West India Goods Store

Exterior of building from Derby Street

The term “West India Goods Store” was used in Salem as a generic term for a retail shop selling items from all over the world, not just the Caribbean. This store was built by Captain Henry Prince about 1804 and probably initially used as a warehouse and shop. The first documented use of this building as a West India Goods Store was in 1836. The structure underwent numerous changes throughout its history, including two moves, before it was rehabilitated in 1928 by the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities. The National Park Service acquired the property in 1937.