History
The Salem Athenaeum was founded in 1810 by the merger of two antecedent organizations: the Social Library, founded in 1760, and the Salem Philosophical Library, founded in 1781. The first president was Edward Augustus Holyoke. The Athenaeum's first permanent building was constructed in the 1850s with a large bequest from Caroline Plummer. In 1905 the Athenaeum sold that building and used the proceeds to build their current facility, which was dedicated in 1907. The collections include over 50,000 volumes on diverse topics.The Salem Athenæum, 1810–1910 by Joseph Nickerson Ashton (Berkeley press, 1917Notable proprietors
* Frank Weston Benson *See also
* John Tucker Daland House * Salem Philosophical Library (1781–1810), predecessor to the Athenaeum * Salem Social Library (1760–1810), predecessor to the AthenaeumReferences
Further reading
External links
* {{Authority control Libraries in Massachusetts 1810 establishments in Massachusetts Historic preservation organizations in the United States History of Massachusetts History of New England Art museums and galleries in Massachusetts Libraries in Essex County, Massachusetts Subscription libraries in the United States Libraries established in 1810 Library buildings completed in 1907