Salem On Cusp Of Getting National Park Designation

SALEM, MA — A bill that would redesignate the Salem Maritime National Historic Site as the Salem Maritime National Historical Park passed Congress and was set to head to President Donald Trump's desk to be passed into law.

U.S. Sen. Ed Markey and U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton sponsored the legislation to have the area redesignated as a national park ahead of Salem's 400th anniversary as a way to boost tourism and increase the preservation capacity for the Witch City.

"Salem Maritime contains more than a single historical feature," Moulton said. "In fact, the stories at Salem Maritime span more than four centuries of American history. Increasing visitation to Salem Maritime is important for supporting Salem's tourism economy, especially since the historical themes of Salem Maritime encourage people to visit beyond just the month of October."

Salem Maritime encompasses nine acres of land and 12 historic structures. Its downtown visitor center introduces thousands of visitors to Salem and to the Essex National Heritage Area.

"Salem Maritime's redesignation from a National Historic Site to a National Historical Park will reflect the growth of the nearly 9-acre district and its proper place in Massachusetts’ — and our nation's history," Markey said. "The additional support garnered as a park will help Salem Maritime continue to preserve nearly 400 years of American history, including maritime history, American slavery, and the fight for freedom and justice. This redesignation will also help bring more visitors to Salem to learn from the city’s diverse past year-round, bolstering the local and regional economy and further enriching our cultural and historical understanding.

"This vital work of continuing to tell Salem’s full story, including uplifting Black history as New England — and American — history, is needed now more than ever."

Annie Harris, CEO of Essex Heritage, the regional nonprofit that partners with the National Park Service on programs and visitor services in Salem and Saugus, said the legislation will "highlight the historic significance of Salem beyond the 1692 Witch Trials."

"Salem's role in the military history of our nation is fascinating," Moulton said. "From the first muster in 1636 to the significant role Salem and adjacent communities played in the American Revolution, there is a great deal of history that is not as well known."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)