Place to see: Custom House, Salem, Massachusetts, United States
custom house eagle
The wooden eagle was added to the roof in 1826 at a cost of $50. It's imposingly perched three stories above the cobblestone and brick street.
About this place:
The British government began collecting taxes in Salem in 1649 on imported cargo such as exotic tea, spices and silk. Salem was the sixth largest city in the country by 1790, and up until the War of 1812 was the center of American trade with the rest of the world. Through the 19th century, trade business shifted to the ports of Boston and New York, thus changing Salem's economy to one based on manufacturing. This Custom House, built in 1819, was overseen by Nathaniel Hawthorn from 1846 through 1849 and inspired his classic novel, The Scarlet Letter.
Derby Street
Salem, Massachusetts, US
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Discovered by Jon Brack
on 12 March 2008.
100 views.
