Downtown Salem District

Downtown Salem District covers the historic commercial center of Salem, Massachusetts, and was entered in the national register in October 1983 as one of ten nominations in the Downtown Salem Multiple Resource Area. The pages available here hold only a missing-documentation notice, a processing sheet and owner correspondence, so the buildings themselves are not described. A letter from the state historical commission says downtown Salem has played a crucial role in the development of Essex County since its founding in 1626. Owners in one section of the district were notified in March 1983. Only three responded. The operator of a restaurant at 143 Washington Street supported listing, and a bank at 71 Washington Street objected without notarizing its letter. The Salem News Publishing Company, at 155 Washington Street, filed a notarized objection, saying three of its buildings were beyond rehabilitation and slated for demolition. Because a majority of owners did not object, the district could be listed.