Witch City Walking Tour - Salem Massachusetts Pt. 1

History OR Hysteria?

Founded in 1626, there are several historical aspects to explore in the town of Salem, Massachusetts. Paramount are the infamous witch trials of 1692 and then, of course, the short-lived, but lucrative trading and maritime history which was at its peak between the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. We were hoping to do a little exploration of both.

We arrived early at the Salem NPS Visitor's Center and asked for a “non-commercial” walking map. Every map and brochure we found had witch museums, wax museums and/or haunted house tours on it, but little of historical interest that appealed to us. We wanted to see some of the real Salem beyond the hype. Bob Grant, the volunteer ranger answered “Do you want hysteria or history?” I smiled and answered “Mostly history, but a little hysteria would be okay”. He was referring, of course, to the 17th century witch trial hysteria that attracts so much tourism versus Salem's maritime history. We really were interested in both … with the history and without the hype. He supplied us with a useable map, lots of local knowledge, some brochures on specific sites to see and sent us on our way.

Once again, we were blessed with a glorious late summer's day. The temp hovered around 70F (21C), the sky was cerulean blue and the leaves were just beginning to turn to their fall-ish colors. It was a mid-week day and there were few tourists around, perfect for our kind of exploring. We walked past the impressive Peabody-Essex Museum. We've visited this world-class museum several times in the past. We seemed to inhale a sense of the building and its contents just by walking by.

The Essex Street pedestrian mall is chock-a-block full of witch-y restaurants and boutiques. From t-shirts, to wine, to witchy costumes, it's all here in the Witch City and available for sale, but we were aiming for witch-less history to start.

Blending its witch history with its maritime history, the town fathers sponsored a contest for local artists to create ship's figureheads and the resulting works of art were displayed on lampposts throughout the city.

We decided to begin our exploration in earnest with the McIntire Architectural Walking Tour. Samuel McIntire was “one of the earliest and most influential architects (and wood carvers) in the United States.” According to Bob's directions, a stroll down Chestnut Street was a must in order to view its grand, McIntire-inspired, Federal-style mansions. Uneven brick sidewalks, stately, tall shade trees and old gas lamps lined the streets graced by period mansion after mansion. Some of the buildings were available for tours including The Hamilton House, a Federal-era public building, designed by McIntire and constructed in 1805 as an assembly hall.

The port of Salem was a hopping place by the time the colonies reached a revolutionary crisis with Britain in 1775. Fortune-seeking sea captains like Richard Derby accumulated great wealth, based on the cod fish export and molasses import trades. Trading easily caught and salt-preserved cod brought valuable cargoes of fresh citrus, grapes, wine, iron and salt back to Salem. Molasses from the West Indies was a key commodity for the very profitable rum industry. The houses in this historic district definitely reflected the wealth of its early (and current) residents. Derby, by the way, is considered America's first millionaire.

Beyond McIntire and Derby, lots of famous people have either been born or lived in Salem including Nathaniel Hawthorne. The House of Seven Gables, made famous by Hawthorne's novel of the same name, was right up Derby Street, not far away. We'd visited here in the past, too, and rather than opting for a tour, we decided just to visit the gift shop which afforded us a chance to get a good photo of the house itself.

Across the street, Ye Olde Pepper Companie, touted as the oldest candy store in the USA, beckoned us in for at least a look-see. Along with all the Hallowe'en candies and chocolates on display, there were barrels of peppermint and lemon Gibralters and a black molasses stick candy known as Black Jacks, candies known to satisfy the “sweet tooth” of colonial folk two centuries ago.

Everything seems to be within walking distance in Salem, including the historic port and wharves. We'd moored at the Pickering Wharf back in 2000, but things had changed since then. The Salem Maritime Historic Park, founded in 1938, was the first NPS historic site. Salem, by the way, is also the birthplace of Nathaniel Bowditch, considered the father of modern navigation. Though first published in 1892, we still have his book The American Practical Navigator aboard Nine of Cups. Some books are timeless.

When we visited last, the tall ship Friendship was being rigged at the Charlestown Navy Yard, so we missed seeing her. A reconstruction of a 171-foot three-masted Salem East India trader built in 1797, the Friendship is the largest wooden, Coast Guard certified, sailing vessel to be built in New England in more than a century and she's pretty impressive.

We could have delved deeper into Salem's maritime history, but this would have to suffice for one day. We moved on to the witch-y side of Salem next … and there was definitely much to see.

Stay tuned for Hysteria AND History Part II.

Journey to the Land's End - Provincetown, Massachusetts

 

Provincetown, Massachusetts, informally known by residents as P-town, sits at the very tip of hook-shaped Cape Cod. It's known as the Pilgrims' first landing place in 1620 and the site where the Mayflower Compact was signed. It's also known for its beaches, the oldest continuous American art colony, the birthplace of American theater, the tourist industry and as a vacation spot for gay people. It's all of those things and much more. We decided the 120 mile ride (193km) on a warm and sultry September day could be our last chance to grasp a piece of summer. You never know what weather you'll get once October comes around.

