Old Salem Jail & Sheriff's House

Located at 50 St. Peter Street and Bridge, the jail functioned until 1991. The earliest portion of the facility was built from 1811-1813 which replaced an older jail that was nearby. The Salem Jail was then updated, and enlarged, from 1884-1885 and at this time the two octagonal cupolas were constructed. A federal brick building built in 1813 operated as the sheriff’s but was destroyed by a fire well into the 1900’s.

Recently a developer purchased the prison grounds. When we asked around town, Salem business owners stated that they heard the grounds were going to be turned into a new, clean, crisp condominium complex. At the same time, the Salem Historical Society is fighting to clean up the grounds and stabilize the prison to preserve the historical facility.