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You have amazing staff. They certainly have that "above and beyond" attitude. Love staying at your hotel and recommending it to my clients. Blessings and Happy Thanksgiving to you All."

Kim Dube/FaceBook

Video unveiling the Salem Logo--Still Making History!

I GET NEW ENGLAND Video starring the Hawthorne Hotel!

Architectural Tour of Salem by the National Park Service

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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

 

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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