SALEM’S ARCHITECTURAL STYLES
Salem’s streets contain an extraordinary range of historic architecture spanning the seventeenth century to today. This guide introduces the architectural styles most commonly found in the city through the early twentieth century and highlights the features that distinguish them. By learning to recognize these stylistic characteristics, homeowners and visitors alike can better understand the design of their own buildings and make more informed decisions when planning maintenance, preservation, or renovation work.
Architectural styles are rarely rigid or perfectly expressed. Few buildings exhibit every defining feature of a single style, and many reflect the individual choices of architects, builders, and craftspeople, or incorporate elements from multiple periods. The styles presented here are not a comprehensive catalogue of every building type found in Salem, but rather those most frequently encountered. The date ranges listed are approximate and indicate the period when each style was most widely used, though characteristics may appear slightly earlier or later.
FIRST PERIOD
1600s – 1725
First Period architecture represents the earliest surviving buildings of colonial New England. Rooted in English medieval building traditions, these houses were constructed using heavy timber framing and practical vernacular design. Although many have been altered over time with additions and later architectural details, Salem retains several remarkable examples that illustrate the city’s earliest built environment.
Characteristics
Plan:
Typically one room deep with a massive central chimney serving multiple fireplaces. Front or side second-story overhangs and rear lean-tos were common.
Doorway:
Simple entrances were placed along the long side of the house, often without strict symmetry. Board-and-batten doors were common.
Windows:
Small casement windows with diamond-shaped leaded panes. Windows were few and often placed asymmetrically.
Roofline:
Steeply pitched roofs, frequently with multiple and a prominent central chimney.
Materials:
Timber frame construction with narrow wooden clapboards, typically left unpainted to weather naturally.
Decorative Elements:
Minimal ornamentation, design emphasized function and durability.
Notable Buildings in Salem
- Pickering House (c. 1651)
- Retire Beckett House (c. 1655)
- Gedney House (c. 1665)
- Daniels House (1667)
- Narbonne House (c. 1672)
- Jonathan Corwin House, The Witch House (1675)
- Samuel Pickman House (before 1681)
- Hooper-Hathaway House (c. 1682)
- John Ward House (1684)
GEORGIAN
1725 – 1775
Georgian architecture reflects the growing prosperity and cultural connections of colonial America during the 18th century. Inspired by classical design principles popular in Britain, Georgian houses emphasized symmetry, proportion, and restrained decorative detailing. In Salem, the style often appears in simplified vernacular forms rather than the highly ornate versions seen in larger colonial cities.
Characteristics
Plan:
Symmetrical floor plan with central hall and balanced room arrangement. Chimney placed central or at long ends.
Doorway:
Paneled front doors, typically centrally placed, framed by pilasters, decorative crowns, and a row of windows (“lights”) in the door or above it.
Windows:
Double-hung sash windows arranged in regular symmetrical patterns. Pedimented dormers common in the attic.
Roofline:
Usually gambrel; sometimes gabled. Hip roof became popular around 1770.
Materials:
Wood clapboard most common, with some brick construction. Corner boards.
Decorative Elements:
Classical details such as dentil moldings, cornices, and decorative door surrounds.
Notable Buildings in Salem
- Pope House (c. 1717)
- Ropes Mansion (late 1720s)
- Crowninshield-Bentley House (1729)
- Nathaniel Hawthorne Birthplace (between 1730-1745)
- Derby House (1762)
- Daniel Bray House (1766)
FEDERAL
1780 – 1830
The Federal style represents the height of Salem’s architectural achievement during the city’s maritime golden age. Inspired by classical Roman ideals and refined through the work of Salem architect and woodcarver Samuel McIntire, Federal buildings are known for their elegant proportions, delicate ornament, and sophisticated craftsmanship.
Characteristics
Plan:
Balanced, symmetrical facades often organized around a central entrance. Similar to Georgian style symmetry.
Doorway:
Decorative fan-and sidelights surrounding a paneled door set into a semi-circular or rectangular portico with an entablature, pilasters, and columns.
