Crombie Street District
The National Park Service has not published a boundary polygon for this district; the map shows the listed properties inside it and the district's reference point.
Why it's listed
Crombie Street is a small enclave of eight buildings in downtown Salem, Massachusetts, laid out in 1805 by Benjamin Crombie, who ran a tavern on Essex Street. It is the only surviving downtown residential group from the early 19th century, and it shows how the city looked then. The buildings sit close to the sidewalk, yet their irregular placement gives the street a rural feel. Most are wood, though the church, the Bowker House and the older Prince House are brick. Styles run from a Georgian gambrel-roofed house moved to the street in 1830 to Federal houses and an Italianate home on Barton Square built in 1846. The most prominent building is the Crombie Street Church, built as a theater in 1828 and converted to a church in 1832. Its large arched facade blends Federal and Greek Revival design. Next to it, the Bowker House, built around 1810, was updated with brownstone trim about 1860.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · catalog entry. Generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29).
| Styles | Mix of Georgian, Federal, Greek Revival and Italianate |
|---|---|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Acreage | 0.8 |
| Boundary source | not published |
| Full listing page | Crombie Street District (property record) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.