Colonial Revival Garden

The 18th century garden at Salem Maritime National Historic Site was designed in 1990 by Suzanne Gentiluomo, a horticultural expert specializing in historic gardens. With fellow volunteer Joel Ohringer, she created a formal garden typical of those favored by wealthy eighteenth century merchants.

• Formal garden behind the Derby House. Divided into beds edged with hedges and separated by crushed gravel walkways. Vegetables, flowers and herbs grow together within each bed. Garden beds are surrounded by fruit trees leading to a grape arbor in the rear of the garden. The entire yard is enclosed by a wooden fence.

Custom House

Since 1649, there has been a Custom House in Salem, Massachusetts collecting taxes on imported cargos first for the British Government during the Colonial period, then for the American Government after the establishment of the U. S. Customs Service in 1789.

• A three-story brick building with gold eagle on roof and "Custom House" written below it. Twelve stone steps with iron handrails lead up to the front entrance. The white front door is centered on the building with a semi-circular transom and sidelights bordering it. Eight white columns support an overhang. Two windows are on either side of the door with green shutters. A row of five windows spans the second floor. An American flag hangs over the front entrance.

Derby House

Built in 1762 as a wedding present, this was the home of Elias Hasket Derby (1739-99) and Elizabeth Crowninshield Derby (1727-99) for the first 20 years of their marriage. They lived here with their seven children and enslaved at least two people of African descent. The Derby family became one of Salem’s wealthiest merchants, their wealth was tied to their trade in goods produced by slave plantations in the Caribbean Islands.

• Three-story brick home with white trimmed windows. A brick walkway leads to the entrance with hedges on either side. Three stone steps lead to a green door with white trim around it in the shape of columns. A set of windows are on either side of the front door. A row of five windows spans the second floor. Three dormers are on the third story with chimneys on either end. A wooden fence surrounds the house and yard. The Hawkes house is to the southeast.

Derby Light Station

One of four lighthouses used to navigate Salem Sound, the Derby Wharf Light Station is the wharf's only original surviving structure. It has aided navigation in Salem Harbor since it was first lit in 1871. Originally, the Derby Light had a fixed red light fueled by oil. In the early 1900s, it was replaced by an acetylene powered flashing red signal. Today, the 300-candlepower light is solar-driven.

• A white brick lighthouse, approximately twelve feet square and 20 feet high. The light station is topped with a small black dome that houses the light. It is located at the end of Derby Wharf accessible by a gravel path with water on either side. The gravel path extends approximately half a mile from a shoreline adorned with historic structures, many of them red brick with uneven walkways and staircases.

Derby Wharf

Richard Derby and his son Elias Hasket Derby began construction of Derby Wharf in 1762. Over the years, as the Derby family’s trade expanded, they extended the wharf. In 1806, it reached its current length extending 2,045 feet into the Salem Harbor.

• A long narrow strip of land extending 2045 feet into Salem Harbor. A gravel path extends down the center with a stone wall and drop-off on either side into the harbor. At the end of the wharf is the Derby Light Station. It is a white brick lighthouse, approximately 12 feet square and 20 feet high.

Derby Wharf Beach

The contrast of the built cultural environment on the shore and the Salem Harbor and the Atlantic Ocean is a defining feature of Salem Maritime National Historic Site.

• A large, open grassy field leads to a sandy shore. The waters of Salem Harbor rise and fall with the tides. A row of adirondack chairs sits above the shoreline. Rocks for Tucker Wharf and Derby Wharf border either side of the beach.

Essex National Heritage Area

The Essex National Heritage Area begins just 10 miles north of Boston and covers 500 square miles of eastern Massachusetts to the New Hampshire border. The area includes hundreds of historical sites, miles of intact landscapes, glistening coastal regions and lifetimes of rich experiences that chronicle the history of the region and of the United States.

