Salem’s Military Past

Salem’s rich military history dates back almost 400 years to the organization of the First Militia Muster in 1637, a decade after Europeans settled in what was then known as Naumkeag. Today, Salem’s military past is remembered in the military gravestones of Greenlawn Cemetery, City squares named for those who served in duty, and public monuments erected to honor local men and women who served the country during times of war including the Civil War monument in Greenlawn Cemetery shown in the banner above. Salem is also home to two early military fortifications - Fort Pickering on Winter Island and Fort Lee near Salem Willows.

Fort Pickering dates back to 1643 and was first used for military purposes in 1663 when it was a strategic coastal defense post and military barracks for Salem Harbor during the Anglo-Dutch Wars. Originally named Fort William and Fort Anne when Salem was a British colony, the fort was renamed Fort Number Two under Patriot control during the American Revolution. In 1799, the fort was renamed Fort Pickering to honor Colonel Timothy Pickering, a Salem native and hero who served as the Secretary of War during the Revolution. In 2016, the City began an ambitious restoration of the fort, clearing brush and stabilizing the fortification, and today it stands as a visual reminder of Salem’s rich military history. Next to Fort Pickering are the United States Coast Guard buildings on Winter Island. For more on this history see Salem State University’s post in the sidebar.

Fort Lee sits on the highest point of Salem Neck. The fort is believed to have been created around 1690 as an earthwork and gun platform and was later enlarged and modernized into a star-shaped fortification. Throughout the Revolutionary War, the fort served as a deterrent to the British, although no notable engagement took place there. During the War of 1812, the fort was reactivated and repairs were made to the earthwork. During the Civil War, some changes were made in order to accommodate four heavy guns, but the majority of the fort was unaltered. In 1867, Fort Lee was transferred to the federal government and in 1922, the land was deeded to the City of Salem as a public park. In 1976 during the American Bicentennial, Fort Lee was cleared and interpretive signs were installed. Unfortunately, only one of these signs remain and the site has become overgrown once more. Today, Fort Lee is one of only a few remaining Revolutionary War era earthwork forts to survive relatively intact and a Friends Group has formed to advocate for its restoration.

Aerial view of Fort Lee’s star-shaped fortification - Image courtesy of Historic Salem, Inc. website — Aerial view of Fort Lee’s star-shaped fortification - *Image courtesy of Historic Salem, Inc. website*

For more information on Salem’s military past, see the articles in the sidebar and on the City’s Veterans’ Services webpage This legacy was also captured in a recently published book Salem Serves: Sites and Stories from the Military and Patriotic History of Salem, Massachusetts 1626-WWII.