The Salem Museum

Explore Salem Museum's Exhibits and Grounds

Success in promoting historical preservation.

The Salem Historical Society has a successful track-record in the Southwest Virginia region for historic preservation. There are many landmarks under the care of the society that thrive thanks to them. 

The Williams- Brown House, dating back to 1845, was donated to the Historical Society in 1986 under the condition that the house be relocated. Today, the Williams-Brown House is the home of the Salem Museum. 

When beloved landmark Andrew Lewis High School was under consideration for either renovation or demolition, the Historical Society was able to encourage the City and School Board to maintain the facade of the building. The school still stands with it's historic integrity intact. 

With the assistance of the Salem Historical Society, antebellum Monterey House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in the mid-1990's and continued to consult new tenants on the preservation of the property. 

The Salem Museum has a rich history found in many structures. 

Cover photo of the Valley Railroad Arch via Wikicommons.

Other Historic Structures

This summer, the Salem Museum is featuring a special exhibit to celebrate Salem’s firefighters.

Salem’s firefighters have long struggled to save life and property from structural fires and wildfires. This interactive, family-friendly exhibit will explore the history of the Salem Fire Department—from the first bucket brigades to today’s modern fire trucks—along with some of the homes and other structures that have caught fire throughout Salem’s history. Aspiring firefighters can try on the gear that firefighters wear to keep them safe in the worst situations.

The Salem Fire-EMS Department dates back to 1854. The exhibit will share the department’s history as well as the advances in fire-fighting equipment technology. Significant fires from Salem’s past, such as Longwood Mansion and Salem High School, will be included.

The exhibit also documents the changes that the Virginia Department of Forestry, with its office in Salem, has undergone over the years. Rangers no longer wait in towers scanning the horizon for smoke in the forests surrounding Salem. Techniques and technology to detect and battle wildfires have become increasingly sophisticated. Smokey Bear, the national mascot for wildfire prevention, is celebrating his 75th birthday this year, and is also featured.

Cover photo via Salem Fire-EMS Department

Up in Flames: Fighting Fire in Salem

Ten permanent exhibits are on-site and always an interesting experience.

Salem Museum has ten permanent exhibits, each offering a different piece of history. Learn about pre-Salem times and the original Native American inhabitants and early pioneers in "Pre-Salem-What Was Here Before 1802?"Next learn in "Seven Lives, One Hometown" how the history of Salem began and the most influential residents. 

Tour "The Brown House Parlor"and see the antiques that furnished the Brown family home. Chronicle the role of Salem and Roanoke County in the Civil War with "The Fiery Ordeal Through Which They Passed:Salem and the Civil War". 

For an interesting take on history, there are works on display from Salem native and famed illustrator Walter Biggs. Also on display are quirky and uncommon objects from the Salem Museum collection, and a specially created installation from fashion historian Pete Ballard. 

Get lost in history with these permanent exhibits. 

Cover photo of the Salem Museum via salemmuseum.org.

Permanent Exhibits

One of Salem Museum’s finest assets is the Logan Library located on the third floor of the Museum.  All of the Museum’s paper records are kept there.  They have a vast collection of items which includes school yearbooks, family histories, Roanoke and Salem Directories, back issues of the Salem Times-Register, and research files, just to name a few things. The Library is managed and operated by the Museum’s Library    Committee who meets every Friday from 11 am until 3 pm to help and assist with research requests.  

The Committee is currently taking photos of our vast collection and putting it into PastPerfect. Thousands of the items in our collection are already entered, and can be searched online on our web site, SalemMuseum.org.

The Logan Library

Preston Place has the distinction of the oldest house in Salem, and due to the care of the Salem Museum and Historical Society, has been restored and preserved. The house dates back to 1821 when it was first built. 

Over the years, the property saw ownership by a few names including blacksmith John Cole, John Johnston, and Charles Issac Preston. Cole had an original house on the site that served as a way station for those journeying along the Great Road including a young Davy Crockett and future king of Louis Philippe. The existing home today was built by Johnston. 

Throughout the years, the historic integrity of the house has not been harmed, and the structure continues to stand as a reminder of what the Roanoke Valley once was. Before any renovations could be considered, a new tenant was needed in order to fund and maintain the upkeep of the house. 

The Salem Museum and Historical Society decided that a tea house would be the perfect match, and so The White Oak Tea Tavern moved in. Serving lunch, bagels and scones, White Oak is famed for an assortment of teas from their own brand as well as other unique blends. 

This old-fashioned setting is ideal for groups, club meetings, and small intimate events. There is a gift shop on site when their personal brand tea is available for purchase, and an outdoor terrace. 

Cover photo of Preston Place by Promotion Commotion via Flickr Creative Commons.

Preston Place

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The Salem Museum

Other Historic Structures

Other Historic Structures

Up in Flames: Fighting Fire in Salem

Up in Flames: Fighting Fire in Salem

Permanent Exhibits

Permanent Exhibits

The Logan Library

The Logan Library

Preston Place

Preston Place

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