I GET NEW ENGLAND Video starring the Hawthorne Hotel!
Architectural Tour of Salem by the National Park Service
Salem--A Timeless City
Salem was founded in 1626 by a group of industrious fishermen, led by Roger Conant. Within three years, the town was incorporated and given the name, Salem, meaning "peace." Salem originally encompassed quite a bit of the North Shore, including Marblehead.
We're probably most well-known for the infamous Salem Witch Trials of 1692-1693 where 150 area citizens were accused of practicing witchcraft. Twenty of the accused were killed until the hysteria died down.
The city also has an illustrious maritime history. By 1790, Salem was the sixth largest city in the United States and much of that was due to our thriving seaport. Codfish, sugar, molasses, tea and silks were transported back and forth from such exotic locales as Chine, the West Indies, Russia, Africa, and Australia. For three years in the mid-1840s, Nathaniel Hawthorne managed Salem port, working in the Custom House across from Pickering Wharf. This became the setting for his famous novel Scarlett Letter.
By the time of the American Civil War, the shipping trade was beginning to decline and in 1914, a fire destroyed much of Salem, leaving 3,500 families homeless. The historic district was spared and was soon developed into a hub for tourism. The rest, as they say, is history...
Read about the history of the Hawthorne Hotel
Watch videos about Salem!
(courtesy of Destination Salem and Salem.com)
10 FREE THINGS TO DO IN SALEM
Tourism & Things to Do
Dining & Shopping
Downtown Area
Parks & Recreation
Accommodations & Attractions
Maritime Audio Tour Map
Introduction and Historic Wharves
Friendship of Salem
Custom House
Public Stores
Scale House
Narbonne House
Hawkes House
Derby House
West India Goods Store
