Derby Wharf

Derby Wharf was Salem’s longest wharf and once one of the busiest in the nation. Its first 800 feet were begun in 1762 and completed about 1770 by Capt. Richard Derby, Sr. and his son Elias Hasket Derby. During the War of Independence, American privateers sailed from there to prey on British ships on the high seas. After the war, Hasket inherited much of his father’s property, and his fleet of trading vessels sailed to the Far East and other international ports, bringing wealth to Salem and its merchants. Cargoes were stored in spacious three-story warehouses built on the wharf. In 1806 Elias Hasket Derby’s heirs completed a 1300 foot extension, and throughout the 19th century exotic luxury items from Asia and raw materials for Salem’s growing industries continued to be unloaded there. At the end of the 19th century, railroad tracks were laid on the wharf so vessels could unload cargo directly into railroad cars for transportation inland. At one time, as many as fifteen warehouses lined the wharf, and besides storing cargo, many also leased workshop space to artisans such as riggers, blacksmiths, and coopers.

Salem, Massachusetts · United States