Blue color (1)October 5, 2020
Salem Historical Commission
We knowingly live in a Historic District and embrace the responsibility of stewarding a historic
home thru its current life. We also expect the Historical Commission to support us when there
is a dispute concerning our immediate historic environment.
In the case of 18 Chestnut street at the corner of Botts court, the undersigned abutters and
near abutters are unified in trying to maintain the inte grity of Salem’s small and unique Botts
court.
Two color samples are painted on the back side of the house. One dark blue and one medium
blue. Of the two, we strongly reject the darker colder blue. We consider it an afront to the
character of Botts court. The historic environment of the Court is characterized by many things
but perhaps the most important is the harmony of the varied colors of the houses.
Simply stated, all are painted the in similar tonal/value range. None too dark and none to light.
Also, they are in what we might call a warm tone. And yet we have yellow, blue, tan, grey and
rose.
We are asking the owner and the commission to choose the medium warmer blue instead of
the colder very dark blue.
Thank you
Shawn Smith, Lou Sirianni, Stan Usovicz, Natalie Binney, Warren H. Shreve, Kate Murray