varies on each floor, the window sizes decreasing as they ascend and each level of windows headed in a different style. The brick Naumkeag Bank at 217 Essex Street was bullt at the turn of the 19th century and is a fine example of Colonial Revival architecture. It is three stories high with a wooden cornice of modillions and dentils topped by a balustrade. Three. bays wide on the facade and six on the east elevation, the building's center entrance is recessed and has Doric pilasters with a fanlight above. On the third floor, the round arches of the windows are emphasized by a similar arch of granite blocks set in the wall above them.

The row of three attached brick buildings at #7 - 9 Derby Square (c.1816) were built by Pickman and Derby. The structures are two stories high with pitched roofs, above which extends the party walls. There are two round 'wihdows in the gable end. of the southern building. The original first floor windows and doors, arched and with fanlights, will be restored. Form 10-300a UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR (July 1969) NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM STATE Massachusetts COUNTY Essex FOR NPS USE ONLY ENTRY NUMBER 4 19/2 DATE (Continuation Sheet) (Number all entries) Old Town Hall Historic District, Salem 8.

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

Significance (continued) Because of the multiplicity of functions served by shipping, the Old Town Hall area came to house numerous activities which were dependent on the port. Imported goods such as molasses, indigo, wine and English manufactured goods were warehoused here, as were goods for export, such as salted beef, dry salt cod and wood products. Small manufacturing firms, directly dependent on trade, were also located in the district, for example rum distillers, fish curers and coopers. Ship chandlers and riggers were also quartered near the wharves. Salem depended on this dock area for the transportation of people and the communication of information to other communities along the coast. An outdoor produce market was established in the Old Town Hall Square early in Salem's history and continues at the same location today.

Later one of the brick structures served as the first Police Station for the City of Salem and another housed the Salem Athenaeum, one of whose most prominent members was Nathaniel Hawthorne. 112, 21131 RECENED 0CT 13 1972 NATIONAL REGISTER GT 18 U > - SIGNIFICANCE PERIOD (Check One or More as Appropriate) Pre-Columbian!

16th Century 15th Century 17th Century *] 18th Century * 19th Century SPECIFIC DATE(S) (l1 Applicable and Known) 1629, 1816, 1826, 1874 AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE (Check One or More as Appropriate) Abor iginal E ducation Prehistoric Engineering Historic 14 Industry Agriculture L Invention Architecture Landscape Art Architecture Commerce Literature Communications Militaryp Conservation Music *] Polifical Religion/Phi- Nosophy Sciénce RECEL 7- Sculpture Social/Human- 13 1972tarian, Theater NATIGAIAtansportation REGIS ER - 20th Century X]Urban Planning Other (Specify) .i .N37 STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

Statement of significance

The Old Iown Hall Historic District is bounded by Washington Street, Front Street, Essex Street and Derby Square which has pedestrian accesses to Essex and Front Streets. The street pattern is an early one- Washington Street was laid out, four rods wide, in 1629; Essex Street, which intersects it, is believed to have been originally an Indian path along the ridge of Salem peninsula; Front Street was one of the ancient ways along the waterfront and was called a highway as early as 1682. The Historic District is built on a gentle slope of land running down to what was formerly the South River, now completely filled in. ASalem historians agree that this section of the South River shore was the first developed waterfront area of Salem and remained dominant until the early 19th century.

In the period prior to the advent of the railroad, the life of a coastal city such as Salem owed its development to its port. Accordingly, many of the important political and social events of Federalist Salem occurred in the Old Town Hall Historic District/ Derby Square, in the center of which the Town Hall now stands, was the site of the mansion built in 1784 by Elias Haskett Derby. Derby!s heirs, Benjamin Pickman, Jr. and John Derby, demolished the mansion and gave 16,500 square feet in the center of their inherited propertycto thetinhabitants of Salem, on which to construct a town hall/market house. This building was constructed in 1816. A condition of the gift was thatconly buildings.of brick or stone could be erected on land contiguous to the Town Hall, an early example of city planning which afforded great unity to the area.

