This courtyard could become a space for public or private activities and events. The Jailer's House and Barn serve as a buffer and transition between the commercial downtown to the west and the cemetery and the residential neighborhood to the east. The Jailer's House and Barn add architectural variation and interest to the area. The complex anchors the end of St. Peter Street, and provides a reference point on Bridge Street. The Jailer's House helps the Jail Complex relate to the courthouse buildings on Federal Street by the use of contrasting brick masonry and granite block building materials.
Historic preservation is an important economic development tool in Salem.
Revitalizing the Salem Jailer's House and Barn will promote Salem's unique architectural heritage and act as a catalyst for additional redevelopment and preservation in the downtown. Safe the Jailer's House and Barn Following is a suggested procedure to make the buildings safe, to secure them, and to stabilize them for future use. Identify significant loose salvageable building components that can be reused or used as patterns for future reproduction. Remove them to safe storage, possibly in the Barn. The Peabody Essex Museum has also offered to store them.