Salem State University to Launch “Mapping a Century of Salem” Exhibit

SALEM, MASS. – This summer, Salem State University will present “Mapping a Century of Salem, 1926 – 2026,” from June 18 to mid-September at Old Town Hall in downtown Salem.

Developed as part of Salem’s quadricentennial celebration, this free public history exhibit examines the transformation of Salem over the past 100 years, combining oral histories, maps,  historical photographs and more to explore how Salem evolved socially, economically and physically between the city’s 1926 tercentenary celebration and today.

“Salem’s history is often discussed through a few familiar narratives,” said university President John Keenan.  “This exhibit intends to broaden that conversation by focusing on the lived experiences of a variety of residents across the past 100 years, while also providing opportunities for visitors to share their own Salem experiences and connections. The exhibit is not only about buildings and events, but about Salem’s people, including one of my mentors, Chief Justice Sam Zoll.” 

The exhibit is a compilation of work from Salem State University’s College of Arts and Sciences and Frederick E. Berry Library and Archives. It seeks to interpret the city’s history while sharing personal stories of those who live in, work in or have had an impact on Salem over the past century. The exhibit will also have components for the public to add to this collective storytelling. 

“We’re thrilled to highlight the wide variety of roles that ordinary Salemites played over the last century in Salem,” said Salem State Professor Brad Austin. “We hope visitors, particularly Salem residents, are able to connect with something familiar and learn something new about the city’s past, while also leaving behind their stories for future historians to reflect on at the next century’s commemoration.”

Exhibit cornerstones share glimpses into the city’s experiences with World War II, urban renewal, tourism, migration and the immigrant experience. Through detailed snapshots of Salem’s last century, the exhibit hopes to share elements of the city’s past 100 years through a variety of perspectives.

One such feature is the Latino Hertitage Project of Greater Salem, a collaborative project that explores the experiences of Latino immigrants and families who helped shape the city in recent decades. 

Developed in partnership with the Latino Leadership Coalition, the Welcome Immigrant Network, Salem State’s North Shore Policy Lab, and additional community partners, the project features oral histories, photographs, video interviews, and digital story maps documenting immigrant experiences across the greater Salem area. Particular attention is given to The Point neighborhood as a community continually reshaped by successive generations of newcomers. 

“Over the past two years, it has been an incredible experience for my students and I to work closely with local Latino leaders who collected the stories of our immigrant neighbors about their journeys from 14 countries that converge in Salem,” said Salem State professor Thomas Piñeros Shields, director of the North Shore Policy Lab. “The Latino Heritage Project helps to elevate voices of everyday people that are often missing from history.” 

The exhibit also examines Salem’s mid-century redevelopment efforts surrounding urban renewal, historic preservation, and downtown revitalization. It explores how infrastructure projects and redevelopment initiatives dramatically altered Salem’s built environment, and the impact of residents in preserving much of the city’s historic character.

“I think most Salem residents are aware of the huge impact of urban renewal on the downtown in the 1960s and early 1970s, but just a decade before, Salem was also under construction for an expanded train tunnel,” said Salem State professor Donna Seger. “Just three years after this project was completed, the planning for urban renewal began.”

The exhibit also traces the evolution of Salem’s tourism industry and the emergence of the city’s “Witch City” identity over the 20th century. Through guidebooks, postcards, advertising materials and contemporary Haunted Happenings imagery, visitors will examine how Salem’s connection to the witch trials of 1692 evolved into one of the country’s most recognizable tourism focuses—and the tensions that accompanied that transformation.

The exhibit is intended not simply as a retrospective, but as an invitation for public participation and reflection. Visitors will have opportunities throughout the exhibit to respond to prompts and share memories connected to Salem’s neighborhoods, institutions, businesses, and public spaces. 

“The City of Salem is pleased to host a series of free Salem 400+ exhibits at Old Town Hall throughout this year,” said Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo. “Our goal with these exhibits is to engage our community partners and encourage them to bring their own perspectives and stories to this important moment in our city’s history. This exhibit does precisely that, while highlighting both important stories from Salem’s past and the expertise of the professors at our local university.”

Occupying the second floor of Old Town Hall, 32 Derby Square in downtown Salem, beginning June 18 through mid-September, “Mapping a Century of Salem, 1926 – 2026” will be open to the public Thursdays from 4 to 7 PM and Fridays through Mondays from 12 to 4 PM. The university will also present programming related to Salem’s 400+ during the exhibition. Admission is free and open to the public. Additional details, including exhibit hours and event information, will be available at salem400.org.