Essex Institute Historic District, Historic district on Essex Street, Salem, United States.
The Essex Institute Historic District is a collection of well-preserved buildings from the 1700s along Essex Street, including the Gardner-Pingree House, Crowninshield-Bentley House, and Phillips Library. The structures are residential homes with gardens that showcase the architecture built by wealthy merchants during the maritime trade era.
The area developed in the 1700s when wealthy merchants chose Essex Street as the place to build their homes as a sign of success. The buildings survived and were later organized as a museum to preserve the history of these merchant families.
The buildings show how wealthy merchants lived during the 1700s, with fine furnishings and decorations still visible in the rooms today. Walking through them, you see how the maritime trade shaped the lives of Salem's most successful families.
The district sits in downtown Salem and is easy to walk through, with clear pathways between the buildings. It helps to move slowly and spend time in each house, since guided visits give access to the private interiors.
The Andrew Safford House from 1819 was once the most expensive home in New England and shows the wealth Salem gained from trade. Visitors can still see how luxurious the interiors were, with imported materials and elaborate decorations.
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