We headed directly to our destination with only a few photo stops en route. We wanted to spend as much of our day in this historic, unique place as possible. We hadn't been here in years; the last time we'd anchored Cups in the protected harbor.

As we passed through Truro and approached the town, we could appreciate the weathered gray, shingled houses lining the beachfront and the view across the bay. In 1654, the Governor of the Plymouth Colony purchased this land from the Chief of the Nausets for a selling price of two brass kettles, six coats, 12 hoes, 12 axes, 12 knives and a box. The real estate is a bit more dear nowadays.

Though it was off-season, the narrow main road through town was packed with tourists. We parked, picked up a self-directed walking tour guide at the tourist office, then climbed the hill to the Pilgrim Monument. It's an easy climb of 116 steps and 60 ramps and we weren't even winded when we arrived at the top. The 360º views from 350' above sea level were a bit hazy, but stupendous nonetheless.

The views looking up inside the monument were unique and definitely worthy of a photo or two.

The Provincetown Museum on the same property was small, but interesting. A whale jawbone was on display and provided an excellent introduction to P-town's whaling and fishing history. We checked out everything from the first Pilgrim's visit and the signing of the Mayflower Compact to Provincetown's oldest fire engine, antique dollhouses and a photographic overview of the production of the first Eugene O'Neill play by the Provincetown Players.

The day was glorious and we ambled along at a leisurely pace up and down hills and along narrow back streets. The downtown area offers all sorts of unique boutiques, restaurants and bars including the Atlantic House, more often called the A-House. It's a well known drinking and dancing establishment that's been in continuous operation for over two centuries. It also lays claim to being one of the oldest historical buildings in town (1798) and possibly one of the first discos in the USA. (wow!)

Every street offered something unique from the historical to the ridiculous. We enjoyed it all.

The town library was a surprise. Built in 1860, it's been a church, an art museum and a Center for the Arts before becoming the public library in 1976. A whimsical sculpture entitled “Tourists” sits in front and I wondered if that's how we were viewed. To tell you the truth, we never consider ourselves tourists (although we are); we just think that everyone else is.

We climbed the well-worn wooden stairs to the second floor. We'd read about the half-scale “ship in a bottle” on the second floor, but we weren't quite expecting what we found. At 66.5' (20m), with a 12.5' (3.8m) beam, the schooner, Rose Dorothea, takes up most of the floorspace. She's longer than Nine of Cups by over 20' (6m)!

There are elegant cutouts in ceiling to allow for her masts and glass has been removed from a window to allow her bowsprit to extend through the wall into the reading room next door. Built in situ, it's an astonishing tribute to Provincetown's fishermen and shipbuilding traditions. Moving her to another marina will, however, be quite the challenge.

The day wasn't finished though. Stay tuned for our visit to the Cape Cod National Seashore.

Moose Hill Street - an iconic New England road

 

When we drive, we prefer to take back roads rather than jumping onto the highway. The highway can be faster, but only by a few minutes and there's no eye candy along the way. This crew always prefers off-the-beaten path, even when we're on land and traditional New England roads ... narrow, winding and tree-lined … definitely fit the bill.

Moose Hill Street is the back road to my sister's house and my Mom now refers to it as “our favorite road” and she's right … it is. The road follows the contour of the land, up and down hills and around sharp corners. Foliage is thick and the trees arch over the road forming a lush green canopy. Stone walls, in various stages of disrepair, covered with poison ivy, line the roadside.

Largely because the Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary owns and has protected much of the land on either side of the road, there's been very limited building in the area. The few houses that exist along the road have been there for years and don't seem to have intruded on the road's pleasant nature.

Moose Hill Farm, a lovely old place along the way, is also a protected area since being deeded to the town as part of a nature conservancy and historical preservation area in 2004. It operates in conjunction with the Sanctuary to protect several hundred acres that have been agriculturally active since the 1600's. A culturally significant local landscape, old stone walls, estate trees, the remnants of an orchard and a fine collection of old farm buildings trace an important part of local history.

Reading more, we found that the farm alone supports at least nine functioning vernal pools, three rare plant species including the American chestnut tree as well as five rare wildlife species, mostly salamanders and turtles. We regularly see grazing deer, huge wild turkeys, squirrels, chipmunks and lots of birds, especially bright red cardinals, along this 5-mile stretch. We saw a coyote slinking across the road one dusky evening and several racoons, their eyes caught by the headlights, have peered out at us as we drove by. The wildlife seem to enjoy the road as much as we do.

We wondered how it got its name as there don't seem to be many moose in the area at present. Evidently Jethro Wood, a resident of Sharon in the mid-18th century, killed two moose with one shot on the hill now known as Moose Hill. Impressive shooting, Jethro!

Moose Hill Street is actually cited as a Scenic Road and signed as such. Interestingly enough, the road used to meander for miles until major roads like US 1 and Route 95 cut it into pieces, leaving parts of it isolated from the rest.

Perhaps it's part of our philosophy and way of life developed over the past decade of sailing that makes us enjoy slow and relaxed versus a fast and get there mentality. Though we like arriving, the sights enjoyed while getting there still make each journey more memorable.