Dickson Memorial Chapel Project Information - 2015
KIMBERLEY DRISCOLL
MAYOR
TOM DANIEL, AICP
DIRECTOR
CITY OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS
DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
120 WASHINGTON STREET ♦ SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS 01970
TELE: 978-619-5685 ♦ FAX: 978-740-0404
To Whom It May Concern:
The Department of Planning and Community Development and Department of Public Services are working
together to undertake a major restoration project at Dickson Memorial Chapel. The Chapel is located at Greenlawn
Cemetery in North Salem. In 1894, the stone church was built and donated by Salem resident Walter Scott Dickson
in honor of his late wife. In 2015, this significant High Victorian Gothic church was accepted on the National
Register of Historic Places, a designation that allowed the City to apply for a competitive grant opportunity through
the Massachusetts Historic Commission.
The City is excited to announce that it has retained architect Wendall Kalsow, of McGinley, Kalsow and Associates
and structural engineer, John Wathne of Structures North LLC to work together to provide an updated building
assessment, plans, construction and bid documentation, and construction oversight for first restoration phase. The
architectural and preservation planning firm McGinley, Kalsow and Associates has extensive experience in historic
building restoration including Bigelow Chapel and Story Chapel at Mt. Auburn Cemetery. The structural
engineering firm Structures North specializes in historic preservation. Together, Mr. Kalsow and Mr. Wathne have
worked on over 125 historic building restoration projects together throughout New England, including the recent
restoration of Abbot Hall in Marblehead, MA.
The purpose of this first phase of restoration is to stop water and weather infiltration and restore as much
of the building’s deteriorated historical fabric as funding allows. This beautiful 120+ year old building has
significant restoration including the need to repoint the building, re-support and lay the existing slate slabs of the
greenhouse garden to stop water infiltration into the building, re-leaded the stained glass windows in addition to
many other major restoration needs. Long-term, the City and Friend of Greenlawn Cemetery look forward to fully
restoring Dickson Memorial Chapel to provide public access to the Chapel for funerary services and a place of
solace. For more complete information regarding the condition of the building please visit:
http://www.salem.com/planning-and-community-development/pages/studies-and-reports
The architecture and engineering team will begin work in early June 2016 through mid -summer of 2017. The City
will also go out to bid for construction this fall. All work will be done during the day, during normal City business
hours. If you see work being undertaken in the cemetery and are not sure if it is related to this project,
please call Erin Schaeffer at the Department of Planning and Community Development at 978-619-5685. If
it is outside of regular business hours or appears to be suspicious activity, please contact the Salem Police
Department at 978-744-1212.
For Phase I, the City has received $106,000 CPA funding and allocated $50,000 of Capital Improvement Project
funds. The City has also leverage some of our local funding and received a competitive grant to the amount of
$50,000 from the Massachusetts Historic Commission Massachusetts Preservation Project Fund. The City makes
our best efforts to consistently fund opportunities to leverage additional funding through grant opportunities. In
addition, The Friends of Greenlawn Cemetery have been advocates for the restoration of the Chapel and are
actively fundraising to help restore, beautify, and maintain Greenlawn Cemetery now and in the future.
If there are any questions regarding this restoration project, please contact Erin Schaeffer, Staff Planner with the
Department of Planning and Community Development by e-mail at eschaeffer@salem.com.
Sincerely,
Erin Schaeffer
Staff Planner
Department of Planning and Community Development