SALEM COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

What SALEM COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY does

The Salem County Historical Society is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1894 and headquartered at 83 Market Street in Salem, New Jersey. It operates a museum and the Josephine Jaquett Memorial Research Library, stewarding a collection of over 10,000 historic objects spanning furniture, textiles, paintings, glass, china, industrial and agricultural tools, Native American artifacts, and historic vehicles, alongside primary and secondary archival materials from the 17th to 20th centuries. The museum occupies multiple on-site historic structures including two homes, a barn, a log cabin, a law office, and a bath house, and is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 12:00pm to 4:00pm. Core technical infrastructure consists of Past Perfect Software used to digitally catalog the museum's collections; the organization has no proprietary technology platform and does not disclose API, SDK, or AI capabilities.

The Society generates revenue through a diversified mix of museum admission ($10 for non-members), library access ($5 for non-members), gift shop sales of publications and commemorative merchandise ($2.50-$25 per item), membership dues, and donations/grants/bequests. It serves three primary customer segments: researchers and genealogists using the library's historical records, local school children participating in educational programs, and the general public visiting exhibits and attending events such as Ghost Train Tours, Colonial Craft Fairs, the 38th Yuletide Tour, and quarterly/annual meetings. Geographic operations are intentionally restricted to Salem County, New Jersey.

The organization is led by Executive Director & Librarian Richard Guido and Collections Coordinator April L. Richardson, supported by a 5-person staff and a network of volunteers and interns. Strategic partnerships include the New Jersey State Historical Commission, Salem County government, the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, and the New Jersey Historic Trust, as well as event partners such as the Salem County 250 Committee. Current programming emphasizes the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution and the 350th Anniversary of Fenwick's Colony, with a public campaign underway to preserve the John Jones Law Office. The Society is independently governed, not affiliated with any governmental organization, and operates on a mission to seek, document, preserve, interpret, and perpetuate Salem County's heritage for future generations.

Name

SALEM COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Legal name

Salem County Historical Society

Website

https://salemcountyhistoricalsociety.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1894

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Salem County Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1894 in Salem, New Jersey, operating a museum with over 10,000 historic objects, the Josephine Jaquett Memorial Research Library, and educational programs for local schools, serving genealogists, students, and the regional community through admissions, membership, and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Historical Society and Museum Services

NAICS

Museums (71211), Historical Sites (71212), Libraries and Archives (51921), Historical Sites (712120)

akta.pro primary industry

History Museums (THAJADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI), Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA), Archives, Special Collections & Preservation Operations (Rare Materials, Conservation) (EDAEAGAJ), Museum, Zoo & Attraction Gift Shops (CRALAJAG)

Keywords

• Historical society services
• Museum collections preservation
• Genealogical research library
• Heritage educational programs
• Historical publications retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Salem

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Museum Admission: Visitors pay admission fees to tour the museum premises including two historic homes, a barn, log cabin, law office, and bath house. Museum admission is $10.00 for non-members; Library access is $5.00 for non-members.
2. Gift Shop Sales: E-commerce sales of historical publications, books, Christmas ornaments, tote bags, and other merchandise. Items range from $2.50 to $25.00.
3. Membership Dues: Private, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit supported through membership contributions over their 130+ year history.
4. Donations and Grants: Organization maintains and grows through generous community support including donations, grants, and bequests. They are not affiliated with any governmental organization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Salem County Historical Society operates a public museum on its historic premises featuring over 10,000 historic objects across two historic homes, a barn, a log cabin, a law office, and a bath house. It runs the Josephine Jaquett Memorial Research Library containing genealogical and local history resources from the 17th to 20th centuries, and delivers educational programs to local school children. Revenue is generated from admissions, library access fees, memberships, donations, grants, and merchandise sales including Christmas ornaments and historical publications.

