North Salem is the part of the city north of downtown. The city lists a North Street Northfields Neighborhood Association and a Mack Park Neighborhood Association, and its 2015 Historic Preservation Plan Update treats the two together as one historic area.
That plan is the best public description of the housing, so this page leans on it.
Verified local facts.
What the preservation plan says.
- The area contains 18th, 19th and 20th century residences. The plan documents 788 resources as part of North Salem.
- Northfields has large single-family homes. Mack Park has more modest workers' housing, particularly near the former North River factory area.
- The North Street commercial corridor runs between the two and includes converted residences, single-story commercial buildings and the 1882 North Street Fire Station.
- Historic landscapes include Greenlawn Cemetery, Harmony Grove Cemetery, Kernwood Country Club and Mack Park.
- The plan says that, despite the efforts of many homeowners, the area is experiencing incremental losses of historic building details such as original windows and siding.
Our angle.
Two housing types, one neighborhood.
The plan describes two different housing types, and they raise different plumbing questions. Large single-family houses in Northfields tend to have more rooms and more fixtures to maintain. Workers' housing near the former mills tends to be smaller and closer together. The plan does not say what is in the walls, so we describe what the layout suggests.
Along North Street, converted residences also change the picture. A house turned into a shop or office can have a layout that no longer matches its original plumbing, and it is worth asking a plumber to trace the lines before any work.
Larger houses in Northfields.
More bathrooms and a bigger water heater or two can mean more places for a slow leak to start. A bill that jumps for no reason is a reason to look. See leak detection.
Smaller homes near Mack Park.
Closer houses and smaller utility spaces can limit access. Telling us where the main shutoff and water heater are saves time.
Converted buildings on North Street.
A house that has changed use may have plumbing added over many years. A camera look at the drain can show how lines run. See sewer camera inspection.
Older fixtures.
Toilets, faucets and valves from earlier decades are repaired or replaced more often than whole systems. See toilet repair and faucet repair.
Plumbing question in North Salem?.
Call and describe what you see. We will tell you what to check and how to stay safe.
Waterfront setting.
The North River and wet weather.
The city's resilience report lists the North River and Northfields among the locations next to the coast and tidal rivers that are expected to feel flooding first. It also includes an action to reduce flooding at Route 114, Bridge Street and the North River. These are the city's planning notes for the area and do not describe any particular house.
For a homeowner, the plan is simple. Know where your main shutoff is, test your sump pump if you have one, and keep floor drains clear. See sump pump repair and drain cleaning.
Services.
Water heaters and everyday calls.
No hot water, a leaking tank and a toilet that keeps running are the everyday calls we hear about in older houses. See water heater repair, water heater replacement and toilet repair.
If you are planning work that changes the outside of an older house, check with the city before you start. As of the 2015 plan, no local or National Register historic district had been pursued for North Salem, but the plan recommends further survey work, so rules may change.
Getting oriented.
Landmarks that help us find you.
The plan names the North Street Fire Station, Mack Park, Greenlawn Cemetery and Harmony Grove Cemetery. We use landmarks like these along with your street name to find you.
Standards.
Code and permits.
Plumbing work in Massachusetts follows 248 CMR 10.00, the state plumbing code. Adding a fixture or changing the layout of an older house usually calls for a permit, and Salem Inspectional Services at 978-619-5641 can tell you what applies to your address. That is the standard we expect any plumber to meet.
Limits of the research.
What we could not confirm.
We would rather say what we do not know than guess. We could not confirm the pipe materials, the age of sewer lines, or the condition of plumbing in any house in North Salem. The preservation plan describes buildings, landscapes and architectural losses and does not describe pipes. We also could not verify search demand for this neighborhood name, so we treat it as unknown.
Map of North Salem and Mack Park, Salem, MA.
North Salem, Northfields and Mack Park.
North Street runs between Northfields and Mack Park, north of downtown, with Greenlawn and Harmony Grove cemeteries flanking the area.
FAQs.
Plumbing questions in North Salem.
Yes. We serve Salem, including Northfields, Mack Park and the North Street corridor, and the same phone line covers every street.
The preservation plan describes this housing as more modest workers' housing, but it does not describe the pipes. Watch for slow drains, rust-colored water and low pressure, and have a plumber look at anything that repeats.
Possibly. A plumber should look at where the drain and vent can connect, and the city decides what permits apply. Ask Inspectional Services at 978-619-5641 before you start.
The city's resilience report lists the North River and Northfields among the places next to tidal rivers that are expected to feel flooding first. It does not say any particular house floods. Check floor drains and any sump pump.