City of Salem to Begin Old Town Hall Restoration
The City of Salem announced the beginning of restoration work on the community’s Old Town Hall building in a media statement released on Wednesday, Feb. 5. Over the past five years, the City has worked with community members to create a plan for Old Town Hall, which has stood in Derby Square in the heart of downtown Salem since 1816.
Work will begin on Thursday, Feb. 13, and has received approval to occur between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, with no substantial noise before 8 a.m. and after 5 p.m., and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.
According to a City of Salem news release, the full project will be completed in two phases. The first phase will address weather sealing, the building’s exterior restoration, and the construction of fully accessible entrances.
Exterior work includes:
- Improving an existing accessible entrance at the north façade doors and sidewalk area
- Performing selective masonry repairs to brickwork and brownstone sills
- Providing an accessible entrance to the basement at the southeast corner along the building’s east elevation
- Removing five abandoned grilles at the exterior façade and tooth-in brickwork to match the rest of the exterior
- Repairing exterior doors to improve their life span, safety, and egress
- Restoring the slate roof and cupola
- Undertaking selective repairs to windows and installing historically correct exterior storm windows
- Upgrading the existing snow guard rails and ice melting system
The City of Salem and grants from the Salem Community Preservation Committee, Massachusetts Historical Commission, Massachusetts Cultural Council, and the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism have provided funding for the project’s first phase. Work on this phase is expected to be fully completed by June 2025.
The project’s second phase will address the interior, including structural preservation, heating, cooling, fire prevention, accessibility, and acoustical improvements. Work will begin on this phase at the conclusion of a multi-year fundraising effort.
