Salem residents reject town ownership for historic Whittlesey property
Salem — Residents rejected another bid Wednesday night that would have put the historic Whittlesey property into the care of the town.
At a special town meeting, residents voted 23 to 22 by secret ballot to defeat a motion for the Salem Historical Society to transfer the property at 184 Hartford Road to the town for $50,000, to be paid over 10 years at $5,000 per year.
If the sale had been approved, the town then would agree to maintain the property, keep the house wind- and water-tight, and not demolish the house for at least three years. The money would go toward preserving photographs and other documents owned by the historical society.
The society proposed a similar sale last year with a 10-year restriction on demolition, but it failed by a 21-19 secret ballot vote.
A revised proposal pitched at the town meeting Wednesday eliminated the three-year limit, allowing the town to potentially demolish the house or sell the property. Because the sale was rejected, the historical society has been instructed to contact a realtor to put up the property for public sale.
The property, which is surrounded by town-owned land, includes the oldest house in Salem, which was built in 1700. Orramel Whittlesey, founder of Music Vale Seminary, was born in the house, and the historical society purchased the property in 2014 with the intent of creating a museum to honor him.
The museum project was abandoned due to lack of funding, and the $50,000 would help the historical society run its operations and replace some of the money it put into the project. At the Jan. 2 Board of Selectmen meeting, where the board voted unanimously to bring the sale to town meeting, Elbert M. "Elby" Burr, president of the society, said it would cost about $250,000 to bring the house back to its original state.
The primary value is in the property, he said, considering its location next to Salem School and other town-owned land.
Residents expressed concerns about the cost of work needed to maintain the house and property, specifically citing the three-year restriction on tearing it down. Others referenced the historical value of the property and materials as a benefit to the town, as well as its location and the rising cost of land.
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