Historic Houses & Gardens
Salem has a uniquely rich architectural heritage. Every major American architectural style is represented within its borders. PEM’s physical campus of historic houses and other buildings encompasses three city blocks.
Our properties include a unique collection of buildings and architectural fragments spanning three centuries. PEM also has two gardens located on its campus: the 5,000-square-foot Museum Garden and the historic Ropes Mansion Garden.
Currently, Yin Yu Tang: A Chinese Home is open year-round for self-guided tours and PEM's Ropes Mansion is open seasonally on weekends for self-guided tours. Timed reservations for historic house tours are required and entry is included in general admission.
Curious to know what goes into keeping all of these historic houses in tiptop shape? Visit our recently-launched House Keeping page to learn more.
McIntire Historic District
Located a short walk from PEM, this district is rich with Georgian- and Federal-style houses designed or influenced by renowned architect Samuel McIntire (1757–1811).
Essex Block Neighborhood
This is the center of the museum’s architectural collection. Three centuries of extraordinary New England architecture, set in Federal-style gardens, may be found within this one square city block. As a rule, the buildings whose exteriors are wood-clad have been moved to the site from elsewhere; those clad in brick or stone are original to the site.
Main Campus
Located at the corner of Essex Street and New Liberty Street, this is the site of most of the museum’s gallery and office space, housed in buildings of various periods. Several historic structures comprise this part of the campus.
Architectural Styles
First Period or Post-Medieval is the earliest style of architecture found in New England. Look for massive central chimneys; steeply pitched, many-gabled roofs; asymmetrical door and window patterns; wooden batten doors; diamond-paned leaded casement windows; and second-floor overhangs.
Georgian style is based on classical models popular in Britain in the early 18th century. Look for orderly, symmetrical façades, usually of two stories; transom lights or small rectangular windows over doors; double-hung sash windows; and classical details such as pediments, pilasters and columns.
Federal style is an American adaptation of the Neoclassical, Roman or Adam style popular in Britain in the late 18th century. Look for orderly, symmetrical façades, usually of three stories; fanlights above doors and sidelights beside doors; semicircular porches; hipped roofs; and classical details such as pediments, pilasters and columns.
Greek Revival structures are usually one or two stories with a facade that resembles a Greek temple. Columns or pilasters typically have Doric or Ionic capitals. Details such as dormer windows have prominent pediments.
Italianate town houses are usually made of sandstone in dark brown or reddish colors. They are meant to evoke the farmhouses of northern Italy. These houses are often square or cube-shaped with round-topped windows and cupolas.
Gardens
Museum Garden
PEM’s serene 5,000-square-foot garden offers a mental and acoustic break from your museum experience. Designed by Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects, the garden space features nearly 300 varieties of shrubs, 60 trees, 37 species of flowers, an 11-foot cascading water feature and multiple benches to sit and relax.
Ropes Mansion Garden
Located at 318 Essex Street (a 10-minute walk from PEM), the Ropes Mansion garden blooms with plant life that’s as appealing to bees and butterflies as it is to visitors. Designed by Salem botanist and horticulturist John Robinson in 1912, the one-acre Colonial Revival garden welcomes thousands of visitors each year. Located in Salem’s McIntire Historic District, the tranquil space is open to the public 365 days a year, from dawn to dusk, at no charge. Leashed dogs are welcome in the garden.
Keep exploring
Blog
Peeling back the layers
4 min read
PEMcast
PEMcast 8 | Part 1: Historic House Crush
15 min listen