Halvorson Report - Salem Common BenchesAREA 1
Flagpole
Bandstand
Playground
Basketball
Court
Hawthorne Hotel
Salem Witch
Museum
Plaza
Washington
Arch
AREA 5
AREA 3 AREA 4
War
Memorial
AREA 2
AREA 6
0 50' 100' SCALE: 1" = 100' - 0"
LEGEND
Figure 2-2. A typical single 6'-long bench at the Salem Common. Typically the wood is moderately to heavily weathered,
with algae and lichen growth. Several feature memorial plaques, indicating that the bench was funded by a donation.
Figure 2-3. Typical double bench . The above example
near the Bandstand is one of the three benches in poor
condition whose defects make it hazardous to use.
Site Benches
Assessment
Figure 2-4. The hexagonal bench near the playground is one
of the three benches in excellent condition . However, the lawn
around it is compacted and eroded by foot traffic.
All site benches are of a virtually identical Victorian-inspired style : unfinished wood slats and ornate cast-iron
ornate frames, painted black.
Benches quantity= 24 total: 14 single (6' long), 9 double (8' long), 1 hexagonal around a tree.
Conditions vary, most exhibit various levels of weathering, with lichen and algae growth, and surface
rusting and paint weathering on the metal frames (Condition Assessments 2 and 3). There are three
benches in poor condition, with broken slats and eroded bases that make them hazardous to use. There
are four newer benches in excellent condition .
Memorial plaques are attached on eight of these benches, indicating a citizen donation.
Bench Style: Victorian-inspired wood slats with cast-iron frames and armrests. The bench type is not
original to the Salem Common; photos from ca . 1865-1914 show a different type of bench .
28 The Salem Common Inventory, Condition Assessment, and Conceptual Master Plan
Prepared for The Friends of the Salem Common
Figure 2-5. Historic look of promenade, ca. 1865-1914; benches spaced at regular intervals in the gravel path .
Images source: www.Digitalcommonwealth .org .
Figure 2-6. Present condition has far fewer benches along the same promenade segment, and they are set back into the
planting bed .
The benches feature variations in the frame design as they were made by various manufacturers, some
of which (Titan, Bench Mfg . Co.) are no longer in business . The newer benches are by Dumor or Victor
Stanley.
The sitting area near the bandstand is undefined and uninviting . Heavy use has eroded the lawn in front
of the benches, exposing concrete footings.
Most bench are along the promenade, with a few benches near the bandstand and the playground .
Spacing is sparse and appears random . The bench quantity is too low for the entire park and presents a
very different image than what is seen in ca. 1865-1914 photos of the same areas .
Bench footings and bases : some are set back from the promenade, sitting on undefined stone dust or
dirt bases, and some are in the promenade . At benches near the playground and the bandstand , the
heavy use has eroded the soil in front of the benches, exposing concrete footings.
ADA considerations : Currently there are no specific provisions for companion seating of people with
disabilities.
Inventory, Assessment, and Recommendations Chapter 2 I Furnishings 29
Benches and Seating Recommendations
• Increase the Overall Number of Benches: Option 1: Restore (20) + Add (20)
Of the existing 23 benches only three are in excellent condition. In this option it is recommended to
restore the rest (20): send frames to be refinished, clean or replace the wood slats , and reassemble .
Add new matching benches (20) in addition to the restored, such as Victor Stanley'C-1 0' or similar.
• Increase the Overall Number of Benches: Option 2: All New Benches (40)
Since the current benches are not the original historic model, but a compilation of benches of various
ages and manufacturers that largely need to be restored, this presents the opportunity to consider a
complete replacement of all benches with a single model, such as the Landscapeforms 'Plainwell :The
"Plainwell' is a contemporary, ergonomically designed bench with an elegant profile that complements
historic settings well; it comes with bench as well as chair options for versatility.
As an alternative, using replicas of the original 19th century bench would serve not only as an amenity,
but would also provide a historic interpretive element, especially if paired with an interpretive panel
describing its origin and historic usage on the Salem Common. If there are no surviving original
Figure 2-7. The Salem Common original bench, photo by Frank Cousins,
ca . 1865-1914, source Digitalcommonewealth.org .
Figure 2-8. New Benches Option 1: Victor
Stanley 'C-1 O' bench, matches the existing .
Figure 2-9. New Benches, similar to the
original Salem Common bench : Kenneth
Lynch & Sons 'Central Park Settee'.
Figure 2-10. New Benches Option 2: New, ergonomic design :
Landscapeforms 'Plainwell' bench and chair, at Cambridge Common,
Cambridge, MA.
30 The Salem Common Inventory, Condition Assessment, and Conceptual Master Plan
Prepared for The Friends of the Salem Common
benches to be used as a model for production of a replica, then a very similar model is the Kenneth
Lynch & Sons 'Central Park Settee'. The later might not have the ergonomic qualities of the 'Plainwell' due
to its lack of arm rests, which are helpful in sitting down and getting up from the bench; therefore it
may be used in limited areas, such as near the Bandstand, while another model is used elsewhere.
• Place Benches Consistently
The current placement of benches is inconsistent in relation to the promenade edge. Historic photos
from ca 1865-1914 show benches placed directly on the gravel paths. Pictures of the same areas in
winter show no benches, suggesting that the benches were removable and hauled away during the
snow season. Considering present-day operations, removing dozens of cast-iron benches in winter
would be costly and not practical-they need to stay on the site year-round.
There are two possibilities on the future placement of benches. One option is to place benches on
the stone dust path, with solid footings concealed beneath the stone dust surfacing . While this would
be historically appropriate, it would reduce the usable width of the promenade and is therefore not
recommended.
Figure 2-11 . Historic bench placement directly on the path -
photo ca . 1865-1914; source www.Digitalcommonwealth .org.
Figure 2-13. Seatwall built into the landscape, Titus Sparrow
Park, Boston, MA
Inventory, Assessment, and Recommendations
Figure 2-12 . Recommended bench placement: on
paving pad in planting bed -Charles River Esplanade,
Boston , MA
Figure 2-14. Movable chairs, Harvard Yard, Cambridge,
MA
Chapter 2 I Furnishings 31
Unit Quantity Material/
Unit Cost
Estimated Total
Cost in 2020 $s
Unit Quantity Material/
Unit Cost
Estimated Total
Cost in 2020 $s