Questions?

• Phone: (617)  819-4283
• or email

Sponsored by
The Commonwealth Vintage Dancers
& The Salem Light Infantry
 
Formal Dinner at 6 O'Clock
Ball Commences at 8 O'Clock

• Buffet Dinner inspired by menus from mid-19th century Salem Light Infantry events
• Live Music by Spare Parts
• Dancing on the Sprung Floor of the 1805 ballroom
• Authentic Civil War Era Dances (instruction provided)
• Bayonet Drill demonstration by members of the Salem Light Infantry
• Sweets and Treats from 19th century recipes
• Once in a Lifetime Chance to recreate this historic event in the original hall where they gathered 150 years ago!

FURTHER INFORMATION

In 1861 the members of the Salem Light Infantry
held a ball on their return from service in the Civil War.
 
For a brief moment,
before joining other units and returning to battle,
they celebrated friends and fellowship.
 
Join us in recreating this historic event
in the original hall where they gathered 150 years ago.

Purchasing Tickets
Admission is $45, which includes both the formal dinner and ball. You can register on-line by clicking on the Buy Tickets button above; payment can be made with either a credit card or a check. If you do not wish to register and pay on-line you can call the number above and reserve a place by phone. Admission must be purchased in advance; we need to finalize dinner plans so we request that all reservations be made by October 10.

About the Hall and Directions
The ball will take place at Hamilton Hall; the ballroom has a marvelous sprung floor and was the site of the very first Returning Heroes Ball. Built as an assembly hall in 1805 from plans by Samuel McIntire, the nationally renowned Salem architect and wood carver, the hall was named in honor of Alexander Hamilton and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1971. The Hall is famous for its design, from the Ballroom with its sprung floor, imported Russian mirrors, and Musicians’ Gallery, to the Supper Room with its arched ceiling. Other rooms include the Lafayette Room, the Bride’s Room, the Pickering Room, and the Old Kitchen, now known as the Brick Hearth Room.
 
Directions: Take Route 95/128 North or South to exit 25A. Follow Route 114 East, Salem. Cross over the bridge into downtown Salem. At the second set of lights, (Witch House, on corner), turn RIGHT onto ESSEX STREET, then LEFT at the first set of lights onto FLINT STREET. Take an immediate LEFT onto CHESTNUT STREET. Hamilton Hall is on the lower end of Chestnut Street on the right. Parking is allowed on either side of the street.

Parking:
There are parking lots in the area and on-street parking is free after 5 pm weeknights, there is a large parking garage near the Peabody Essex Museum. There is a commuter rail from Boston’s North Station to Salem. The final run from Salem back to Boston is 10:30 pm Saturday. For parking consult the City of Salem website

The Levee (Dinner):
The Levee, or dinner, will take place in the Supper Room and the menu will be inspired by menus from dinners held to honor the Salem Light Infantry during the Civil War period. The buffet menu will include roast chicken, fall vegetables and cranberry sauce.

The Dance Programme:
The program will consist of ballroom dances popular during the Civil War Era, as seen on dance cards from period balls held in honor of the Salem Light Infantry. One of the favorite "new" dances that we’ll be dancing will be Pop Goes The Weasel.

Schedule of Events:
The buffet dinner will be served at 6 pm with dancing commencing at 8 pm. Desert and punch, taken from period menus, will be served at the intermission. The Salem Light Infantry (The Salem Zouaves) will entertain us with Bayonet Drill..

Mid-19th Century Dance Workshops:
If you would like some instruction in dances of the period before the ball we are hosting a series dance Lyceum classes in Waltham in September and October. Dance instruction will be by Barbara M. Pugliese.

What to Wear

About The Salem Light Infantry
(The Salem Zouaves)

The Salem Zouaves were founded in the spring of 2000 by the late Dr. Patri Pugliese and Paul Kenworthy. Patri and Paul had been meeting on a regular basis for years to practice 19th-century bayonet fencing. Their demonstrations of bayonet fencing and military sabre drills were popular at local ACW re-enactments, so in 1999 they began to look around for an appropriate historical military unit to recreate that would give an identity and context to their activities. A mutual friend, local historian, and fellow re-enactor, Dr. David Goss of Gordon College, pointed them to a long-forgotten volunteer militia company from Salem, Massachusetts that had been at the forefront of the Zouave craze of 1860-1861.

The exotic colorful uniforms, flashy French light-infantry drill, and the wealth of surviving primary source material made Company J of the 8th Massachusetts Volunteer Militia a perfect fit for their purposes. And so the Salem Zouaves were born.
 
Initially growth was slow. The first recruit to join Patri and Paul, John O’Brien, began drilling in October of 2000. The second recruit, Mark Millman, joined in October of 2001. The strength of the unit remained at 4 privates for the next five years. 2007 saw the loss of Patri to cancer, but also a surge in new members that has brought the current strength up to 7 privates.