“Friendship”

One of the highlights of visiting Salem Maritime National Historic Site is seeing the Friendship of Salem tied alongside Derby Wharf. Although the ship appears to have sailed directly out of the Age of Sail, it is a modern reconstruction built to tell the story of Salem’s remarkable maritime heritage.

Launched in 1998, the Friendship of Salem is a full-scale replica of the original Friendship, an East Indiaman merchant vessel built in Salem in 1797 by master shipbuilder Enos Briggs. East Indiamen were among the largest and most capable merchant ships of their day, designed for long-distance voyages that carried American goods around the world and returned with valuable cargo from Asia, Europe, and beyond.

During her fifteen voyages, the original Friendship sailed to ports in China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Spain, and South America. Her holds returned to Salem filled with pepper, coffee, tea, silk, sugar, spices, and countless other goods that helped make Salem one of the wealthiest ports in the young United States. Her career ended abruptly in 1812 when, while returning from Russia during the War of 1812, she was captured by the British and taken to England as a prize of war, never to return to Salem.

The National Park Service commissioned the replica not simply to recreate a beautiful sailing ship, but to help visitors understand Salem’s role in the growth of international trade following the American Revolution. Built with modern construction techniques while faithfully reproducing the appearance of the original vessel, the new Friendship first welcomed visitors in the early 2000s and remains one of the defining features of Salem Maritime National Historic Site.

One of my favorite memories is touring the Friendship with my daughters while visiting Salem. Walking her decks, climbing below into the cargo hold, and seeing how sailors lived during months at sea transformed the ship from a photograph into an experience. It became much easier to imagine the merchants, captains, and crews who left Salem Harbor bound for ports thousands of miles away, never knowing what challenges awaited them.