Today, the sheds you see along this strip are temporary artist studios, but when Collins first designed these in 1973, they were intended to be open air market stalls for selling produce. Collins was very aware of the history of this spot, which has always been a popular farmers market. Collins wanted to keep this function alive by making something a little more permanent, which led to these open air stalls that sellers could easily move into. Collins was inspired, in part, by Rev, William Bentley, who, in late November of 1816 writes of how open sheds were built south of the Market House. It's just another example of how Collins continually re-established regional resources as amenities to draw people to Salem.
Unfortunately, in the early 1990's, the stalls were enclosed and cobbles ripped up.