Product overview

The Salem County Historical Society operates as a nonprofit museum and research institution offering a unified portfolio of services centered on preserving and interpreting Salem County's heritage. The core offerings include the Museum (displaying over 10,000 historic objects across multiple historic structures), the Josephine Jaquett Memorial Research Library (supporting genealogical and historical research), and Educational Programs for schools. The Society also manages Exhibits (rotating and permanent), operates a Shop selling Christmas ornaments, historical publications, and genealogical books, and offers Volunteer and Internship Programs for community involvement. These services work together to fulfill the Society's mission of seeking, documenting, preserving, interpreting, and perpetuating Salem County's heritage.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Museum Visitation and Guided Tours Public museum featuring over 10,000 historic objects across two historic homes, a barn, a log cabin, a law office, and a bath house on premises, with guided tours taking 1-1.5 hours for general public visitors.
• Josephine Jaquett Memorial Research Library Access Genealogical and local history research library containing historic books, manuscripts, documents, scrapbooks, photographs, and microfilm of old newspapers spanning the 17th to 20th centuries, available to researchers and genealogists.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 10,000 historic objects preserved and cataloged
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• New Jersey State Historical CommissioncoreOthersState governmental partner supporting the Society's historical preservation and educational missions through New Jersey's official historical commission.
• Salem CountycoreOthersLocal county government partner supporting the Society's operations and mission to preserve Salem County's heritage.
• New Jersey Council for the HumanitiescoreOthersHumanities council partner providing support for educational and cultural programming related to the Society's historical preservation efforts.
• New Jersey Historic TrustcoreOthersHistoric preservation trust partner supporting the preservation of New Jersey's historical structures and heritage sites.
• Salem County 250 CommitteeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAd-hoc committee working to advertise and collaborate on events supporting the upcoming 250th anniversary of the nation in Salem County. Co-hosted Colonial Craft Fair with the Society.
• Krise ServicesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the Colonial Craft Faire 2026 event hosted by the Society.
• Creeks Edge CateringminorOthersFood vendor providing catering services at the Colonial Craft Faire 2026 event.
• IRScoreOthersThe Society is a private, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation recognized by the IRS and the state of New Jersey, not affiliated with any governmental organization.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Burlington County Historical Society: Another Southern New Jersey county historical society running a multi-building campus, library, and educational programming — directly comparable in mission, structure, and revenue model.
• Gloucester County Historical Society: Neighboring New Jersey county-level historical society operating a museum, library, and heritage programs at a comparable scale and with a similar volunteer-dependent operating model.
• Old Barracks Museum: New Jersey historic-site museum offering guided tours, school programs, and a small interpretive campus — closely analogous in admission-based revenue and educational outreach.
• Cape May County Historical Society and Museum: County-level South Jersey historical society with a museum, research library, and education programs, offering a stronger tourism analogue given Cape May's higher visitor volumes.
• Museum of Early Trades & Crafts: Small New Jersey history museum focused on material culture and craft — directly comparable in collections focus (furniture, tools, textiles) and small-staff operating model.
• Cumberland County Historical Society: Adjacent South Jersey county historical society operating a museum and genealogical library, serving as a close comparability benchmark for Salem County's scale and visitor mix.

Regional players

• Delaware Historical Society: Nearby state-level historical society operating museums, a research library, and educational programs in Delaware — directly comparable mission and operating model in the same Delaware Valley region.
• Hancock House Historic Site (Hancock's Bridge, NJ): Salem County-area historic house operated as a heritage tourism site — shares the local geography and Revolutionary-era interpretive focus central to the Society's mission.

Broad incumbents

• New Jersey Historical Society: Statewide umbrella historical organization with a broader collections scope, library, and programming — overlapping with Salem County's regional history mandate but operating at a larger scale.
• Historical Society of Pennsylvania: Major regional historical institution with a deep genealogical library and published works — overlapping with Salem County's research and publishing functions but at materially greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Salem-County-Historical-Society-127149567413641
• Instagraminstagram.com/salemcountyhistoricalnj
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/salem-county-historical-society

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SALEM COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY