Washington Arch

The Washington Arch dates to 1805, when four gates designed by McIntire were erected on Salem Common. The most memorable was the west gate by Brown Street, which had a large profile portrait of Washington. It was the official entrance to the Common.

The arch/gate was only one of many tributes to the country’s first president, who visited the city in 1789.

Eventually, those original arches deteriorated and were removed. A century later, a new Washington Arch was erected across from the Hawthorne Hotel as part of the bicentennial in 1976.

When it, too, began to deteriorate in 2010, it was moved to its present location, virtually hidden away on a back side of the Common near Winter Street.

Plans to repair the arch began in 2013 by the Salem Common Neighborhood Association and Historic Salem, Inc. The repairs were completed in 2015.

The Washington Arch was again restored and dedicated at the "First Muster" ceremony on the Salem Common on April 23rd, 2023. the Salem Common Association and Skylight Studios finished the restoration work in early in the month.

See Also

• Vertical File in Salem Collection - Salem Common

• Samuel McIntire; Carving an American Style Dean T. Lahikainen, p. 185-194

• Washington Arch City of Salem website (Veterans Dept.)

• "Salem plans to restore Washington Arch" Salem News, Feb.8, 2013, p.1
• "386th First Muster: Salem Common event hosts troops, celebrates" Salem News, Apr. 24, 2023, p. 1