30220 /soon after the opening of the new Town Hall, the upstairs hall was "fur- bished and festooned very handsomely and illuminated with pleasing effect", in honor of a visit by President Monroe. The market stalls on the first floor were opened with great success on November 25, 1816. The building con- tinued to be used as a Town Hall until 1838 when the present City Hall was completed./ For some years the basement and first floor, now offices, con- tinued to be used as a market; the second floor hall is still used for local political rallies and other meetings. The location of the First Church (now Low's Building) and the Town Hall/ Market House in the Derby Square area made the Square the center of Salem activity.When the First Church was built in 1629, Roger Williams was one of its earliest pastors.

The present church structure, the fourth to be built on the site, was designed by Solomon Willard and Peter Banner in 1826. When it was built, the second floor was planned for use as-the church;sshops occu- pied the first floor. The Hale Building, built in 1874 to the east of the church, is architect- urally significant as a fine example of an early icast-iron-fronted brick Structure, the only one remainingontifuedm and one of the few left in Massa- chusetts.

The rest of the file

Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.

MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES The Gazette newspaper, Salem, 1816 Hamlin, Talbot, Greek Revival Architecture in America, New York, 1944 Essex Institute, Visitor's Guide to Salem, Salem, 1953 Chamberlain, Samuel, A Stro1l Through Historic Salem, New York, 1969 4709 344310 2ONC19 GEOGRAPHICAL DATA LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE COORDINATES DEFINING A RECTANGLE LOCATING THE PROPERTY LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE COORDINATES DEFINING THE CENTER POINT OF A PROPERTY OF LESS THAN TEN ACRES CORNER LATITUDE Degrees Minutes Seconds LONGITUDE Degrees Minutes Seconds -R LATITUDE LONGITUDE Degrees Minutes Seconds Degrees Minutes Seconds NW 42° 31' 16 70° 53' 43 SE SW APPROXIMATE ACREAGE OF NOMINATED PROPERTY: C.

5 acres LIST ALL STATES AND COUNTIES FOR PROPERTIES OVERLAPPING STATE OR COUNTY BOUNDARIES STATE: CODE COUNTY CODE STATE: CODE COUNTY: CODE STATE: CODE COUNTY: CODE STATE: CODE COUNTY: CODE FORM PREPARED BY NAME AND TITLE: Elizabeth R. Amadon, Regional Director Massachusetts Historical Commission DATE July,22, 1972 STREET AND NUMBER: State House, Beacon Street CITY OR TOWN: Boston PAPre e: STATE LIAISON OFFICER CERTIFICATION STATE CODE 025 Massachusetts NATIONAL REGISTER VERIFICATION As the designated State Liaison Officer for the Na- tional Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Public Law 89-665), I hereby nominate this property for inclusion in the National Register and certify that it has been evaluated according to the criteria and procedures set forth by the National Park Service.

The recommended level of significance of this nomination is: National State Local Name JOHN F. F/ Vovoru I hereby certify that this property is included in the Nationa 1 Register. Chief, PobertanUtle Mfice of Archeology and Ht Date i2/4/22 ATTEST Title Secretary of the Commonwealth Chairman of the Mass. Historical Commission Date _October 4, 1972 Date 1128.22 GP 0 901.087 pnoiter old Town thace tit. Dit. STATE MaSS: Torking number 10.13.22.1559 YECH REVIEW Es.sex Photos 2 Maps REVIEW 1//-24- HISTORIAN 0.K 1/-29. Shell ARCHEOLOGIST ARCHITECT BRANCH CHIEF EDITORIAL REVIEW 11-28-72 ORRon "/20/12 Ronulang 11-28-72 KEEPER c/28/22 National Register write-up Federal Register entry _1-2-73 Hbmuchael 8. starrington Acknowledge 10/13/12 Send-back Re-submit Register no. DEC 4 1972 Pewter pPot MUFFIN HOUSE Hertz # 2 MPS Mumber.

