History is for Everyone

MA, USA

Derby Wharf

Landmark

A half-mile stone wharf extending into Salem Harbor, built by the Derby family beginning in the 1760s. Elias Hasket Derby outfitted privateers from this wharf during the Revolution, and his ships captured British merchant vessels throughout the war. The wharf is now part of the Salem Maritime National Historic Site.

What Happened Here

Elias Hasket Derby is sometimes called America's first millionaire. His fortune derived from wartime privateering and postwar China trade.

Visiting Today

Address

Derby Street, Salem, MA 01970

Hours

Open daily, dawn to dusk

Admission

Free

Accessibility

Paved surface but uneven in sections near the end

Connected Events

Feb 1775
Leslie's Retreat

Colonel Alexander Leslie

Apr 1775
Apr 1775
Captain John Derby Carries News to London

Elias Hasket Derby, Captain John Derby, Sarah Derby

Sep 1775
Salem Privateering Operations Begin

Elias Hasket Derby, Captain John Derby, Sarah Derby

May 1776
First Derby Privateer Sails

Elias Hasket Derby, Captain John Derby, Sarah Derby