• Salem Armory Visitor Center. 316 words. The visitor center is a several story red brick building that is approximately 15,000 square feet. The exterior is historic in its character, with red brick columns in the south facing patio of the building. On all sides the building are different aspects of downtown Salem industry and social life: roads, parking lots, and museums. The building has two entrances: one on the southeast corner, and the other on the southwest corner. These are both large glass double-doors that are push/pull only and are accessible via a flat walkway. The interior of the building has three sections open to the public: the large main exhibit space, the giftshop space, then a long hallway leading to a theater. The main exhibit space is approximately 7,000 square feet with the ceiling approximately 50 feet high. On the south wall, there is a large replica of a tall ship, approximately 15 feet across and 30 feet tall, and a red historic coat on the wall. There is a large diorama in the middle of the room and a large flat-screen television with two rows of benches against the east wall. Near there, a replica of the building as it was is under a plastic case. The giftshop space includes multiple rows of shelves and aisles, each adorned with merchandise relating to the national park service or to Salem in particular. On the west side, a long desk used by park and store staff has two cash registers and two large flat-screen television screens on the wall. The long hallway begins north of the giftshop. The hallway is approximately 100 feet long and 25 feet wide. On either sides of the walls are drape exhibits with information relating to the site. Bathrooms are on the east side of this hallway. At the end of the wall way, wooden double-doors on the east side lead to a theater accommodating approximately 200 people. End of Description.

FRIENDSHIP OF SALEM

The replica tall ship, FRIENDSHIP OF SALEM, is docked at Derby Wharf and was designed to present the appearance an original 1797 Salem-built vessel. FRIENDSHIP OF SALEM represents New England’s influential role in the development of global and domestic maritime trade and in the economic and political development of the United States.

• A two-decked, three-masted vessel with white sails. The hull is black with white stripes on the sides and yellow trim on the front and back ends. The rear of the ship have five yellow windows in a row with red stars on either end. The name of the ship, FRIENDSHIP OF SALEM, is written below the windows in white. The ship is docked on Derby Wharf after the Pedrick Store House.

Hawkes House

Designed by Samuel McIntire (1751-1811), one of the earliest and most influential architects in the United States, the Hawkes House had been commissioned but never lived in by Elias Hasket and Elizabeth Derby.

• A yellow, three-story square home two rooms deep. There are three rows of windows around the exterior framed by green shutters. A four foot fence spans the outside of the house. A cobblestone path leads to the front entrance facing away from Derby Street. The street is lined with red brick and other colonial era-buildings and facades. To the northeast the shoreline and Derby Wharf are visible.

Narbonne House

The Narbonne House was built in 1675 for butcher Thomas Ives. It is named after Sarah Narbonne, whose grandfather Jonathan Andrews purchased the house in 1780. Sarah was born in the Narbonne house, and lived there for her entire life, which stretched nearly the length of the 19th century.

• A two-story rectangular house with attic and cellar. The taller section has the original peaked roof and brick chimney. There is light green painted wood siding and shingled roof. All windows and trim are painted white. A wood walkway leads to the front door. Stones extend from the foundation to the walkway.

Pedrick Store House

Pedrick Store House was built in Marblehead, just across the harbor from Salem, in 1770 by Thomas Pedrick, a successful member of the merchant community in pre-Revolutionary War Marblehead. A warehouse was an important part of a merchant’s property, as it was where goods and equipment for the vessels were stored, repair work could be done for vessels, and the merchant often had his “counting house” or business office.

• A timber framed, wood-cladded store house. The two-story building is on Derby Wharf accessible by gravel path. Multiple windows and doors span the exterior. The entrance faces Derby Street with a wooden ramp and handrails on either side. A wooden dock on Salem Harbor is to the right of the entrance. A wooden sign read "Sail Loft" on the side of the building.

Public Stores

Built in 1819 at the same time as the Custom House, the adjoining three-story Public Stores functioned as a bonded warehouse. It was used by the U.S. Customs Service to hold cargo for merchants until they were able to pay the duties on their goods.

• Two-story brick building attached to the rear of the Custom House. The two buildings are not connected by any interior doors. A simple, white trimmed doorway leads inside. There are five wooden steps with wooden handrails. Enclosed by a tall wooden fence, the Scale House sits at the rear of the rear of the yard.

St. Joseph Hall

Built by the St. Joseph Society, the Hall helped create an ethnic and community identity for Polish immigrants. The society offered housing and life insurance, sponsored sports, and hosted weddings and social events. Today, immigrants continue to contribute to Salem's physical, social, and cultural landscape.

