Salem, Massachusetts

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Salem, Massachusetts
Image:Salem mass.jpg Salem Maritime National Historic Site
Image:Salem, MA Seal.jpg Seal
Nickname: The Witch City
Image:Salem ma highlight.png Location in Essex County in Massachusetts
Coordinates: 42°31′10″N 70°53′50″W / 42.51944, -70.89722
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
County	Essex
Settled	1626
Incorporated	1626
A City	1836
Government
- Type	Mayor-council city
- Mayor	Kimberley Driscoll
Area
- Total	18.1 sq mi (46.8 km²)
- Land	8.1 sq mi (21.0 km²)
- Water	10.0 sq mi (25.8 km²)
Elevation	9 ft (3 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	40,407
- Density	4,986.0/sq mi (1,925.1/km²)
Time zone	Eastern (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code	01970
Area code(s)	351 / 978
FIPS code	25-59105
GNIS feature ID	0614337
Website: http://www.salem.com/

Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,407 at the 2000 census. It and Lawrence are the county seats of Essex County.^GR6 Home to Salem State College, Salem Willows Park and the Peabody Essex Museum, Salem is a residential and tourist area which includes the neighborhoods of Salem Neck, South Salem and North Salem, and Witchcraft Heights.

Many people associate the city with the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, which the city embraces both as a source of tourism and culture — police cars are adorned with witch logos, a local public school is known as the Witchcraft Heights Elementary School, the Salem High School football team is named The Witches, and Gallows Hill, a site of numerous public hangings, is currently used as a playing field for various sports.

Arthur Miller's 1952 play The Crucible dealt with the witch trials of the 1690s. The play, and the 1996 film version with Winona Ryder and Daniel Day-Lewis, were popular and commercial successes.

Salem also embraces its Maritime History which is dominant on the city seal with a motto that says, "To the Farthest port of the rich east." Salem also boasts the first National Historic Site designated by Congress, Salem Maritime National Historic Site which protects Salem's historic waterfront.

Tourists know Salem as a mix of important historical sites, New Age and Wiccan boutiques, and kitschy Halloween-themed and/or witch-themed attractions. The most recent (and controversial) addition of significance is a bronze statue of the Samantha Stephens character (played by actress Elizabeth Montgomery) of the "Bewitched" television program in Salem's Lappin Park on June 15, 2005.

Contents 1 History 2 Geography 3 Demographics 4 Tourism 5 Points of interest 6 Notable residents 7 Further reading 8 References 9 External links

[edit] History

Native Americans called the area 'Naumkeag', meaning 'eel land'. Salem was founded at the mouth of the Naumkeag River in 1626 by a company of fishermen from Cape Ann led by Roger Conant, and incorporated in 1629. The name 'Salem' is related to the Hebrew word 'shalom' and Arabic word 'salam', both meaning 'peace'. Conant was later supplanted by John Endecott, the governor assigned by the Massachusetts Bay Company. Salem originally included much of the North Shore, including Marblehead, set off in 1649. A delusional Dorothy Talbye was hanged in 1638 for murdering her daughter, as at the time Massachusetts's common law made no distinction between insanity (or mental illness) and criminal behavior.^[1] Most of the accused in the Salem witch trials lived in nearby 'Salem Village', now Danvers. Salem Village also included Peabody and parts of present-day Beverly. Middleton, Topsfield, Wenham and Manchester-by-the-Sea, too, were once parts of Salem. One of the most widely known aspects of Salem is its witchcraft history, starting with Abigail Williams, Betty Parris, and their friends playing with a venus glass and egg.

On February 26, 1775, patriots raised the drawbridge at the North River, preventing British Colonel Alexander Leslie and his 300 troops from seizing stores and ammunition hidden in North Salem. During the Revolution, the town became a center for privateering. By 1790, Salem was the sixth largest city in the country, and a world famous seaport—particularly in the China trade. Codfish was exported to the West Indies and Europe. Sugar and molasses were imported from the West Indies, tea from China, and pepper from Sumatra. Salem ships also visited Africa, Russia, Japan and Australia. During the War of 1812, privateering resumed.

