Historic buildings along the Salem Maritime National Historic site includes the Custom House at center.
Photo Credit : Mark Fleming
Take a stroll down Essex Street in the heart of historic Salem, Massachusetts, and you’ll quickly pick up on a somewhat spooky vibe. There are tarot readers, psychics, haunted tours, and magic shops at virtually every turn. Come Halloween, this is ground zero for the crowds who flock to the town made infamous by the witch trials held here in 1693 and 1693.
But Salem is about much more than the dark deeds of its long-ago Puritans leaders. Chestnut Street, a magnificent avenue of Federal-style mansions, stands as testament to Salem’s seafaring heyday in the 1700s, when this was the wealthiest town in America. Down by the waterfront, maritime history breathes through the alleyways. Today’s 42,000 residents live amid a profusion of grand old buildings, top-notch restaurants, and cultural attractions that include one of the great museums in the country. Factor in a seasonal ferry that sprints between Salem and Boston Harbor in less than an hour, and it’s easy to see why so many have decided that yes, they can — and want to — live here.
The following are some of our favorite images by Yankee senior photographer Mark Fleming for the “Could You Live Here?” feature on Salem, Massachusetts, that appears in the September/October 2017 issue of Yankee.
SCENES FROM SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS
Derby Wharf and the sail shed in early morning light. Photo Credit : Mark FlemingStately brick architecture and quiet signs of autumn along historic Chestnut Street. Photo Credit : Mark Fleming.
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Chris Silva, owner of Front Street Coffeehouse, a popular coffee and sandwich spot in Salem, Massachusetts, since 1996. Photo Credit : Mark FlemingAntique figureheads on display in the East India Marine Hall at the Peabody Essex Museum. Photo Credit : Mark FlemingA stickwork art installation by Patrick Dougherty on the Crowninshield-Bentley House lawn at the Peabody Essex Museum. Photo Credit : Mark FlemingGravestone of John Emerson, aged 58, at Burying Point Cemetery on Charter Street. Photo Credit : Mark FlemingA statue honoring Salem-born author Nathaniel Hawthorne, whose most notable works include The House of the Seven Gables and The Scarlet Letter. Photo Credit : Mark FlemingHistoric buildings along the Salem Maritime National Historic site, including the Custom House, center. Photo Credit : Mark FlemingRyan Conary in the Hooper-Hathaway House at the House of Seven Gables campus. Ryan is on the administrative staff at the house and is cofounder of the Salem Historical Society. Photo Credit : Mark FlemingDoneeca Thurston in the Maker Lounge at the Peabody Essex Museum, where she is the creative engagement producer. Photo Credit : Mark Fleming
Have you ever explored Salem, Massachusetts? Have you ever dreamed of living there? Let us know!
Heather Marcus is the senior photo editor for Yankee Magazine. She works closely with the art director and a large group of contributing photographers to tell our stories about people and place in a compelling way. Living and growing up in New England, she continues to be inspired by the communities, the landscape, and the wonderful visual opportunities the region affords.
