Salem's Mary Foss School Hits the Auction Block

Salem has put its 89-year-old Mary Foss School up for auction at a minimum bid of $150,000, which is significantly less than its $410,000 assessed value due to various structural and safety issues.

The auction for the two-story, wood-frame, 1.4-acre property will be conducted by James R. St. Jean Auctioneers of Epping at 3 p.m. on Oct. 17. A full auction listing can be found here on the company's website, and more details can be found here.

Salem voters overwhelmingly approved the sale of the now-vacant school earlier this year at town meeting. The warrant article for the sale, which stated all funds raised would be used to reduce the tax rate, passed 4,730 to 581.

Maintenance issues and a variety of crumbling structural features led the town to seek a sale of the building.

Before its recent closure, the Foss School, which was originally built in 1924, housed Salem's Human Services department as well as Rockingham Community Action, Greater Salem Caregivers and Servicelink.