Salem Common's Washington Arch Ready for Much-Needed Touch-Up

It looks like the Washington Arch at Salem Common, which has certainly seen better days, will soon get some much-needed repairs. 

At a Salem City Council meeting last week, Ward 2 City Councilor Mike Sosnowski provided a brief update regarding the ongoing effort to restore the arch and set the stage for meeting Tuesday night that will feature a PowerPoint presentation about the project.

The Salem City Council Committee of the Whole is scheduled to sit down with other city officials at City Hall Tuesday night to discuss the restoration effort. The meeting is slated to begin at 6:30 p.m.

Salem Common's current wooden archway was erected in 1976 and is a replica of an original built in 1805 in honor of George Washington.

An inscription on the arch reads:

"This arch is a small replica of the gate which stood at the western entrance to the common from 1805-1850. The wood carvings on the gate were done by architect Samuel McIntire. Some of his original works, including the George Washington Medallion and a Daguerreotype of this arch, are now housed in The Essex Institute. Erected July 4, 1976." 

Check back with Salem Patch for updates from Tuesday's meeting.