Prosperity would leave the city with a wealth of fine architecture, including Federal style mansions designed by Samuel McIntire, for whom the city's largest historic district is named. This wealth of fine architecture is exhibited on Chestnut Street with all the fine Federal & Greek Revival Mansions where some of Americas first millionares built stately homes. As it was over 200 years ago, Chestnut Street today is just as popular and in 2007 earned the Cover Photo of Boston Magazine [1].

The Boston Magazine 2007 article was titled; " If you lived here you would never want to leave" and quotes the start of Chestnut Street with the following "Flush with wealth from the China Trade, 15 families of “new money” Federalists abandoned Salem Center around 1800 to build their own high-class enclave. Their massive homes are examples of Adams-esque Federal style, with imposing columned entryways, Palladian windows, and rooftop balustrades. Despite being a regular stop on the Salem tourist trail, Chestnut remains a tight-knit neighborhood of professionals who are religious about keeping up the street’s historic appeal."

Incorporated a city on March 23rd 1836 [2], Salem adopted a city seal in 1839 with the motto "Divitis Indiae usque ad ultimum sinum"—"To the farthest port of the rich East." Nathaniel Hawthorne was overseer of the port from 1846 until 1849. He worked in the Customs House near Pickering Wharf, his setting for the beginning of The Scarlet Letter. In 1858, an amusement park was established at Salem Willows, a peninsula jutting into the harbor.

Architecture from Colonial America lives today in what is the greatest concentrations of notable pre-1900 domestic structures in the United States. [3] It should be noted that up until the War of 1812, the port of Salem Massachusetts was the center of trade in America. When you visit Salem visit Salem, visit the McIntire Historic District where you will find many Georgian and Federal period houses & mansions. Samuel McIntire who lived at 31 Summer Street is who this historic district is named for.

But shipping would decline through the 19th century. Salem and its silting harbor were increasingly eclipsed by Boston and New York. Consequently, the city turned to manufacturing. Industries included tanneries, shoe factories and the Naumkeag Steam Cotton Company. Large parts of the mill town were destroyed in the Great Salem Fire of 1914, which began in the Korn Leather Factory. More than 400 homes burned, leaving 3,500 families homeless. But much of Salem's architectural legacy survived, helping it develop as a center for tourism.

Atop tourism, Salem State College is a gigantic draw to the city in what started out small in 1854, progressing thru the years where in 1921 started to award bachelor's degrees. Salem State College [4] [5] has grown to 33 buildings and with a little luck will soon become Salem State University or University of Salem.

Guest speakers have included George Bush Senior #41 [6] , Jack Welch, Robin Cook, the original Superman; Christopher Reeve and Baseball legend Cal Ripken Jr. Just click for a complete list of past speakers or to learn more about this fantastic program, [7].

As a boost to tourism and to assist citizens into Boston, just last year Mayor Kim Driscoll set up the Salem Ferry [8]. This high-speed catamaran departs near pickering wharf and brings its passengers to the Aquarium. In 2008, a brand new ferry terminal will be open at the New England Aquarium waterfront. It must be noted that if it was not for the assistance of Mayor Kim Driscoll this ferry would not of been possible.

George Peabody House, Salem, MA.jpg Peabody House, c. 1905

Harbor from Salem Willows.jpg Salem Harbor in 1907

Lafayette Street, Salem, MA.jpg Lafayette Street in 1910

Naumkeag Steam Cotton Company.jpg Naumkeag Mills, c. 1910

[edit] Geography

Salem is located at 42°31′1″N, 70°53′55″W (42.516845, -70.898503).^GR1

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 18.1 square miles (46.8 km²), of which, 8.1 square miles (21.0 km²) of it is land and 9.9 square miles (25.8 km²) of it (55.09%) is water. Salem Harbor faces north onto the Danvers River, a tidal inlet of Massachusetts Bay.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 40,407 people, 17,492 households, and 9,708 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,986.0 people per square mile (1,926.1/km²). There were 18,175 housing units at an average density of 2,242.7/sq mi (866.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 85.37% White, 3.15% African American, 0.22% Native American, 2.00% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 6.74% from other races, and 2.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.24% of the population.