Dee + 1922 rit1o: Oll Jrun Hall Histrue Nistuct Old Town Htall Hestruc Distist UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR STATE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Massachusetts COUNTY NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES Essex PROPERTY PHOTOGRAPH FORM (Type all entries - attach to or enclose with photograph) FOR NPS USE ONLY ENTRY NUMBER DEC 4 1972 NAME Old Town Hall Historic District AND/or Historic: Old Town Hall Historic District LOCA TION STREET AND NUMBER: #215-231 Essex St., #121-145 Washington St., #6-34 Front St., Derby Sq CITY OR TOWN: Salem STATE: Massachusetts CODE COUNTY: 025 Essex ( PHOTO REFERENCE PHOTO CREDIT: Salem Redevelopment Authority DATE OF PHOTO: 1972 NEGATIVE FILED AT: Salem Redevelopment Authority, 60 Washington St., Salem/ RECEIVED IDENTIFICATION DESCRIBE VIEW, DIRECTION, ETC. 1972 Low Building, southeast corner of Washington and Essex St.

NATIONAL REGISTER I'SALEM HARDWARE C #8 1972 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES PROPERTY PHOTOGRAPH FORM (Type all entries - attach to or enclose with photogtaph) STATE Massachusett COUNTY Essex FOR NPS ENTRY NUMB DEC 4. _197 NAME 01d Town Hall Historic District anD/or historic: 01d Town Hall Historic Distriat FPEII LOCA TION STREET AND NUMBER: #215-231 Essex St., #121-145 Washington CITY OR TOWN: Salem STATE: Massachu setts CODE 025 79/2 st., $6-34 Front REGISTER COUNTY). Essex st PHOTO REFERENCE PHOTO CREDIT: Salem Redevelopment Authority DATE OF PHOTO: 1972 NEGATIVE FILED AT: Salem Redevelopment Authority, 60 Washington St., Salem IDENTIFICATION DESCRIBE VIEW, DIRECTION, ETC.

Old Town Hall in Derby Square looking north from Front Street Form 10-301 (July 1969) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES PROPERTY MAP FORM (Type all entries - attach to or enclose with map) STATE Massachusetts COUNTY Essex DEC- 4 FOR NPS USE ONLY ENTRY NUMBER 1972 DATE NAME COMMON: Old Town Hall Historic District AND/OR HISTORIC: Old Town Hall Historic District LO STREET AND NUM BER: #215-231 Essex St., #121-145 Washington St., #6-34 Front CITY OR TOWN: S5.0 Salem STATE: Massachusetts CODE 025 COUNTY: Essex RECÊNVED OCT 13 1972 MAP REFERENCE SOURCE: Supplementary map - Salem Redevelopment Authority NATIONAL REGISTER SCALE: 1" = 60° DATE: 1972 REQUIREMENTS TO BE INCLUDED ON ALL MAPS 1. Property broundaries where required. 2. North arrow. 3. Latitude and longitude reference.

Derby Square CODE 009 232 218 216 210 208 ESSEX ST pedestrian way) 20 WASHINGTON ST 28 DERBY SQ (pedestrian way) FRONT ST 155 5 PRINTED ON 920H, CHARPRINT Old TOwN HAll HISTORIC DIStRICT SalEM, MASS. 2.01 209. 207 IL2L3 RECElVED 001 13 1972 NATIONAL REGISTER Soru Form 10-301 (July 1969) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES PROPERTY MAP FORM (Type all entries - attach to or enclose with map) STATE Massachusetts COUNTY Essex FOR NPS USE ONLY ENTRY NUMBER DEC 4 1972 DATE - U = NAME Old Town Hall Historic District AND/OR HiSToRIC: Old Town Hall Historic District LOCATION STREET AND NUM BER: #215-231 Essex St., #121-145 Washington St., #6-34 Front St., Derby Square Salem STATE: Massachusetts CODE 025 COUNTY: Essex MAP EFERENCE SOURCE: U.S.G.S. 7.5' series, Salem, Mass.

