In case you were wondering what this part of Salem looked like during the Civil War, I thought I'd post a picture taken at the corner of Chestnut and Norman Streets around 1860. Next to it is a picture I took at virtually the same spot 150 years later (give or take a month or two).
I was surprised at how much of the area is still recognizable from the original photo.
Note that the railing and staircase of the building on Chestnut street has barely changed at all, while Norman Street has been transformed from a pretty residential neighborhood, into a commercial zone. Notice also the widening of Norman Street to accommodate what is now Route 114. I believe the post at the corner is the remains of the former gas lantern in the first picture.
History is all around us, especially in Salem.
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