Historic Downtown Salem #57: Farrar Building

351-373 State Street

Farrar Building on September 4, 2006

This property was previously occupied by a building of different dimensions with four shop spaces until at least 1914. The Farrar family bought the property in 1916 from Frank and Clemma M. Durbin, and obtained a mortgage against the property from the Ladd and Bush Bank in 1917. This Revival style four-bay building was designed by Salem architect Fred A. Legg and was built in 1917. The Farrar family retained ownership of the building for over four decades.

A variety of businesses have called the Farrar Building home. The Midget Market occupied the space at 352 State Street until 1964. A series of shoe stores occupied the space at 357 State Street from 1921 through 1972, including the Cohen Shoe Company, the Kafeteria Shoe Store, The Style Arch Shoe Company, the Mercon Shoe Company, and the Shoe Box. The space at 363 State Street was originally the Central Cigar Store, and was the Smoke Shop from 1930 to July 1981, which also sold food and drinks and featured billiards and card games. The space at 371 State Street was a barbershop operated by A. Louis Tumbleson from 1928 to 1938. The space at 373 State Street was the Postal-Telegraph Cable Company office until 1942, then became Jary’s Florist in 1945, Mode O’Day Women’s Fashions in 1947, Newland Jewelers from 1949 to 1959 and W. M. Ostby Jeweler’s Repair from 1960 to 1966. The Farrar Building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 26, 1982. Arbuckle Costic Architects renovated it in 1995 and made the building their headquarters.

Historical Photos:
Farrar Building, 1992 (Salem Public Library)

Continue to 58: Pomeroy Building…