• A three-story brick building at the corner of Derby Street and Palfrey Court. Display windows are on either side of the 2-door front entrance. Rows of white windows span the second and third floors.

The Scale House

Located behind the Custom House, the Scale House was built in 1829. It was used as equipment storage space for the U.S. Customs Service. The scales were never used inside the building, but were carted and moved to the wharf and assembled alongside a vessel that had just returned.

• A small, one-story rectangular brick building with stone foundation. A wooden walkway and ramp with handrails leads to the entrance. A set of white double-doors leads inside. A white, wooden privacy fence surrounds the scale house and yard of the Custom House and Public Stores.

West India Goods Store

The term “West India Goods Store” was used in Salem as a generic term for a retail shop selling goods from all over the world. Captain Henry Prince bought the Derby House in 1796 and built this structure in the early 1800s, listed in records as a "store."

• A blue, two-story building with a maroon door and trim. A brick sidewalk leads to a centered front entrance with bay windows on either side. There are two smaller windows above for the second story. It faces Derby Street with the Derby House to the left.

Salem Armory

• Salem Armory
• In the Salem Armory Visitor Center, National Park Service staff and volunteers provide information on historic sites and other places of interest throughout the Essex National Heritage Area (ENHA). Visitors can learn more about Essex County from the exhibits. A free orientation film is played at 10:15 AM, 12 PM, & 2 PM, and the ENHA film "Salem Witch Hunt" is played at 11 AM, 1 PM, & 3 PM (ticket required). Books and gifts are available for purchase in the Salem Maritime National Historic Site Park Store.

Waite & Peirce

• Waite & Peirce
• Waite & Peirce offers a curated selection of quality products that will help extend your park experience with maritime themed goods that hearken back to Salem's place in the history of global trade. Explore the exclusive line of Waite & Peirce apparel, jewelry, home goods, historical reproductions, collectibles, toys and gifts.

• Become a Salem Maritime B.A.R.K. Ranger
• Hello four-legged friends! Do you want to explore Salem Maritime with your leash-holding companions? Interested in getting your very own B.A.R.K. Ranger dog tag? We made it easy for your human to help you get one. Just follow the B.A.R.K. Ranger principles!

• Create a Dominican Faceless Doll
• Have you ever heard of Faceless Dolls (or Muñecas Sin Rostro)? Faceless Dolls were first created in the 1980’s by sculptor Liliana Mera Limé. Their lack of faces is what makes them a truly unique symbol of the Dominican Republic. Learn more about faceless dolls and show off your craft skills by making one of your own!

• Become a Salem Maritime Junior Ranger
• The Salem Maritime National Historic Site Junior Ranger program is an activity based program offering visitors the opportunity to join the National Park Service "family" as Junior Rangers.

• Shop Waite & Peirce Souvenirs
• Waite & Peirce: Authentic and Exotic Goods features gifts inspired by the bold spirit of Salem’s privateers and offers visitors a unique shopping experience.

• Watch the Sunrise from Derby Wharf
• Enjoy an East Coast sunrise from Derby Wharf! The horizon is broad and flat, providing an expansive view of Salem Harbor.

• Drive the Essex Coastal Scenic Byway
• Discover 90 miles of New England coastal life passing through Essex National Heritage Area and Salem Maritime National Historic Site.

Places of Salem Maritime

Following the American Revolution, Salem was one of the most prosperous communities of the early republic. Daring and skilled maritime merchants traveled the globe, controlling valuable trade markets with the West Indies, Europe, Asia, and Indonesia. In 1938, Salem Maritime became the first ever National Historic Site incorporated into the National Park Service. On this walking tour, we’ll visit historic buildings and structures that span over 300 years of history.

The Business of Slavery

The history of this coastal region includes stories of hard work, noble ideals and freedom. These narratives become less romantic and more difficult to understand when we include the story of slavery. On this walking tour, we’ll explore how enslaved labor in the West Indies fueled colonial New England’s economy and examine the story of a well-known Salem merchant, Richard Derby, to consider the opportunities slavery afforded white colonists.