This National Historic Site comprises the Custom House, the wharves and the other buildings along Derby St that are remnants of the shipping industry that once thrived along this stretch of Salem. Of the 50 wharves that once lined Salem Harbor, only three remain, the longest of which is Derby Wharf .
Visitors can stroll out to the end and peek inside the 1871 lighthouse or climb aboard the tall ship Friendship . The most prominent building along Derby St is the Custom House , where permits and certificates were issued and, of course, taxes paid. Other buildings at the site include warehouses, the scale house and Elias Hasket Derby’s home . Stop by at the West India Goods Store , a working store with spices and other items similar to those sold two centuries ago.