There were 17,492 households out of which 24.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.8% were married couples living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.5% were non-families. 34.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the city the population was spread out with 20.2% under the age of 18, 10.4% from 18 to 24, 33.4% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 86.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $44,033, and the median income for a family was $55,635. Males had a median income of $38,563 versus $31,374 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,857. About 6.3% of families and 9.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.2% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Tourism

Since the decline of the city's industrial base, tourism has become an increasingly important part of Salem's economy. Tourism based on the 1692 witch trials dates back to at least the first half of the 20th Century, when dry goods merchant Daniel Low sold souvenir spoons with witch images. Such tourism expanded significantly in the 1970s, when the television comedy Bewitched filmed several episodes there. The Halloween movie Hocus Pocus was also filmed in Salem. Witch-related tourism expanded significantly in the 1990s, and the city added an official "Haunted Happenings" celebration during the October tourist season. In 2007, the city launched the Haunted Passport program which offers visitors discounts and benefits from local tourist attractions and retailers from October to April. The goal of the program is to get visitors to come back to Salem after Halloween and experience businesses that may not be directly tied to Halloween.

In recent years, tourism has been an occasional source of debate in the city, with some residents arguing the city should downplay witch tourism and market itself as a more upscale cultural center. Several steps have been taken in this direction, including the designation of a portion of the city's waterfront as a National Historic Site (the country's first).

The arrival of the Friendship [9] on September 1, 1998 gave the National Park Service's Salem Maritime National Historic Site in Salem a crown jewel. Final Construction of the Friendship took another two years and was accomplished by The National Park Service Riggers and Carpenters worked in conjunction with the USS Constitution's[10] M & R staff. Together everyone from 1998 to 2000 constructed, installed and fitted the Friendships upper masts with al the fittings

In 2000 a replica tall ship Friendship was finished and sailed to Salem harbor where she sits today. The Friendship is a classic reconstruction of a 171-foot three-masted Salem East Indiaman trading ship that was originally built in 1797. The original construction of the Friendship started in 1796 by shipbuilder, Enos Briggs, and registered in 1797 to merchants Jerathmiel Peirce and Aaron Waite.

In June of 2003, The Peabody Essex Museum completed a multi-year, $194 million massive renovation adding 250,000 square feet of exhibit space and a 200 year old merchants house from China; " Yin Yu Tang " [11]. This expansion of the Peabody Essex Museum, designed by architect Moshe Safdie. The Peabody Essex Museum [12] was founded in 1799 and is America's oldest continuously operating museum.

In 2005, the conflict came to a head over plans by the cable television network TV Land [13] to erect a bronze statue of Elizabeth Montgomery, who played the comic witch 'Samantha' in the 1960s series Bewitched [14]. A few special episodes of the series were actually filmed in Salem, and TV Land said that the statue commemorated the 35th anniversary of those episodes. The statue was sculpted by StudioEIS under the direction of brothers Elliott and Ivan Schwartz.

Many felt the statue was good fun and appropriate to a city that promotes itself as "The Witch City," and contains a street named 'Witch Way'. Others objected to the use of public property for what was transparently commercial promotion. Some felt that the statue trivialized history by encouraging visitors to recall a sitcom rather than the tragic Salem witch trials. The statue was later vandalized with red spray painted "X"s over the face and chest, and flags placed in the statue's hands.

[edit] Points of interest

• Nathaniel Bowditch House (c. 1805)
• Crowninshield-Bentley House (c. 1727-1730)
• John Tucker Daland House (1851)
• Gedney House (c. 1665)
• Nathaniel Hawthorne Birthplace (c. 1730-1745)
• House of the Seven Gables (1668)
• The Witch House The only house remaining in Salem with any direct ties to the Salem Witch Trials of 1692.

310 Essex Street, Salem, Massachusetts 978-744-8815 This house is owned & operated by the City of Salem Open Early May thru November.

