The Salem Museum’s Historic Salem Christmas ornaments series is extremely popular year after year as gifts for local residents and those who have moved out of town.
The Museum’s new ornament for 2017 is The Preston Place. The detailed, three-dimensional ornament is now available in the Museum’s Gift Shop along with past years’ ornaments: Lakeside, the Salem Farmers Market, G. W. Carver School, Longwood, and the Salem Museum.
Preston Place is a historic Salem home built around 1821 and located at 1936 W. Main Street. In 2014, the old house was donated to the Salem Museum & Historical Society which completely renovated it. This year, Preston Place received a new life as the home of the White Oak Tea Tavern.
The Salem Museum’s Gift Shop carries an array of great gifts for Salem fans and history-lovers. The Shop has a wide selection of books by local authors and books about local history. These include The Team the Titans Remember, the new book by Mark O’Connell about the glory days of Andrew Lewis High School football and the 1971 championship team. The Museum also has numerous titles by celebrated author Sharyn McCrumb; some are signed. Salem, A Virginia Chronicle, A Town by the Name of Salem, and South of Main are must-haves for anyone interested in Salem’s history.
The Museum featured three acclaimed films as part of its popular Civil War Saturdays series this past summer. DVDs of all three – Hunter’s Raid, Manassas 1861, and Field of Lost Shoes – are available in the Museum’s Gift Shop, along with many books about the Civil War.
Other favorites include prints of paintings of Salem and the surrounding mountains, historic replica children’s toys, and treasures from attics, basements, and closets that have been donated specifically for resale. You never know what you’ll find!
All purchases support the Salem Museum’s operations and enable the Museum to provide free admission for all.
Salem Museum Holiday Schedule
Christmas: Closed Sunday, December 24 through Tuesday, December 26.
New Years: Closed Sunday, December 31 through Tuesday, January 2.
-Submitted by Fran Ferguson, Salem Museum Executive Director