Windows:
Tall double-hung sash windows, often with stone lintels over the window and arranged in strict symmetry.
Roofline:
Gable or shallow hip roof, frequently hidden behind a decorative balustrade. Tall, slender chimneys at ends of the building.
Materials:
Brick, wood clapboard, or sometimes flatboards.
Decorative Elements:
Heavier classical decoration of Georgian style is refined into lighter, finer ornamentation through swags, urns, delicate carvings, and classical motifs.
Notable Buildings in Salem
- Pierce-Nichols House (c. 1782)
- Joshua Ward House (c. 1788)
- Nathaniel Bowditch House (c. 1805)
- Gardner-Pingree House (1806)
- Clifford Crowninshield House (1806)
- Hamilton Hall (1807)
- Baldwin-Lyman House (1812)
- Salem Jail complex (1813)
- Old Town Hall (1816)
- Andrew-Safford House (1818)
- Salem Custom House (1819)
GREEK REVIVAL
1825 – 1860
Inspired by the architecture of ancient Greece, the Greek Revival style became widely popular in the United States during the early 19th century. The style symbolized democratic ideals and national identity following the American Revolution. In Salem it appeared in both grand civic buildings and modest residential houses.
Characteristics
Plan:
The focus shifted from the long side of the house to the short gabled end. Rectangular massing.
Doorway:
Recessed doorways framed by classical columns or pilasters. Fan- and sidelights are still common. Four-panel door with smaller panels at the bottom.
Windows:
Elongated, rectangular windows set into simple frames. Typically 6 x 6 panes.
Roofline:
Low to medium-pitch gable roofs featuring classical temple pediments. Chimneys became small and insignificant.
Materials:
Wood clapboard painted white or flatboards designed and painted to resemble stone.
Decorative Elements:
Bold cornices and massive pilasters or wide columns supporting a triangular pediment giving the appearance of a Greek temple.
Notable Buildings in Salem
- East India Marine Hall (1825)
- Salem City Hall (1837)
- County Commissioners Building (1841)
- Payson-Fettyplace House (1845)
- Conway-Trumbull House (1848)
ITALIANATE
1845 – 1860
The Italianate style drew inspiration from Italian Renaissance country villas and became one of the most popular residential styles in the mid-19th century. In Salem it appeared in both urban houses and commercial blocks, adding vertical emphasis and decorative bracket-work which became a trademark of Italianate-inspired houses.
Characteristics
Plan:
Tall, narrow, asymmetrical massing, often two or three stories. Use of wings, towers, and bay windows.
Doorway:
Decorative door surrounds sometimes featuring arched openings. Often double doors, asymmetrically placed. Bracketing around the door.
Windows:
Tall, slender, 2-over-2. Arched or curved tops and paired windows appear.
Roofline:
Low-pitched or flat roofs with wide overhanging eaves.
Materials:
Brick, wood clapboard or flatboards construction.
Decorative Elements:
Brackets beneath the eaves, decorative window hoods. Brackets in scroll, pendant, and ornamental forms.
Notable Buildings in Salem
- John Tucker Daland House (1851)
- Salem Public Library (1855)
- Plummer Hall (1856)
- Samuel P. Andrews House (1856)
- William Hunt Double House (c. 1858)
- Downing Block (1858)
- James Braden House (1866)
- James Dugan House (1872)
- Rogers/Russel Double House (1875)
SECOND EMPIRE
1860 – 1880
Second Empire architecture is distinguished by its dramatic mansard roof which allowed for additional living space beneath the roofline. Named after French architect François Mansart, this bold style was widely used for civic buildings, urban residences, and commercial blocks during the late 19th century.
Characteristics
Plan:
Rectangular or square massing with strong vertical emphasis. Additions of rooms and porches added asymmetry.
Doorway:
Often framed by decorative molding, bracketing, or small porticos.
Windows:
Slender and elongated, with characteristic dormer windows in a variety of shapes (rectangular, pointed, gabled, and rounded).
Roofline:
Distinctive mansard roof with steep lower slope.
