The Landscape South of St. Philips

The Landscape South of St. Philips. . , During the early nineteenth century much of the landscape south of St. Philips Church was undeveloped or used for agricultural purposes. Beyond Salem Creek, which can still be seen running through Central Park, was Shuman's Plantation. This plantation was one of several farms around Salem established to feed the town's residents. Zigzag or snake rail fencing was used to define the various fields. These durable fences were easily constructed but used vast amounts of wood. After the Chestnut tree blight of the 1880s, barbed wire became the preferred agricultural fencing materials. The fence before you is constructed of split Locust Trees.

The rural landscape south of St. Philips was altered in 1820 with the construction of the Salem Flour Mill southwest of town. A millrace was built just beyond the fence line to channel the water to the mill's wheels. The clean running water of the race alleviated residents' fear of stagnant pond water as a cause of fever. In fact the race quickly became a recreational center for swimming and bathing among the town's young boys, often a concern to church leaders.

The millrace looped around St. Philips Church on its way to the mill. It was 4,521 feet in length and 10 feet wide and had such an enormous impact on the landscape that the southernmost street was named "Race Street." Although the flour mill burned in December 1902 and the race was lost to the construction of Salem Avenue in 1923, hints of the race can be seen today in the location of Race Street and in the bends of Salem Avenue as it follows the path of the original mill race.