This elegant residence was originally an 1820 two-story Federal style “double pile” frame house used by the girls’ department of Salisbury Academy. In 1859, before he moved here with his second wife, Mary Cowan Hall, and his two children, Dr. Josephus Hall (1805-1873) had the home extensively remodeled. Additions included a two-story front porch with cast-iron oak leaf and acorn ornamental open-work, a gateway arch and square-edged clapboard. The front windows were also lengthened.
During the Civil War, Dr. Hall served as hospital surgeon and surgeon in charge at the Salisbury Confederate Prison. Between 1890 and 1910, the attic was enlarged with a high-hipped roof and dormers.
Historic Salisbury Foundation purchased the home in 1972 from the Hall family, who had continuously occupied the residence for 113 years. The descendants donated the elegant period furniture to the foundation. A two-room detached kitchen, staffed before emancipation by enslaved persons, was meticulously restored and opened to the public in 2006. The Hall House is individually listed on the National Register for Historic Places.