Materials:
Brick or wood construction. Flatboards are common.
Decorative Elements:
Brackets, ornate dormers, and decorative cresting. Spacious porches and verandas are common.
Notable Buildings in Salem
- State Normal School (1853)
- Edward P. Balcomb Cottage (1870)
- Leonard Harrington House (1871)
- Putnam-Balch House, “Greymoor” (1872)
- Richard Harrington House (1872)
- Job V. Hanson House (1874)
- Patrick Dempsey Cottage (c. 1875)
- Old Salem Central Fire House, hose-drying tower (1861)
LATE VICTORIAN ECLECTIC
1880 – 1910
During the late nineteenth century, American architecture entered a highly decorative period often associated with the Victorian era. Rather than following a single stylistic model, architects and builders frequently combined elements drawn from multiple styles including Stick and Queen Anne. In Salem, this period produced buildings with complex rooflines, varied materials, and elaborate ornamentation.
Characteristics
Plan:
Irregular and asymmetrical forms often featuring projecting bays, turrets, or wraparound porches. Interior plans are more free form.
Doorway:
Entrances frequently highlighted with decorative porches or carved woodwork. The front door’s upper half was often glass with leaded panes.
Windows:
Varied window sizes and shapes, sometimes grouped together or featuring patterned glass.
Roofline:
Steeply pitched roofs with multiple gables, dormers, or towers creating complex silhouettes.
Materials:
Combination of clapboard, patterned wood shingles, brick, and decorative trim. Variety in color was common.
Decorative Elements:
Extensive ornamentation including spindlework, brackets, turned columns, and decorative shingles.
Notable Buildings in Salem
- William Brown Cottage (1847)
- Henry M. Brooks House (1851)
- William H. Gove House (1888)
- Juniper Point Cottages (1970s)
- Putnam-Balch House, “Greymoor” (1872)
- Benjamin G. Hathaway House (1874)
- Daniel Low Building (1826, c. 1874)
- North Street Fire Station (1882)
- Kinsman Block (1882)
- Charles H. Odell House (1887)
- William H. Gove House (1888)
- Salem Superior Courthouse (1891)
- Charles E. Fairfield House (1892)
- Dickson Memorial Chapel, Greenlawn Cemetery (1894)
- Arabella Street Cottages (late 19th century)
- Blake Memorial Chapel, Harmony Grove Cemetery (1905)
COLONIAL REVIVAL
1895 – 1930
The Colonial Revival movement emerged in the late nineteenth century as Americans renewed their interest in the architecture of the colonial and early republic periods following the 1876 Centennial. Inspired by earlier Georgian and Federal buildings, the style reinterprets classical symmetry and traditional architectural details. In Salem, Colonial Revival buildings often drew inspiration directly from the city’s many historic homes and public buildings.
Characteristics
Plan:
Symmetrical facades with balanced window placement and a centrally located door. Rectangular with a minimum of minor projections.
Doorway:
Often in a central projected bay or portico. Columns/pilasters with decorative surrounds including fanlights and sidelights.
Windows:
Multi-pane double hung sash windows arranged in evenly spaced rows. Palladian windows are common.
Roofline:
Side-gabled, hipped, or gambrel roofs with modest overhangs and occasional dormers. Chimneys placed for overall symmetry. Central cupola or balustrade sometimes.
Materials:
Wood clapboard or brick construction with classical trim and shutters.
Decorative Elements:
Classical moldings, pediments, and columns referencing earlier colonial architecture.
Notable Buildings in Salem
- Z. Augustus Gallup House (1890)
- Wheatland-Phillips House (1896)
- Henry P. Benson House (c. 1898)
- Dr. Hardy Pippen House (1900)
- Salem Athenaeum (1907)
- Old Salem High School (1909)
- Merchants National Bank Building (1911)
- Old Salem Police Station (1913)
- Robert M. Mahoney House (1917)
- Lydia E. Pinkham Memorial (1922)
- Tabernacle Church (1924)
- Hawthorne Hotel (1925)
- Salem Post Office (1933)
