Three Free Weekends at Salem Maritime NHS

First of all, I want to clarify for all of you that "NHS" stands for National Historic Site, but National Historic Site is wordy and a bit clunky to type over and over again, so we say NHS. As in the Salem Maritime National Historic Site.

Some know Salem Maritime National Historic Site as Derby Wharf - a half-mile wharf extending into Salem Harbor with the charming Derby Light Station at its end. Derby Wharf is great for walks, for fishing, for hanging out and watching the Schooner Fame and other boats travel in and out of the harbor. And it is historically significant because when you stand at the end of Derby Wharf and you look back toward Derby Street, the Custom House, Derby House, tall ship Friendship, and the Salem skyline, you can almost imagine what Salem looked like 200 years ago when dozens of wharves just like the Derby's extended into the harbor and were the heart and soul of a bustling, prosperous maritime community.

Some know Salem Maritime NHS for the Custom House, which is significant because it is an authentic US Custom House, where author Nathaniel Hawthorne worked prior to penning The Scarlet Letter. This is the same Custom House that Hawthorne refers to in the preface to The Scarlet Letter. You can visit the Custom House and imagine Hawthorne working unhappily in the office on the left, and you can imagine a trunk the the attic in which was found a scarlet A.

And some know Salem Maritime NHS for the Tall Ship Friendship. This replica of a 1797 East Indiaman docks on Derby Wharf and is our own piece of living maritime heritage. She was the Mack Truck of her day, shuttling cargo around the globe. Unfortuanetly, Freindship is not here this weekend because she has been hauled out in Boothbay, Maine for her Coast Guard inspection. She will be back, we hope, for the July 4th celebrations.

Regardless of how you know Salem Maritime NHS, this weekend and on two other weekends this summer you can know her free of charge. And not just Salem Maritime - all of the 147 National Parks that charge an entrance fee will offer free admission on the weekends of June 20-21, July 18-19, and August 15-16. That's a nice summertime treat, isn't it?

So, if you are familiar with the free aspects of Salem Maritime NHS - Derby and Central Wharves, the Scale exhibit, the Bonded Warehouse, the free films at the orientation center and the Regional Visitor Center, the free Junior Ranger program (yes, that's right, all of these things are free already, every day!) - take advantage of this generous invitation and explore the historic buildings. Take a tour of the Custom House, the Derby House, and the 17th century Narbonne House. They are some of Salem's treasures.

And on your way out, make sure to stop at the West India Goods Store. It's a great gift shop. Many locals favor the spices they sell.

Salem Maritime National Historic Site is at 193 Derby Street, Salem, MA 01970. nps.gov/sama. For information on all of the National Parks that are waiving their fees, visit nps.gov.

Maritime Lecture Tonight - Wednesday

Have you ever seen a Friendship Sloop gliding gracefully along under a full press of canvas? Ever wonder about her design, or what it’s like to sail one? If so, attend a presentation by Friendship Sloop owner/builder Charles Burnham of Essex this Wednesday, December 3, at 7 PM.

Through use of both new and historical photographs, Charles will discuss the history, characteristics, and special sailing qualities of this workhorse turned yacht. Also discussed will be the resurgence of popularity in recent years, fostered by the Friendship Sloop Society, and the undiminished enthusiasm such a beautiful sailing vessel can inspire.

St. Joseph Hall, 160 Derby St., Salem.

The Hall is handicapped accessible.

Directions: Derby Street runs along the Salem waterfront, from Pickering Wharf where Fame is located, through the National Maritime Historic Site where the Custom House and Friendship are located, down to the power plant, whose stacks are visible from a great distance. St. Joseph’s Hall is a three-story brick building on the landward side of the road, immediately after the small gray West India Goods Store and before the Witches’ Brew and Pig’s Eye Pubs. Enter through the gray door on the street and go up the gray stairs to the second floor.

Parking: There is legal parking all along Derby Street, but it may be difficult to find a space. There is two-hour parking on Pickering Wharf and a parking garage at the corner of Derby & Congress Street.

For more information, call 978-729-7600 or 978-740-1660.

Pictured: Friendship Sloop "Resolute", launched 1973, built by Charles Burnham.