The Telegraph Building is an example of a once common building type, a modest urban structure that was used for office or light commercial purposes. In this case, the 1856 building was moved four times for different purposes, retaining its highest significance when it served as a Western Union telegraph building from 1911 to 1955. Donated to the newly formed Preservation Salem in 1990 the building was moved its final time to a lot adjacent to a parking lot and near Salem's downtown historic district. Placed on a new foundation and made secure in 1999, the structure is a "signature building" for the local advocacy group.

This Trust grant helped fund the preparation of construction documents for the building's repair and rehabilitation.