Date Of Visit: December 7, 2024

Location: 337 Essex St, Salem, MA

Website: Salem Athenaeum

The Salem Athenaeum has a rather storied history.

While it’s unofficial history can be dated back to 1760 when members of two institutions started combining the latest scientific works into a joint collection, it wasn’t until 1810 when they decided to merge together to form the Salem Athenaeum.

There was no permanent location for the athenaeum for many decades. Then, in 1850, at the bequest of Caroline Plummer, a philanthropist and founder of Plummer Professorship of Christian Morals, a brick building was constructed in the Italianate style at 132 Essex St. The Athenaeum stayed at this location for 50 years. Then, in 1905, the Athenaeum sold the building to the Essex Institute. It would later become what is now the Peabody Essex Museum.

With the proceeds from the sale of the building at 132 Essex St, the Salem Athenaeum was built at at its current location of 337 Essex St. Dedicated in 1907, the current red brick building was modeled after the Homewood Estate in Maryland which was built by Charles Carroll one of the signers (and longest living survivor) of the Declaration of Independence.

Over the years, many people of note have been members of the Salem Athenaeum. Nathaniel Hawthorne, mathematician Nathaniel Bowditch, former Supreme Court Justice Joseph Story, Impressionist painter Frank W. Benson and Charles Grafton Page, an early inventor of the electric motor, have all been members of the Athenaeum.

The name “Athenaeum” is derived from the Greek goddess of wisdom, “Athena.” And, according the tour guide, the translation for “Athenaeum” is loosely “private library.”

From time to time, the athenaeum will feature speakers, presenters and other people of note to speak. This book tree consists of books written by people who have spoken at the athenaeum.

Because of a certain famous theatrical release from last year, there were a few exhibits dedicated to The Wizard Of Oz and other related works.

The Athenaeum has many interesting pieces of decor.

This may look familiar to some. It is a drawing taken from the Chronicles of Narnia (The Last Battle). I got the feels when I saw that as it was one of my favorite books I read as a younger person. This is one of the treasures of going to a library like this. It can not only open doors of learning. It can also revive old dormant feelings.

The athenaeum also has a special vault where books, pamphlets and other publications with high appraisal values are kept. But, the small climate-controlled storage area can only hold a fraction of the highly prized documents.

While the library is open and free to everyone during their normal hours of operation, members get perks such as borrowing books or magazines without overdue fines, advanced notice and reduced fee or free admission to programs and events and other bonuses.