FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 24, 2026

Harmony Grove Cemetery to Host Program Honoring Salem’s Mayors
Lecture and walking tour highlight Salem’s first mayor and those who followed

Salem, Massachusetts — On Saturday, May 9, 2026, at 11:00 a.m., Harmony Grove Cemetery (30 Grove Street) will host a special public program titled “From City Hall to Sacred Ground: Honoring Salem’s First Mayor Leverett Saltonstall and Those Who Followed.”

This year, Salem commemorates not only its 400th anniversary, but also the 190th anniversary of its incorporation as a city. In acknowledgement of this milestone, Harmony Grove Cemetery celebrates the lives and legacies of Salem’s past mayors who are interred here. Their leadership helped shape Salem’s development as a city.

The program will feature a lecture by Peter Drummey, retired Chief Historian of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Mr. Drummey will speak about the life of Leverett Saltonstall, Salem’s first mayor.  An optional self-guided tour showcasing the 21 mayors buried at Harmony Grove Cemetery will follow his lecture.

“Salem’s quadricentennial is an opportunity for us to reflect on both our past and where we aspire to go as a community,” said Mayor Dominick Pangallo. “The Mayors of Salem, who are being remembered through this program, helped to shape the city we inhabit today. By connecting that history to our present, and understanding the full legacy of our city’s past, we can build on the foundation we have in Salem and keep striving to become a better, more vibrant community into the future.”

Event Schedule

10:30 a.m. – Doors open with musical guests Jen and Bob Strom.
11:00 a.m. – Lecture by Peter Drummey at Blake Memorial Chapel, on Leverett Saltonstall.
12:15 p.m. (approx.) – Social gathering, with complimentary refreshments, will follow the lecture.
1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. – Self-guided walking tour 

Maps will be provided for the walking tour, with interpretive materials at each gravesite. Special guest hosts will be present at select locations to offer additional insights. The walking tour is open to all visitors, including those who do not attend the lecture. In addition, both the Friends of Greenlawn Cemetery and the Friends of Broad Street Cemetery will offer maps for self-guided tours and information about the Salem mayors buried in those cemeteries. 

Event Details
Location: Harmony Grove Cemetery, 30 Grove Street, Salem, MA
Admission: Free and open to all
Lecture RSVP: www.harmonygrovesalem.org/visit/events
Walking tour: No RSVP required; this self-guided tour will be available year-round during cemetery hours. Maps will be available at the cemetery’s office and on its website.

About the Speaker
Peter Drummey recently retired after 47 years of service at the Massachusetts Historical Society, where he served as Chief Historian. Over the course of his career, he has supported thousands of researchers, curated major exhibitions, and contributed extensively to the interpretation of American history.

About Harmony Grove Cemetery
Founded in 1840, Harmony Grove Cemetery is a nonprofit, non-denominational cemetery and crematory rooted in the rural cemetery movement. Spanning nearly 57 acres, it is dedicated to honoring and commemorating the dead, welcoming the living, and preserving its grounds in perpetuity.

Harmony Grove offers burial, cremation, and end-of-life services, and the historic Blake Memorial Chapel is available for funerals, memorials, wedding ceremonies, and community gatherings. Through its growing public programs, the organization shares the rich history of Salem and New England through the stories of those laid to rest there.

About Salem 400+
Salem 400+ commemorates Salem’s quadricentennial while acknowledging the preexisting indigenous community, and explores the opportunities and connections of Salem’s multifaceted history while crafting a vision for current and future generations.

Media Contact:
Jana Silvia
Cemetery Administrator
Harmony Grove Cemetery
harmonygrovesalem@gmail.com 
978-744-0554