P.O. Box 865, Salem, MA 01970
(978) 745-0799
Contact Us!

Historic Salem, Inc. provides research on house histories and manages the placement and replacement of plaques on historic houses in Salem.

The general public fee for a professionally prepared house history and plaque is $400.00 - Historic Salem Members recieve a $50 discount. Please send a check for that amount, made out to Historic Salem, Inc., with this application.

Should you have any questions, please use our contact form.

The real significance of the House History & Plaque Program is to enrich our understanding of the history of the city.

The purpose of this program is to raise people's awareness of Salem's pre-1914 architecture and history and those who helped to make it. The final report on your house will have narrative and documentary sections. The narrative identifies the house's early residents and the events of their lives, and relates them to the larger events occurring in Salem and beyond. It is keyed to primary and secondary sources so that you may be assured of accuracy. Appended are copies of deeds, atlases, and (sometimes) inventories of furnishings. The plaque is produced by Historic Salem, Inc., which will suggest its wording, subject to your approval.

The plaque allows neighbors and visitors a glimpse into the history of the house by noting the name and occupation of the builder, along with the date of completion.

Since many plaques have weathered over time, we have initiated a program to replace worn plaques. If you would like to renew your plaque, the process is not difficult; it involves filling out a form and returning it with payment to Historic Salem, Inc. A fee to cover all of the costs including installation, is being revised and will be posted on this page.

In addition to providing new plaques and house histories, HSI can provide new owners with house histories if the research has already been done. HSI has a "house history" on each house that bears one of our plaques. If you would like a copy of your "house history", we can provide that for a nominal fee (under revision).

Because of innovations in design and production, we expect the new plaques to last far longer than the old ones.

If you are not a member of HSI, we invite you to join. Your membership will enable you to join us and hundreds of Salem residents as advocates of preservation and restoration.

We hope that you will continue to contribute to the pride that we all share in Salem's long history and your home's place in it.