Few communities have the rich legacy of historic houses that Salem, Massachusetts, boasts. These homes, spanning four centuries, help define the character as well as the appearance of the city, and every year some of their owners invite visitors in to view their homes decked out in full holiday regalia, with the help of professional decorators and florists.
Held annually the first weekend in December, Christmas in Salem inaugurates the holiday season, bringing thousands of visitors to see our homes and enjoy our city. The first Christmas house tour took place in 1979 under the combined auspices Historic Salem, Inc. and the Visiting Nurses Association of the North Shore. Historic Salem has since assumed responsibility for the tour, and it is now the organization’s major fundraising effort.
The 2011 tour features a sweeping overview of the homes in the McIntire Historic District. Almost all of its streets are included so that tour goers can really enjoy the many architectural styles present within such a small area. This was Salem’s first National Register Historic District in the city. The homes range from the magnificent freestanding Federal clapboard mansion to two of Salem’s brick ‘triple houses’. The tour also features a charming home originally designed by William Rantoul that traveled two blocks to its current site, and the house where the Tower School originated.
This is also an opportunity to learn more about two of the architects who helped shape the architectural tastes of the homeowners. Samuel McIntire was unusually talented in that he could span the spectrum from the intimate scale of carving fine details on furniture to the grand scale design of mansions. William Rantoul, as a Salem native, absorbed the fine architecture around him and became one of the leading designers of Colonial Revival within the city. Elsewhere he embraced the Shingle Style or even a terra cotta clad office building.
Each year, the tour highlights properties in historic neighborhoods across Salem. Proceeds of the tour support all aspects of HSI’s mission. Additionally, our successes in the 2009 and 2010 tours allowed HSI to begin interior renovations of the Nathaniel Bowditch House, a National Historic Landmark that serves as HSI’s headquarters.
