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Most Endangered Historic Resource:
Salem’s Urban Entrance Corridors (Listed 2001)
Status - Signs of improvement.
Many of the City’s finest collections of historic buildings, traditional
streetscapes and landscapes are located along the urban entrance corridors
of Boston, Bridge and North Streets. Today, these historic resources
are being collectively blighted and compromised by multiple factors.
Recent efforts by the City and property owners along Boston Street have
resulted in improvements to sidewalks, street plantings, signage, building
facades, fencing and neglected industrial properties. On Bridge Street,
an extensive building survey was conducted in recent years resulting
in the designation of more than 400 contributing properties within a
new National Register District. Walking tours of Boston, Bridge and
North Streets sponsored by HSI in 2003 focused attention on the historic
and architectural significance of these entrance corridors and the ongoing
threats to these historic resources. Historic Salem also participated
in the design review process of the new Salvation Army building on North
Street and the new CVS building on Essex Street. HSI provided comment
on the Mass Highway Department’s plans for North Street improvements,
including the need for historic lighting and to protect trees. The project
will include historic lighting and began to move forward in the summer
of 2006.
Nonetheless, the historic buildings on these entrance corridors remain
largely unprotected, and much more needs to be done to address the threat
of demolition and inappropriate remodeling of these large collections
of historic resources. For example, the Woodbridge House at 48 Bridge
Street, the home of Children’s Friend and Family Services for
many years, is for sale and a proposal brought before the zoning board
would have significantly alter its interior, which Children’s
Friend has faithfully maintained during its ownership of the house.
However the house, believed to have been designed by Samuel McIntire,
is protected by an easement held by Historic New England (formerly the
Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities) that protects
both its exterior and interior historic features. Historic New England
is working with Children’s Friend to resolve the matter. We are
hopeful of an outcome that ensures the continuing protection of this
very significant historic property.
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