Friendship Promises New Life for the Salem Waterfront by John Frayler
F
or a few heady years when the nati on was young, Salem 's name was synonymous with the overseas luxury trade. Merchants of the Massachusetts port took great risks and reaped greater rewards, sending the ir ships on one- or two-year voyages " to the fa rthest ports of the ri ch East," in the words of the city's motto. Salem's trade in exotic goods earned fo r it a reputation as the "Venice of the New World" and in the three decades between the Revo lutionary War and the War of 1812, the port flowered as a New England maritime center second only to Boston. Thi s period of growing fortunes was brought to an abrupt halt, however, by Jefferson's 1807 embargo on shipping to and from England and France, imposed to counter those countries ' attacks on American neutral carriers during the Napoleonic Wars. The embargo was meant to save American vessels, but most of the fl eet was put out of commi ssion by the closing of fore ign trade. Smaller ports like Salem never recovered from the blow, and the War of 1812 again depri ved them of markets. Today, Salem's waterfront retain s some of its early 19th-century appearance in hi storic wharves and buildings. Many of these comprise the National Park Servi ce's Salem Maritime National Historic Site, and the Park Service has recently embarked on a fresh initiati ve that will enli ven the waterfront with the sights and sounds of old . Their plans include the ongoing restorati on of the wharves and, as a centerpiece, the building of a replica 1797 merchantman. The building and operation of a working ship at the histori c site has been a long-held vision in the Salem commu32
In Salem 's heyday, warehouses, stores, wagons and people filled the narrow, congested space of Derby Wha1f with commercal life. Ship 's crews unloaded cargoes from voyages to the Far East, Europe and Africa, while Customs Se1v ice officials weighed and measured the cargo to assess duties. The Customs House, which is still standing, can be seen in the background.
nity. In late September, the dream came closer to reality, when a joint HouseSenate comm ittee commited $4.3 milli on in federa l funds for construction of the Friendship , a replica of a ship of the same name built in Salem in 1797. "We 've been waiting for this boat. This is agreatcoupforus," said An nie Harris, executive director of the Salem Partnership, noting that the origin al plan for the NPS maritime si te included construction of a shi p. The paitnership has been pushing for construction of the Friendship for the past several yeai·s. Design plans for the reconstruction of the wooden, three-masted sailing vessel ai·e nearly complete, based on a tenfoo t-long model of the origi nal Friend-
The sketch above shows the Salem wate1front and Derby Whaif with the proposed additions. At right is a crosssection of the interpretive area.
ship in the Peabody Essex Museum and other documentary evidence. The original Friendship was built by Enos Bri ggs (builder of the frigate Essex) at hi s Stage Point, Salem, shipyard in 1797. She was registered to carry 342 tons of cai·go and was slightly more than l 02 fee t on deck. Her appearance was typical of larger Salem merchant vessels of the period, bluff bowed with fine lines aft. The log indicates she frequently cruised long distances at ten knots with a maximun speed of twelve knots. Built for the merchant firmofWaiteandPeirce, the Friendship is reported to have made seventeen voyages to ports worldwide, including the West Indies, Europe, Sumatra and China, before it was captured by the British in 18 12.
SECTfON
\_ FLOATIN G VESSEL EXHIBIT
DERBY WHARF INTERPRETIVE AREA
SEA I-HISTORY 72, WINTER 1994-95