Historic Streets of Salem, Massachusetts

Witchcraft, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Samuel McIntire made this seaside town famous. But echoes of lesser-known tales linger along its lanes and avenues, from mysterious Chestnut Street to the founding Quakers of Buffum Street. Essex Street is one of the oldest in town, and the crooked street has carried several different names over the years, confusing tourists to this day. The Gedney House on High Street dates back to 1665 and was built by a shipwright, while the neighboring Pease and Price Bakery was a family-owned store that served the community for more than eighty years. Local historian and Salem News columnist Jeanne Stella recounts these and more stories of well-worn paths.