Best Web Design in Salem, MA (2026)

Web Design for Salem, Massachusetts

Salem is a historic coastal city on Massachusetts Bay, about 16 miles northeast of Boston, forever tied to the 1692 witch trials that killed 20 people. Once one of America's richest seaports at the peak of the age of sail, it has reinvented itself as the self-proclaimed 'Witch City,' where police cruisers wear witch logos and the world's largest Halloween celebration fills its streets each October.

AppWT works with Salem, MA businesses from Livonia, Michigan, mostly online and travelling as needed.

About Salem

Also known as. The Witch City. City of Witches. Pleasure City.

History. Settled in 1626 by Roger Conant, who led colonists from Cape Ann; the Native American name for the site was Naumkeag ('fishing place') Renamed Salem in 1629, derived from the Hebrew word 'shalom' meaning peace The Salem witch trials ran from February 1692 to May 1693: more than 200 people were accused, 30 found guilty, and 19 executed by hanging (Giles Corey was pressed to death with stones) The first militia muster in the American colonies was held on Salem Common in 1637, a foundational moment for what became the Army National Guard By 1790 Salem was one of America's largest cities and, per capita, its richest, thriving as a world-famous global trading port; its shallow harbor and competition from Boston and New York caused a sharp decline by the mid-1800s

Local economy. Historic maritime economy: nearly 50 large wharves handled global trade by the 1760s, alongside fishing, shipbuilding, and privateering Today tourism is a dominant industry, powered by the year-round 'Witch City' brand and the month-long Haunted Happenings festival Home to Salem State University, a major public institution and employer Cultural anchors include the Peabody Essex Museum, founded in 1799 and one of the oldest continuously operating museums in the United States

Culture and community. Haunted Happenings, launched in 1982 by the Salem Chamber of Commerce and Salem Witch Museum, is now the largest Halloween celebration in the world, drawing over a million visitors during October The Haunted Happenings Grand Parade, typically the first Thursday of October, officially kicks off the festival at Salem Common Ye Olde Pepper Companie is the oldest continuously operating candy company in America; it still makes Gibralters (a hard lemon candy sold since 1806) and Black Jacks Salem Willows, an oceanfront park established in 1858, is known for its arcade, popcorn, and old-school amusements Salem has an active Wiccan and pagan community drawn by the city's identity The 1960s sitcom 'Bewitched' filmed a run of episodes in Salem in 1970 (the 'Salem Saga') after a fire closed its Hollywood set

What makes Salem distinct. Salem police cruisers are emblazoned with a witch-on-a-broomstick logo, and Salem High School's athletic teams are named the Witches For centuries the execution site was believed to be Gallows Hill, but the Gallows Hill Project confirmed in 2016 that the hangings actually occurred at Proctor's Ledge near the hill's base Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in Salem and served as overseer of the city's port from 1846 to 1849 Salem-born Nathaniel Bowditch wrote the definitive guide to maritime navigation, a copy of which is still carried aboard every commissioned U.S. Navy vessel The 1970 'Bewitched' filming cemented the town's pop-culture link to witchcraft decades before it fully embraced the theme

Salem Landmarks and Local Life

• House of the Seven Gables (built 1668) - the mansion that inspired Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel
• Peabody Essex Museum - founded 1799
• Salem Maritime National Historic Site - described as the only remaining intact waterfront from the U.S. age of sail
• Proctor's Ledge Memorial - confirmed in 2016 as the actual site where the 1692 victims were hanged (not Gallows Hill, as long assumed)
• The Bewitched statue of Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha - unveiled by TV Land in Lappin Park in 2005
• Salem Common - site of the 1637 first militia muster