​Since the initiation of the North River Canal planning process in 2000, Historic Salem, Inc. has participated in and supported the goals of the North River Canal Corridor (NRCC) Master Plan and zoning ordinance.  All the neighborhoods that abut the NRCC are historic neighborhoods which will be affected by development in the Corridor.  A key aspect of the NRCC Master Plan is the importance of neighborhood character as reflected by the customized goals for each section of the Corridor.  Another key part of the NRCC zoning ordinance is the review oversight of the Design Review Board (DRB). 
 
The DRB is a board that possesses specialized skills and experience to address urban design issues as they apply in many areas of our city.  Their value has been proven in the long tradition of work with the Salem Redevelopment Authority.  The Planning Board and City Council have also shown their recognition of the valuable role of the DRB, as evidenced by the recent change that adds DRB review to projects in the Urban Entrance Corridors.  We support the work of the Design Review Board throughout the city and find that the iterative nature of their review improves each project that they evaluate. 
 
Since the introduction of the NRCC Zoning District in 2003, as far as we know, every development approved by the Planning Board has received a positive recommendation from the DRB. With the recent approval by the Planning Board of a project (16-18-20R Franklin Street) that received a negative recommendation from the DRB there is now precedent to allow projects with a negative recommendation to move forward. 
 
This dismissal of the DRB decision undermines the clear intent of the NRCC zoning ordinance.  Historic Salem believes that any project, in any zoning district, that must seek a DRB recommendation should receive positive endorsement to qualify for final consideration by other boards.
 
Historic Salem supports action to clarify the DRB relationship with the Planning Board to insure that the intent of the NRCC Master Plan and Zoning Ordinance is honored, and to improve communication and collaboration among all city boards.

          1-You change the location you are building in.
          2-You process resources into building materials. 
          3-You change the location that the materials come from.

How does this relate to our historic city?  The intersection of preservation and sustainability is greatly underappreciated in the United States.  In Britain, for example, these two disciplines are grouped together under the name “conservation” with specialties in heritage conservation, landscape conservation, or biodiversity conservation.  

​Architecture is the intersection of art and engineering.  Much of the engineering aspect of architecture relates to the structure.  Much of the art of architecture is the application or manipulation of cultural associations.  Once could argue that “good” architecture is the successful combination of a functional yet beautiful structure with edifying or educational ties to a shared culture.  

Professor Piatti laid out some rules that begin to form the “Language of Architecture,” a logical metaphor because language itself is a basis of culture.  All architecture, he says, uses the interplay of solids and voids; enclosure, the surface of the building; massing, often within a hierarchy of primary and secondary; and volume.  As a community we are all trained in a similar architectural language, by virtue of our existing in a shared space.  Of course, how one uses language can vary widely with a range of style (perhaps acting as a regional accent), intent (poetry, prose, technical) and of course eloquence.

In practical application, let’s consider the use of solids and void.  The exterior of a building gives us a clue about the interior organization, for example window and pilaster locations hint of where walls or columns fall within a building.  When this is done well it feels satisfying to us as observers and users. 

Similarly, massing and volume can give us clues to the type of building we are entering. We use shape and size to understand if a building is a church, a house, a store, a civic space.  Certainly, there is room for creativity in our use of architectural language, but poetry results from masterful use of language, not haphazard assembly of words.  When structure doesn’t relate to façade, when cultural association gives us false or vague information about a building the result is architectural cacophony.

          1 – Sense of arrival
          2 – Sense of identity/place (unique look or place centric design)
          3 – Sense of connection to the environment.
 
Speaking of the use of language, what does “good” mean as it relates to architecture or city design?  Certainly, this is a subjective discussion, but I think that Prof. Piatti’s outline of a good city or building is something many of us would relate to when we consider our existence in the built environment.  Below are examples of each characteristic in a range of scales.

Sense of Arrival

Content taken from the 1977 Salem Handbook with updated information.
 
SALEM TODAY
Salem boasts a wealth of architecture spanning four centuries.  However, the variety in our built environment can be taken for granted. Indeed, modern history illustrates that at times the vitality of our older buildings has not been a major concern in local decision-making.  For instance, Salem’s 1965 urban renewal plan called for the demolition of 145 of 177 downtown buildings and came close to destroying the historic and architectural fabric of the city’s core. Citizen protest halted this original scheme but not before dozens of buildings (surrounding what is now the Church Street parking lot) were destroyed.  Once the folly of “urban renewal” was recognized a philosophy followed which gave credence to preservation guidelines and the adaptive reuse of existing commercial buildings was encouraged. Salem’s downtown now reflects a successful integration of old and new buildings and urban spaces. 

The neighborhoods matter
In Salem, as in other cities, it is not just the downtown core that should be appreciated.  Our older residential neighborhoods contain a legacy that garners their own attention.  It is not important if these areas are officially designated as “historic districts.” What is important is their social value, for never again will typical houses be built with such high quality materials and workmanship, and only the slow working of time can create their genuine character.  As thousands of visitors flock to our city in search of this country’s roots, we as residents should take note of their interest. Old buildings in all of our neighborhoods can help us understand the importance of our past by providing a shared history and a strong sense of community.

Halfway down a by-street of one of our New England towns stands a house on 7 Prescott.

Behind the walls of this simple edifice, the history of one family can be traced. No heads of state were born here. No titans of industry. No sports heroes. Just some commonly uncommon folks – veterans of wars, hard work and raviolis. 

This house was built on top of the cooled embers of the Great Salem Fire by my grandfather, Giuseppe Giunta, a Sicilian immigrant who died forty years before I was born. None of us now living ever had the chance to meet him and with only a single solemn portrait to ponder, we have all speculated about his character and his life. What was he like? What did he go through coming to this country, raising such a large brood, buying a house, seeing it burn to the ground eleven days after he paid it off, and then building a completely new one? Just a couple years after his house was constructed he was struck by a motorcycle, hit his head on a trolley track and died on the corner of Lafayette Street and Ocean Ave. All we really know is that he was persistent and incredibly unlucky.  

In 1977 Historic Salem released the Salem Handbook, as prepared by the architectural firm Anderson Notter, Inc. (now Finegold Alexander).  At the time this book was one of the few published resources that provided homeowners with tangible advice on conserving the architectural history and materials of a residential building.  Forty years later hundreds of books on home maintenance are supplemented by websites and TV shows with hacks and trends that cover the entire spectrum of rehabilitation.  Yet this Salem Handbook, in addition to its nostalgic charm, continues to provide clear, easy to understand information on how to care for a historic home, free from trademarked product links or celebrity branding. 
 
Historic Salem, therefore, presents an ongoing series of posts that will “re-print”, online, the 1977 Handbook, with relevant updates. Information presented is specific to Salem (that’s part of its charm!) but pertinent to any historic homeowner.
 
Much of the pride we share as residents of this city comes from living in or near old buildings. Our older neighborhoods bring the past alive for residents and visitors alike, creating a legacy to pass on to future generations. We appreciate Salem’s architectural diversity and realize that if it is removed it is unlikely to be replaced. And while taking care of a historic home can be problematic we subscribe to the preservation maxim, espoused by the National Park Service:

​During home repair and renovation there are often questions about a building’s style, design, upkeep, and sustainable methods and materials.  This Salem Handbook web-series will address these major concerns of preservation. First, we want to assist in identifying the stylistic features of Salem houses so that homeowners will take them into consideration before starting renovation and maintenance projects.