First Universalist Church
Also known as: Hp-4
Why it's listed
Brick walls, a projecting five-bay facade and a central square tower define this church at 6 Rust Street in Salem. Designed by William Putnam and built in 1808, it follows the typical Federal meetinghouse plan. Brick sill courses mark the second story of the facade and circle the tower, while the rest of the building stays plain except at the cornice, which makes the balustraded tower stand out. Broad granite steps lead to three entries: a round-arched center door and two segmentally arched side doors. The Universalist Society of Salem was founded in 1805. A first lot on St. Peter Street was sold because it was too close to the town jail, and the Rust Street lot was bought instead. The cornerstone was laid on August 17, 1808, and the first service took place on May 14, 1809. The church is one of two Federal period churches left in Salem and one of two buildings remaining from an early 19th century neighborhood cleared for urban renewal. The church was restored in 1924 and is still used as a church.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is one of two Federal period churches remaining in Salem and one of only two buildings to survive in an early 19th century vernacular neighborhood cleared for urban renewal. It is a typical Federal meetinghouse design with strong architectural restraint, and it retains integrity of location, design, materials, workmanship and association.
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) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 83000577, listed July 29, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 6 Rust St., Salem |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | July 29, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000577 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | William Putnam |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is church; the form records a restoration in 1924 and alterations dated 1855 and 1878. |
| Acreage | 0.4 |
| Coordinates | 42.52387, -70.89507 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 83000577.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5454036
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.