Lillian & Marcus
Things To Do
Brief History of Salem
Native Americans lived in northeastern Massachusetts for thousands of years before European colonization. The area that is now Salem was known as Naumkeag by the native people at the time of European contact in the early 1600s. This period was disastrous for the Naumkeag, as many died from smallpox brought by European fishermen and explorers. Salem was incorporated as a town in 1626. Its early history was marked by religious intolerance, leading to the infamous witch trials of 1692, which still shape the city’s cultural identity. By 1790, Salem was the sixth-largest city in the U.S. and a world-famous seaport. Following the American Revolution, Salem’s ships returned from China and East India with tea, spices, silks, and more, making it a global trade powerhouse. By the early 1800s, Salem was the wealthiest city per capita in the U.S.
Peabody Essex Museum
Founded in 1799 by Salem sea captains, the PEM shares a global array of art, science, history and culture. The museum was among the first in the country to collect decorative arts, and the depth and quality of this collection makes it among the most important.
Salem Witch Trials Memorial
Located on Liberty Street between Charter St and Derby St - open dawn till dusk. During the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, more than 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft. Twenty of those people were executed, most by hanging. One man was pressed to death under heavy stones. Striking in its simplicity, the Memorial is surrounded on three sides by a handcrafted granite wall. Inscribed in the stone threshold entering the Memorial are the victims’ protests of innocence. These protests are interrupted mid-sentence by the wall, symbolizing society’s indifference to oppression. Six locust trees, the last to flower and the first to lose their leaves, represent the injustice of the trials. Benches within the Memorial perimeter bear the names and the execution dates of each of the 20 victims, creating a quiet, contemplative environment in which to evoke the spirit and strength of those people who chose to die rather than compromise their personal truths.
Historic Homes
The Chestnut Street District is a historic district bounded roughly by Bridge, Lynn, Beckford, and River Streets. The district contains a number of architecturally significant buildings that display the profits made in the Old China Trade by Salem's merchants. The Witch House The Witch House, also called the Jonathan Corwin House, was the home of Judge Jonathan Corwin and is the only structure still standing in Salem, Massachusetts with direct ties to the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. ]The House of the Seven Gables. In 1668, merchant and shipowner John Turner built a house on Salem Harbor that was destined to become one of America’s most beloved historic homes. The House of the Seven Gables is best known today as the setting of world-renowned American author Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1851 novel. Ropes Mansion (late 1720s) is a Georgian Colonial mansion located at 318 Essex Street. It is now operated by the Peabody Essex Museum and open to the public.
Historic Homes, pt. 2
The Andrew–Safford House, built in 1819 in the Federal style for a wealthy Russian fur merchant, is located at 13 Washington Square and owned by the Peabody Essex Museum. It was once reputed to be the most expensive house built in the U.S. at the time. The Peirce-Nichols House (c. 1782) at 80 Federal Street is a late-Georgian masterpiece, built for Jerathmiel Peirce of Waite & Peirce shipping. It is also owned by the Peabody Essex Museum, which offers guided tours. The Stephen Phillips House, at 34 Chestnut Street, is a historic house museum operated by Historic New England and open for public tours. The Pickering House (c. 1651) at 18 Broad Street is a Colonial house occupied by ten generations of the Pickering family, making it the oldest house in the U.S. continuously occupied by one family. It is open to the public.
Salem Restaurant Suggestions
Dinner: Ledger Restaurant & Bar 125 Washington St ledgersalem.com Finz 86 Wharf St, hipfinz.com (also open for lunch) Howling Wolf Taqueria 76 Lafayette howlingwolftaqueria.com (lunch too) Breakfast/Lunch: Red’s 15 Central St redssandwichshop.com The Ugly Mug Diner 122 Washington St uglymugdiner.com Fine Candy and Gifts: Harbor Sweets 85 Leavitt St harborsweets.com
Brief History of Marblehead, home of the Corinthian Yacht Club
Marblehead was also originally inhabited by the Naumkeag Tribe. Early British settlers migrated from nearby Salem in the early 1600s to escape Puritan rule. Marblehead played a significant role in the American Revolution, with Col John Glover organizing a local militia in 1775 and commissioning four vessels into what he called “ye navy,” leading to the disputed claim as the Birthplace of the American Navy. On December 25, 1776, Glover’s Regiment famously rowed General George Washington across the Delaware River to surprise British and Hessian troops at the Battle of Trenton, a scene immortalized in Emanuel Leutze’s 1851 painting, "Washington Crossing the Delaware." Marblehead thrived as a fishing port, but the “Great Gale of 1846” led to the loss of 65 men, marking the decline of the fishing industry. The town turned to yachting, earning its title as the “Yachting Capital of the World,” with Marblehead Harbor hosting international races and the annual Marblehead Race Week since 1889.