2015 City of Salem Historic Preservation Plan Update City of Salem Department of Planning and Community Development Prepared by: Community Opportunities Group, Inc. Unless noted otherwise, all images in this document provided by Patricia Kelleher, Community Opportunities Group, Inc. The Salem Historic Preservation Plan Update has been financed in part with Federal funds from the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, through the Massachusetts Historical Commission, Secretary of the Commonwealth William Francis Galvin, Chairman. However, the contents and opinions do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of the Interior, or the Massachusetts Historical Commission. This program received Federal financial assistance for identification and protection of historic properties. Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended, the U.S. Department of the Interior prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability or age in its federally assisted programs. If you believe you have been discriminated against in any program, activity, or facility as described above, or if you desire further information, please write to: Office for Equal Opportunity, National Park Service, 1849 C Street NW, Washington, DC 20240. Table of Contents Executive Summary ………………………………………………………………………………. 1 Chapter 1 – Historic Overview of Salem ……………………………………………............ 18 Preservation Timeline …………………………………………………………….. 25 Chapter 2 – Salem Today ……………………………………………………………………….. 27 Historic Neighborhoods …………………………………………………………. 29 Historic Resources ………………………………………………………………… 41 Publicly-Owned Historic Resources ……………………………………………. 51 Overview of Previous Planning Studies ………………………………………… 59 Agencies & Organizations Engaged in Preservation Efforts …………………. 65 Chapter 3 - Existing Planning Efforts, Regulations & Policies………………………………. 76 Salem’s Historic Resource Inventory ….………………………………………... 76 Historic Designations …………………………………………………………….. 80 Existing Preservation Ordinances ………………………………………............. 85 Other City Regulations ……………………………………………………………. 92 Other Existing City Programs & Operations…………………………………… 93 Public Property Management …………………………………………………….. 95 Planning For Natural Disasters and Climate Change …………………….….. 96 Preservation Outreach and Education .………….…………………………….. 97 Chapter 4 – Issues, Opportunities, Goals & Recommendations ……………………………. 99 Promoting Salem’s History and Historic Resources ………………………….. 100 Promoting Economic Benefits of Historic Preservation ………………………. 103 Integrating the Arts and Historic Preservation ………………………………... 104 Identifying and Evaluating Salem’s Historic Resources ……………………… 105 Protecting Historic Resources and Historic Character ……………………….. 108 Other Preservation Tools …………………………………………………………. 115 Integrating Preservation Objectives into Zoning & Development Review … 117 Preservation & Management of City-Owned Historic Resources ……………. 124 Planning for Natural Disasters and Climate Change …………………………. 129 Funding for Historic Preservation Efforts ………………………………………. 130 Action Plan ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 132 Appendix …………………………………………………………………………………............ 143 • Studies Promoting Economic Benefits of Historic Preservation • Historic Preservation Funding Sources • Model Demolition Delay Bylaw • Community Outreach and Public Comments Executive Summary Page 1 Executive Summary For more than a century, Salem has engaged in efforts to protect, promote and preserve its historic assets, from efforts in 1908 to save the House of the Seven Gables to current efforts to preserve the historic buildings of the Point Neighborhood. It has long been understood that Salem’s heritage – as seen through its historic buildings, landscapes and objects – defines its unique character and sense of place and also serves as an important tool for the city’s economic health. Today, Salem is home to world class museums, historic and cultural landmarks, and some of the nation’s finest examples of historic architecture. Passionate City staff and boards, local organizations and numerous individuals work diligently to preserve this heritage for residents and tourists alike. Salem City Hall Salem’s accomplishments are impressive. More than 4,300 resources are documented in the City’s historic inventory, the third largest inventory in Massachusetts. The City has designated 600 buildings within its four historic districts and has 31 resources protected with preservation restrictions. Salem also has 33 individual properties and 20 multiple-property districts listed in the National Register of Historic Places with an additional 112 properties included in Multiple and Thematic Resource Area nominations. Many of the community’s most iconic historic buildings and landscapes are well-preserved, and the City, local organizations and institutions, and private individuals are currently engaged in restoration efforts at their historic properties. However, in spite of these impressive statistics, the majority of Salem’s historic resources and many of its historic neighborhoods remain unprotected from inappropriate changes that could alter or even destroy their architectural integrity, and past efforts to implement additional historic regulations have been unsuccessful. There are also instances of private and City-owned historic buildings and landscapes suffering from deferred maintenance and deterioration due to a lack of funding and an awareness of their importance. Commonly Used Acronyms SHC Salem Historical Commission DPCD Department of Planning and Community Development CPC Salem Community Preservation Committee CPA Community Preservation Act MHC Massachusetts Historical Commission NR National Register of Historic Places PR Preservation Restrictions LHD Local Historic Districts NHL National Historic Landmark NCD/NPD Neighborhood Conservation/Preservation District This Historic Preservation Plan Update seeks to serve as both an educational tool for fostering greater awareness and appreciation for Salem’s historic resources and the role these buildings, structures, objects, landscapes, and burial sites play in visually defining the City’s character and unique sense of place, and as a guidance document to prioritize local preservation efforts. The Plan is divided into four chapters - Salem Historic Preservation Plan Update 2015 Executive Summary Page 2 Chapter 1 provides an overview and timeline of Salem’s history and preservation activity; Chapter 2 discusses Salem’s historic neighborhoods and provides a summary of the city’s historic resources and the City agencies and local organizations engaged in their preservation; Chapter 3 provides a review of the City’s existing policies, regulations, and planning efforts related to historic preservation; and Chapter 4 discusses the opportunities and issues affecting Salem’s historic resources and presents recommendations for the City to consider in future preservation efforts. The Plan culminates in an Action Plan that identifies implementation responsibility and timelines for each of the recommendations. The Planning Process In 2014, the City received a matching Survey and Planning Grant from the Massachusetts Historical Commission to update its Historic Preservation Plan, which was last prepared in 1991. With support from the Department of Planning and Community Development and the Salem Historical Commission staff, the City hired Community Opportunities Group (COG) to assist with the endeavor. This 2015 Plan Update represents a yearlong effort to identify and evaluate Salem’s historic resources and to identify the issues affecting their future protection. To gather public input for the Update, the City held three community meetings – a preservation partners’ focus group forum and two community-wide meetings. In addition, COG presented updates on the project to the SHC at two of their regularly scheduled meetings. Attendees at the focus group forum, which included representatives from all of the city’s preservation groups, participated in a SWOT (strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) exercise to identify Salem’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats related to historic preservation in the city. At the community-wide meeting, attendees identified and prioritized the city’s most threatened historic resources and began a discussion of their future preservation needs. COG also met individually with various city staff and local preservation partners to gather additional insight into Salem’s wealth of historic assets and their preservation needs. Representatives from the following groups provided information that is disseminated in this Plan: Cemetery Department Historic Salem, Inc. Salem Athenaeum Planning & Community Development House of the Seven Gables Salem Chamber of Commerce Destination Salem National Park Service Salem Historical Commission Essex National Heritage Commission Parks Department Salem Main Streets Friends of Greenlawn Cemetery Pickering House Salem Partnership Hamilton Hall Salem Public Arts Planner Witch House/Pioneer Village Historic New England This community outreach informed much of this Plan and assisted the City with identifying current preservation opportunities and concerns, including: the need for increased documentation and protection of the city’s historic resources, the need for increased communication between the City, its agencies, and local preservation partners, and the need