Salem's 400-Year-Old Cemetery Gets New Welcome Center

SALEM, MA — One of the nation's oldest cemeteries will have a new welcome center when it reopens to the public through a partnership between the Peabody-Essex Museum and the city of Salem.

The historic Samuel Pickman House will act as the welcome center for the Charter Street Cemetery, which dates back to 1637, with its reopening expected on May 1.

The city's oldest burial ground has recently had an extensive landscape renovation that includes the cast-iron fencing, wall stabilization and installing a new pathway, landscaping, benches and perimeter lighting.

"We are thrilled to breathe new life into this important historic structure and to do so in such a meaningful, relevant, and impactful way," Robert Monk, PEM's Acting Chief Operating Officer, said. "The museum's historic house collection is renowned in scope and scale and helps tell the story of Salem through four centuries of design. We hope visitors to the Charter Street Cemetery will feel immersed in history and transported by PEM's 1665 Pickman House."

The Pickman House was built in 1665 and renovated in late 1960s and 1970s before the Peabody Essex Museum purchased it in 1983.

The city said the welcome center will allow for monitoring of the cemetery and securing the grounds at closing.

"This is a unique opportunity to better manage visitation in this sensitive space, interpret the history of the cemetery and surrounding area, and also generate funds to ensure the ongoing care of the cemetery," Mayor Kim Driscoll said. "I am enormously grateful to the leadership at PEM and the many city staff who have worked to develop this innovative concept. As a city committed to the preservation and interpretation of our unique history, the Charter Street Cemetery Welcome Center presents a singular opportunity to connect visitors, students and residents to the important lessons and legacies of our past."

The Salem Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department will operate the welcome center, which will include a gift shop guided tour starting site. Maps for self-guided tours will be sold for a small contribution.

The city said groups may be capped at 15 to help further preserve the cemetery, while socially distancing and public gathering limits related to the coronavirus will be enforced for as long as they last.

Guidelines will also direct groups not using the space for educational purposes to utilize the adjacent Charlotte Forten Park for congregating and picnicking.

The museum will start a renovation to the rear garden area to further improve and adapt the site for accessibility this spring. The new welcome center will be accessible.

More information on the Samuel Pickman House and the Peabody Essex Museum can be found here.

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(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)