National Register of Historic Places

YMCA

Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts
Listed
July 28, 1983
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
83000590

About this property

The Salem YMCA is a historic YMCA building at 284-296 Essex Street in the Downtown Salem District in Salem, Massachusetts. Its large building is an anchor of the western end of Salem's business district, of which Essex Street is a major component, and is one of the finest Classical Revival buildings in Salem. The Salem YMCA was first organized in 1858, and it commissioned the construction of this building in 1898. The three-story brick-and-limestone building was designed by Walter J. Paine, and has retained most of its exterior styling. The ground floor was designed to house primarily retail establishments, with the YMCA entrance highlighted by an ornate entablature supported by twin columns on either side. Entrances to the retail establishments are also indicated by building bays that project out less prominently than the main entrance. The ground floor is built in limestone, while the upper floors are predominantly brick. The building originally had a loggia on top of the roof, but that was removed in the 1950s. Faced with declining enrollments through the 1970s, the YMCA sold part of the second and third floors to the Salem Housing Authority, which converted that area to senior housing. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

Location

284-296 Essex St.
Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts
42.52157, -70.89817

Categories

ENTERTAINMENT/RECREATIONARCHITECTURESOCIAL HISTORY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

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Nearby Battles

Action at Hog Island
1775Revolutionary War
11 mi
Battle of Chelsea Creek (1775)
1775Revolutionary War
11 mi
Battle of Chelsea Creek
1775Revolutionary War
11.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was YMCA listed on the National Register?

YMCA was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 28, 1983.

What type of historic resource is YMCA?

YMCA is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for YMCA?

The period of significance for YMCA is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near YMCA?

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