SAHS is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization (38-2141250) dedicated to preserving the past for the future. The SAHS mission is to promote and safeguard the heritage of Salem Township by identifying and preserving sites, structures, objects and other resources of historical significance. The SAHS activities include: Restoration and maintenance of an 1857 Stone one-room School house and an 1830 Barn; Tours of the school and barn; Preservation of historical materials related to Salem Township; Eight presentations annually on a historical topic.
In 2013, SAHS created the Jarvis Stone School Local Historic District in Washtenaw County consisting of the 1857 South Salem Stone School and the 1830 Dickerson Barn, which was designated the 2021 Barn of the Year by the Michigan Barn Preservation Network and contains the Salem Farming Stories Exhibit, a 2020 Pauline Walters Memorial Award Winner. In 2015, SAHS commissioned and dedicated five murals depicting the history of Salem Township from 1824 to 1900 and the South Salem Stone School. These murals help instruct the children and the community of their local heritage. Our Website is http://sahshistory.org. SAHS, also, has a Facebook page.
On July 14, 2024, the Salem Area Historical Society dedicated its Historical Marker Plaza with a replica Tower for the former School Bell to all of the students, teachers, parents and administrators of the South Salem Stone School District #3, and to John Dickerson and all of the settlers who infused this wilderness with the Spirit of Salem. The State of Michigan Historical Marker is a double-sided marker with one side honoring the South Salem Stone School and the other side honoring the Dickerson Barn.
