Greek Revival in every line, City Hall anchors the Downtown Salem District right in front of you. Designed by architect Richard Bond (1797–1861) and constructed in 1837–38 under the supervision of Mayor Leverett Saltonstall and a committee, this is the hall whose cornerstone was laid on September 6, 1837. Buried beneath that cornerstone were copies of local newspapers, the Mayor's speech for the organization of City Government (May 9, 1836), and the new City Charter — small time capsules of Salem's civic beginnings.
The structure was enlarged in 1878 with a rear extension that doubled the size of the building and brought all existing city offices under one roof, yet the work did not alter its appearance from the street. On the second floor you are looking toward the City Council Chamber Room, the site of bimonthly city council meetings and other regular board and commission meetings. In 1973 this venerable Greek Revival landmark was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Notice the facade and the street-front that Richard Bond designed, largely unchanged since it rose in 1837.