Updated: February 2025
Background
Since 2022 Historic Salem, Inc. (HSI) has been actively engaged in the design review of this project, including meetings and correspondence directly with the developer and designers. We have attended meetings held by reviewing agencies and provided formal, written feedback to the Salem Redevelopment Authority and its Design Review Board. Both these groups are responsible for compliance with the Downtown Renewal Plan. Interested readers may find our Citizens Guide to the Salem Downtown Renewal Plan helpful.
HSI research finds the project historically significant due to its location, the 100+ year-old building itself and the commercial usage that has always served Salem’s needs from this corner. Essex, North and Summer Streets have been entrance corridors to Salem for over 400 years. Three of the oldest streets in Salem are superimposed over pathways used by indigenous peoples who lived here prior to the arrival of the European colonial settlers. On the diagonal corner the 1675 Jonathan Corwin House stands as the last building with direct ties to the Witch Trials of 1692. The historical significance of the intersection warrants a thoughtful treatment of this highly visible corner.
See our most recent letter with specific recommendations to the Salem Redevelopment Authority in the Major Milestones and Timeline section. HSI will continue active engagement through final approvals. We find the conditions that were attached to the schematic approval necessary to preserve Salem’s visual and architectural connections to our history; in turn reminding us of the talent, vision, and hard work of previous generations. Understanding how they lived their lives illuminates the path forward for our society today.
Historic Significance and Existing Site Description
The building at 301 Essex Street has a long history as a commercial anchor at the intersection of Summer and Essex Streets. Built in 1897 as a grocery, it was later occupied by various establishments over its early years. Old photos show people gathered along the rooftop parapet as a parade travels by. In 1955 it became Jerry’s Department Store and was operated by Jerry Rich for 50 years. It is still commonly known as “Jerry’s” although it has long housed Witch City Consignment, which is a community anchor in its own right. The abutting lot is occupied by the 1834 West Cogswell House at 5-9 Summer Street, a classic Greek Revival Row House currently operated as The Salem Inn. Built for sea captain Nathaniel West, a successful mariner, shipowner and East India merchant, who commanded several privateering vessels during the American Revolution, the West Cogswell House is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Link to Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information (MACRIS): SAL:1483
The storefront of Jerry’s Department Store proudly faces commercial Essex Street, but it nods towards residential Essex Street in the McIntire Historic District and the iconic Witch House (1672 Jonathan Corwin House) on the opposite corner of the intersection. North and Essex Streets are both prominent entrance corridors for those approaching downtown; therefore, in addition to its history, there is an important visual impact to be considered with any addition to this single-story building.
