Salem, Massachusetts has a lot to offer besides witch kitsch. The National Park Service is doing their part to turn attention to Salem’s unique maritime and architectural history. They’ve acquired the 1770 Pedrick Store House from Marblehead and are reconstructing it on Salem’s Derby Wharf. They’ve sited it near the Friendship (the replica eighteenth century trader ship) so that once construction is complete, the two-story, timber-frame building and neighboring ship will suggest the way the wharf looked back in its heyday.

Thus far, the Store House foundation sills and deck pilings are in place. Several structural bents have been assembled, though not yet installed; they lie temporarily atop the foundation in the photo above. A free, public demonstration of traditional timber framing techniques was scheduled to be held at the Wharf yesterday, but was cancelled due to the stormy weather. Visit the National Park Service website to find out when it will be rescheduled. If you can’t make the demonstration, drop by anytime this fall to check on the status of the reconstruction. It’s a great alternative cultural activity for those daunted by Haunted Happenings.