Salem Common Historic District (Boundary Increase)

Pleasant Street's northern end, covering numbers 3 to 25, was added to the Salem Common Historic District, bringing the total to 282 properties. The 16 added properties, one of them non-contributing, are mainly houses built between 1809 and 1909. The oldest is the John Rhodes House of 1809, a gambrel-roofed Federal dwelling. Others include the Greek Revival David Lord Double House, two Second Empire houses, several Italianate houses, a Queen Anne house of 1889 and a double house of 1909. Many were built for local carpenters, tradespeople and long-established neighborhood families, and a few buildings housed small grocery stores, a bakery and a fish market. Some have been altered with vinyl or aluminum siding and replacement windows, but they remain similar in period, style and scale to the original district. The area was also judged to have a high potential for historic archaeological resources, including outbuildings and household features, and a low to moderate potential for Native American sites. The period of significance runs from 1725 to 1920.