Winter Island is an island connected by a causeway to Salem Neck in

Salem, Massachusetts Salem ( ) is a historic coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, located on the North Shore of Greater Boston. Continuous settlement by Europeans began in 1626 with English colonists. Salem would become one of the most significant seaports tr ...

. It is about in size, and is bounded by Smith Pool to the northwest, Cat Cove to the west, Salem Channel to the south and east, and Juniper Cove to the north. The island has about a dozen residences at the north end and one road, Winter Island Road. The Plummer Home for Boys (now Plummer Youth Promise) sits on of land on the northeastern shore. The balance of the island is Winter Island Marine Park. The entire island was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

as Winter Island Historic District and Archeological District in 1994.

Attractions

Winter Island Marine Park is located on the former site of the

Coast Guard Air Station Salem Coast Guard Air Station Salem was a United States Coast Guard air station located in Salem, Massachusetts from 1935 to 1970. Its area of coverage extended from New York City to the Canada–United States border. Mission The air station's missi ...

. It's a marine recreational park open to the public. The park takes up the southern portion of the peninsula. The main attractions of the park are the historic

Fort Pickering Fort Pickering is a 17th-century historic fort site on Winter Island in Salem, Massachusetts. Fort Pickering operated as a strategic coastal defense and military barracks for Salem Harbor during a variety of periods, serving as a fortification f ...

, the Fort Pickering Lighthouse, Salem Harbor, a boat launching ramp, and the former

Coast Guard A coast guard or coastguard is a maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to ...

seaplane A seaplane is a powered fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing (alighting) on water.Gunston, "The Cambridge Aerospace Dictionary", 2009. Seaplanes are usually divided into two categories based on their technological characteri ...

hangar and barracks. Fort Pickering is listed separately on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2011, a master plan was developed for Winter Island, with help from the planning and design firm The Cecil Group of Boston and Bioengineering Group of Salem, and the City of Salem paid $45,000 in federal money.

History

Winter Island has seen use since the early settlement of Salem in the 1620s. It was first used as a fish drying and shipbuilding area by early colonial settlers, and was since the mid-17th century considered a strategic defensive point for Salem, which was by then on its way to becoming an economically important port.

was first built in 1643, rebuilt during

Queen Anne's War Queen Anne's War (1702–1713) was the second in a series of French and Indian Wars fought in North America involving the colonial empires of Great Britain, France, and Spain; it took place during the reign of Anne, Queen of Great Britain. In E ...

and the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

, and continued to be fortified through the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

. The sail frigate was built at one of Enos Briggs' shipyards on the island in 1799.Enos Briggs at SalemWeb.com
/ref> Fort Pickering Light was built in 1871, and the military use of the island was eventually transformed into a Coast Guard air station. Even this use was discontinued in the 20th century, and the island was turned over to the city, which established Winter Island Marine Park.

References

{{Islands and Peninsulas of Massachusetts Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts Islands of Essex County, Massachusetts Tourist attractions in Salem, Massachusetts National Register of Historic Places in Salem, Massachusetts

Attractions

History

See also

References