SALEM — As many as 3,000 people visited Pioneer Village during the summer and fall, breathing life back into the city's replica 17th-century historic settlement that had been shuttered since 2003.
Meanwhile, the city's landmark Old Town Hall in Derby Square has seen more use as a rental facility and continues to undergo renovations.
The increased activity and improvements at both city-owned properties are being driven by the Gordon College Institute for Public History, a nonprofit, which this summer entered its second year of a five-year lease.
"We love both of the properties," said Kristina Stevick, who is co-director of the Gordon Institute for Public History at Gordon College in Wenham with David Goss, "and I think we've fallen deeper in love with them the more time we spend there."
The sites have long served as venues for the college's interactive theater program, History Alive, whose productions include "Cry Innocent," an audience participation drama about Bridget Bishop, who was accused of witchcraft in 1692.
The new lease, which began in August 2008, has offered Gordon more stability to plan its programing at the sites.
"It's been such a boon to us to know we have these spaces," Stevick said.
In turn, the institute has fixed up Pioneer Village and dedicated the revenue it receives for rentals of Old Town Hall to restoration of the building. It has also worked with the city's Planning Department to apply for preservation grants.
"We've committed $25,000 in the first two years, and much of that has been put in already," Stevick said. "We're not paying rent to be at Old Town Hall, but the idea is we're generating income for restoration of the property."
Under the institute's management, about $5,000 was invested to repair some of the Old Town Hall windows and for asbestos abatement in the basement, Stevick said. The handrails and the treads on some of the stairs have also been repaired.
Future slated repairs include increased structural supports to make the building sound for large-capacity crowds, as well as a new heating system.
At Pioneer Village, the institute pays the city $515 a month from May through December to lease it, and also committed $12,500 to restoration there.
"There were a number of specific projects we agreed to take on," Stevick said. "Improving the front entrance, so there is a ticket booth there, new wooden signage, some new fencing."
The group also repaired damage caused by vandalism, did chimney work, restored the gardens and planted heirloom plants.
"It's such an organic site, isolated from the rest of the tourist activity," Stevick said, "and it really needs an active daily presence of people working the grounds and occupying the buildings, reminding the squirrels and skunks that they're not the only ones."
Exceeded expectations
Pioneer Village, on the water in Forest River Park, is an 11-acre village of thatched structures and cottages that was built in 1930 as part of the city's 300th anniversary celebration. It is billed as the country's oldest living history museum.
It closed in 2003 after falling on hard times.
But this year, between school groups, tourists and the nighttime "Spiritways" production in October that entirely sold out, officials estimate about 3,000 people visited Pioneer Village, where costumed History Alive actors offer living history demonstrations, including cooking, church services and children's games.
The staff was surprised at the influx of visitors to the village for special events like "17th Century Saturdays" and a special "Pirate Day," and the village was busy throughout November, up until the day it closed for the season.
"November was a very nice surprise for us — we had 160 kids on our last day," Stevick said.
"The numbers were just skyrocketing," said Sarah Hartlett, site manager of Old Town Hall and Pioneer Village. "We're really excited about that."
Meanwhile, existing programming at Old Town Hall has remained steady, and the institute is promoting its use. Hartlett said the Institute for Public History launched Web sites for both venues, as well as a Facebook page and Twitter account. (The Web sites are www.salemoldtownhall.com and www.pioneervillagesalem.com.)
The budget for History Alive productions is ticket-generated, so beyond the free shows for Salem schools and Salem residents, all profits go to paying for staff, actors and costumes.
Marking a transition
The leases have also marked a change for the college. History Alive ran as a professional arm of the college's theater department since 1992, and now it's "transitioning more to academics," Stevick said.
"We're working to develop and institute a model," she said, "where students would be coming to Salem to live and work and create new programming and material for the two venues under the guidance of professors."
Those students would also contribute to the creation and maintenance of a free exhibit the institute plans to open in the spring on the first floor of Old Town Hall. It will offer a broad perspective of Salem history from the early 17th century up into the 20th century — to educate tourists beyond the witchcraft hysteria, Stevick said.
The staff aim to have the academic component in place and start a 24-week semester in May, Stevick said. The goal is to draw at least 12 students into the program.
"That's pretty rare as an academic discipline," Stevick said, "so we're looking forward to finding those students and bringing them to Salem and letting them explore the riches of Salem's history and guiding them through the process of how to present that to the public, especially in an audience-interactive way."
Staff writer Amanda McGregor can be reached at amcgregor@salemnews.com.
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