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City of Salem Commencing Historic Preservation Projects in Two Cemeteries

Conservation and Restoration Work Begins in Broad Street Cemetery and Dickson Memorial Chapel
Posted on: August 21, 2023 - 4:06pm
Dickson Memorial Chapel, Salem, MA

Mayor Dominick Pangallo announced that The City of Salem is excited to begin two new restoration projects in the city’s historic cemeteries this August, continuing ongoing efforts to preserve Salem’s historic burial sites.

At Broad Street Cemetery, Salem’s second oldest burial ground established in 1655, conservation work will be undertaken on centuries-old slate and marble burial markers. For this new phase of conservation in the cemetery, the City has hired Ludlow Memorial Company to reset leaning headstones, consolidate and repair broken stones and gently clean fragile markers. All work will comply with best practices and standards for the conservation of historic headstones. The project will continue through the fall season with the potential for work to continue into Spring 2024 with work stoppage during the winter season.

Also in August, the City will begin the next phase of restoration work on Dickson Memorial Chapel, a 1894 High Victorian Gothic granite and sandstone building at the entrance to Salem’s youngest cemetery Greenlawn Cemetery, established in 1807. The City has hired stained glass restoration firm Sash & Solder to restore 14 floral motif stained glass windows at the Chapel (the chapel’s rose window was previously restored in 2017). “We are excited to be working with the city to restore the stained glass windows at Dickson Chapel. It’s satisfying to be involved in a project that’s bringing an historical building back to life - especially since the windows are such an integral part of the art and architecture of the Chapel,” said Dennis LaVersa of Sash & Solder. Dennis and his partners will carefully remove each window from its wood frame for transport to the firm’s New Hampshire facility where decorative glass in shades of blue, cream and brown will be disassembled, cleaned, repaired and reassembled with new lead and solder. While restoration work is underway, window openings will be secured with temporary coverings. It is expected that restored windows will be reinstalled in late Spring 2024 after wood window frames are repaired and repainted in the building’s original Essex Green trim color.

“Salem is a community with a robust history,” said Mayor Pangallo, “I am proud that we are able to continue to honor those who have come before us and who worked so hard to build Salem into the city we can enjoy today and into the future.”

For more information about these cemetery projects including before and in-progress images as wells as information on other preservation projects in Salem, visit www.PreservingSalem.com.