Hamilton Hall (Salem, Massachusetts)

Hamilton Hall
Hamilton Hall
Hamilton Hall (Salem, Massachusetts) is located in Massachusetts
Hamilton Hall (Salem, Massachusetts)
Hamilton Hall (Salem, Massachusetts) is located in the United States
Hamilton Hall (Salem, Massachusetts)
Location9 Chestnut St.,
Salem, Massachusetts
Coordinates42°31′10″N 70°53′58″W / 42.51944°N 70.89944°W / 42.51944; -70.89944
Built1805 (1805)
ArchitectSamuel McIntire
Architectural styleFederal
Websitewww.hamiltonhall.org
Part ofChestnut Street District (ID73000312)
NRHP reference No.70000543[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPDecember 30, 1970
Designated CPAugust 28, 1973

Hamilton Hall is a National Historic Landmark at 9 Chestnut Street in Salem, Massachusetts. Designed by noted Salem builder Samuel McIntire and built in 1805–1807, it is an excellent instance of a public Federal style building. It was built as a social space for the leading families of Salem, and was named for Founding Father and Federalist Party leader Alexander Hamilton.[2] It continues to function as a social hall today: it is used for events, private functions,[3] weddings and is also home to a series of lectures that originated in 1944 by the Ladies Committee.[4]

Hamilton Hall is a three-story brick structure at the corner of Chestnut and Cambridge Streets, with its gable end front facing Cambridge Street. The brick is laid in a Flemish bond pattern. The entrance facade is five bays wide, with a center entry consisting of double doors sheltered by a Greek Revival porch added c. 1845. This rectangular portico has a flat roof, supported at each corner by two Doric columns. The first floor of the long side (facing Chestnut Street) consists of six bays, of which five are windows and one is a door. The upper level (equal in height to the upper two levels on the front facade) consists of five large Palladian windows set in a slightly recessed arch. Above each of these is a panel with decorations carved by McIntire. The outer four have a swag design, while the central one features an eagle and shield.[2]

Construction of the hall was funded by a group of Salem's Federalist merchant families, and cost $22,000. Originally, retail spaces at the entrance on the ground floor housed vendors who sold goods for use in the events held in the upstairs function space. The second level ballroom features an unusual curved balcony and a sprung floor suitable for dancing.[2]

The building was declared a National Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.[1][5] It is a contributing property to the Chestnut Street District, and part of the local McIntire Historic District, in which a high concentration of McIntire's works are found.

  • Sign on northern facade noting architect and date
    Sign on northern facade noting architect and date
  • Salem in 1820
    Salem in 1820

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. ^ a b c "MACRIS inventory record for Hamilton Hall". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved January 8, 2014.
  3. ^ "Hamilton Hall".
  4. ^ "Hamilton Hall | Lecture Series Information". Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved October 3, 2011.
  5. ^ Hamilton Hall NHL listing info Archived 2011-06-06 at the Wayback Machine
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