quadrangle SCALE: 1: 24,000 DATE: 1956 REQUIREMENTS TO BE INCLUDED ON ALL MAPS 1. Property broundaries where required. 2. North arrow. 3. Latitude and longitude reference. CODE 009 13 1972 NATIONAL REGISTEF eRiverside NTERCHANTES Sch & 15 ran River River Danversport River GARONER Farnsworth Sch High Sch TKEMONT -Monumental Cem Old Sout Wallis -Sch Siesvoa Brookla MARLBORO 100 OSTOI YNN 25 MITY HALLI 12M I MILE 5000 6000 7000 FEET 1 KILOMETER MEAN LOW WATER MEAN HIGH WATER FEET CY STANDARDS INGTON 25, D. C. S AVAILABLE ON REQUEST Pond New wligh sohg HBEVERLY Prospect Washingtoo ESSEX 8. BEVERLY Hpton E Green side Fosters Pt Dänvers DKenwood Golf Course , Peters Point North Shore Golf Courseo Depth 9 Feet -0le:5: Edwards *Sth (n.

Cems jty Hall 40 Salters Kernwood Park 32'30" Tuck Rocks Pt BEVEREY *11 ST MARYS CRETER MAINE HARBOR Piekering Sen 2 "GREENLAWN A,Sch Sheridan North Salem- Pick mán Sch River Fort Lee BRID Cove Collins Sand .4710 ARMONY GROVEL CEMETERY : BOSTON BM 27(114) 107 Park Heles Endicott Sch BMZ Bentley Salem Sch Common 107 St James :i Sch Bowditche YESSEX Sch Isalem Teiminal Whart Seven Gables Derby Wharf Light Long 2Dt 14709 SALEM Ecole Sch Park HARBOR SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS OID TOWN HALL HISTORIC DISTRICT U.S.G.S. Salem, Mass. N4230 - W7052.5/7.5 1956 AMS 6869 III SW-SERIES V814 42 " 31 70° 16 53' 43" 4 Picker Pt MARBLEHEAD 4708 Course Jeggle Island a SWAMPSCOTN 2 M, AERNIOD:SROLOGIGA RUAWA PBLEHEAD 2, C.-1965-NS MARBLEHEAD 2.1 MI. I N 12 RECEIVED OCT 13 1972 MASS. L VATIONAL JOEGISTER 1V ROAD CLASSIFICATION Heavy-duty Medium-duty Interstate Route Light-duty Unimproved dirt . U. S.

Route 4707000m.N. 42°30 70°52'30" - IMARBLEHEAD 6868IV State Route QUADRANGLE LOCATION 18 SALEM, MASS. N4230 - W7052.5/7.5 1956 AMS 6869 III SW-SERIES V814 END BETT CRACINAT TATE OVIETEN John F. X. Davoren Secretary of the Commonvealth The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Office of the Secretary Siate House, Boston 02133 The Office of Archeology and listorie Preservation National Park Service 801 19th Street, N.w. washington, D. C. 20005 Attention: Mrs. Sally Marusin Registration & Nominations Branch National Register of Historic Places Room 3207 A 1100 L Street, N.W. washington, D.C.

20005 Dear Sirs, CERTIFIED MAIL Enclosed are National Register submissions fox: O1d Town Hall Historic District, Salem, Massachusetts 2 RECEIVED OCT418-1972 INATIONAL REGISTER 8 These have been declared eligible for submission by the Kasrachusetts Historical Commission, the State Review Board, and have been signed by Secretary of the Commonwealth, John F. X. Davoren, Chairman, Massachusetts Historical Commission and designated the State Liaison Officer. Sincerely yours, Saihand W. Iale fu Richard W. Hale, Jr. Acting Chairman RWH: aw Massachusetts Historical Commission ENTRIES IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER STATE Date Entered MASSA CHUSETTS DEC 4 1972 Name Location Old Iown Hall Historie Distziet Salem Esser County Also Notified Hon. Edward M. Kennedy Hon. Edward W. Brooke Hon. Michael J. Harrington Director, Northeast Region PHR NRowland : mm 12/4/72 State Wlaison Officer Hon. John I. X.

Davoren Seczetary of the Connonveaith Chaizman, Massachusette Bistozical Conmission 40 Beacon Street Boston, Massachusetta 02108