Crombie Street Church

Located at 7 Crombie Street, this Federal-Greek Revival transitional building was built as a theatre in 1827/28.

The theatre did not thrive and in 1832 the building passed to a dissenting group from the Howard Street Church which established itself as the "New Congregational Church" and then the "Crombie Street Church." Their first pastor was William Williams, graduate of Yale, installed as pastor of the Howard Street church in 1821, resigning in 1832 to lead this new church. Later in life Mr. Williams was a practicing physician in Salem, with an active interest in this Church.

Starting approximately in 1979, Salem Mission, a program of the Open Door United Church of Christ opened in this building, operating a homeless shelter and served meals to the homeless until they needed more space. The Salem Mission moved to 56 Margin Street, using the St. Mary's Italian church which had closed its doors in 2003. The Mission moved in August 2005 and changed its name to Lifebridge in 2008, now offering transitional apartments as well as meals and other services.

The Crombie Street Church building has been remodeled as residential condominiums.

See Also

• Vertical File in Salem Collection - Salem Mission

• Architecture in Salem by Bryant K. Tolles, p. 105.

• Crombie Street Congregational Church; one hundredth anniversary Rev. Kopf, 1932.

• "Crombie Street Church sold for $790,000, will become condos" Salem News, Aug. 11, 2005, p. A2