• [15] Salem Common
• Misery Islands http://www.essexheritage.org/sites/misery_islands.shtml
• Peabody Essex Museum (1799) – A major museum of Asian art and culture, as well as a leading museum of early American maritime trade and whaling. Its collections of Indian, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese art, and in particular Chinese export porcelain, are among the finest in the country.
• Stephen Phillips Memorial Trust House (1800 & 1821) http://www.historicnewengland.org/phillipsmuseum/index.htm
• Pickering House, Broad Street (c. 1651)
• Ropes Mansion (late 1720s)
• [16] Chestnut Street
• Salem Maritime National Historic Site - The only remaining intact waterfront from the U.S. age of sail.
• Pioneer Village Salem Massachusetts, Forest River Park (c. 1930)
• Salem Willows Park (1858)]
• Salem to Boston Ferry was established by current Mayor Kim Driscoll and operates during the warm weather / 2008 schedule & ticket prices [17]

[edit] Notable residents

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2007)

• Nehemiah Adams, clergyman & author
• Frank W. Benson, artist
• Nathaniel Bowditch, mathematician & navigator
• Robert Ellis Cahill, sheriff, historian & author
• Roger Conant, founder of Salem
• Crowninshield family, Boston Brahmins who later helped found Salem
• Elias Hasket Derby, merchant
• Joseph Horace Eaton, artist and military officer
• John Endecott, governor
• Nathaniel Hawthorne, writer
• Jeff Juden, major league baseball player
• Samuel McIntire, architect & woodcarver
• Richard Mulcahy, executive producer
• George Swinton Parker, founder of Parker Brothers
• Samuel Parris, minister
• Timothy Pickering, secretary of state
• Sarah Parker Remond, abolitionist
• Samuel Sewall, magistrate
• John F. Tierney, U.S. Congressman
• Roger Williams, theologian
• Laurie Cabot, Wiccan high priestess
• Hardcore/metal band Converge are based in Salem.
• Singer/Songwriter Mary Lou Lord grew up in Salem
• Steve Thomas, former host of PBS's "This Old House"
• Jack Welch, former chairman and CEO of General Electric- Grew up in Salem, attended Salem High School
• Rick Brunson, former NBA star, played for Salem High School]]
• Scoonie Penn, Professional Basketball player

[edit] Further reading

• In the Devil's Snare: The Salem Witchcraft Crisis of 1692, Mary Beth Norton, Knopf, 2002, hardcover, 432 pages, ISBN 0-375-40709-X

[edit] References

Image:Question book-3.svg

This article does not cite any references or sources. (May 2007) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

1. ^ Albert Christophe. The Romantic Story of the Puritan Fathers: And Their Founding of NewBoston. Retrieved on 2007-11-14.

[edit] External links

• City of Salem
• Salem Public Library
• The Essex Image Vault
• The First Church in Salem
• SalemWeb
• Haunted Passport
• Salem Police Department
• Stephen Phillips Memorial Trust House
• This Week in Salem History
• [18] History of the Salem Common
• [19] McIntire Historic District
• Salem Ferry [20]
• Salem Waterfront Hotel [21]
• Henry Derby House, Bed & Breakfast [22] A 1836 Greek Reivial house located in the McIntire Historic District.
• Salem Inn, 7 Summer Street [23] Salem's only full-service inn
• Coach House Inn [24] This Victorian mansion is now a Bed & Breakfast constructed in 1879 for a wealthy sea captain.
• Amelia Payson House [25] 1845 circa, Greek Revival Architecture now Salem Bed & Breakfast.
• Morning Glory Bed & Breakfast [26] A wonderful Georgian Federal built in 1808
• Northey Street House [27] 1809 Federal home now used as a Bed & Breakfast
• The Stepping Stone Inn [28] Built in 1846
• The Suzannah Flint house [29] Built in 1808 and a fine example of Federal period architecture.

• Salem, Massachusetts is at coordinates 42°31′01″N 70°53′55″W / 42.516845, -70.898503Coordinates: 42°31′01″N 70°53′55″W / 42.516845, -70.898503

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