National Park Service

A photo mock-up showing Pedrick Store House on Derby Wharf near Friendship.

In 2003, the National Park Service acquired Pedrick Store House from the town of Marblehead. This 1770 warehouse will make a significant contribution to Salem Maritime's ability to interpret the important maritime heritage of Salem and its surrounding ports.

On this page, we will post occasional updates on the reconstruction of Pedrick Store House on historic Derby Wharf.

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April 10, 2009:

Work on the building has recommenced, with wall sheathing being added to the gable ends.

NPS photo.

January 21, 2009:

The structure is being covered in building wrap to protect it from the winter weather. Work will resume in the spring.

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November 12, 2008:

The roof framing has been put in place.

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The roof timbers being prepared.

October 29, 2008:

The roof timbers are being mortised and tenoned. Once this work is done, the timbers will be lifted into place by a crane.

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The deck nears completion.

October 7, 2008:

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September 24, 2008:

Construction of the 70 foot long deck at the front of the warehouse has begun.

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The bents in place. The ridge pole and rafters, which support the roof of the building, are next.

September 17, 2008:

All of the bents are now in place, forming the basic outline of the building. The entire structure is only one inch out of square.

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The bents being raised into place.

September 15, 2008:

The third of seven bents is raised into position. Each bent weighs approximately 3000 lbs.

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Two bents sitting ready to be raised. Temporary flooring has been put in place to assist the workmen in raising the bents.

September 8, 2008:

Two of the seven bents are placed on the platform in preparation for their being raised into an upright position.

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The frames (or bents) are reassembled flat on the ground in preparation for raising.

September 4, 2008:

The crew has been readying the building frame for reassembly, which will take place on September 9th and 10th

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Joists are the smaller horizontal timbers in this photo. They will support the floorboards.

July 17, 2008:

Floor joists are being placed between the girts.

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The timbers that form the outside of the rectangle are the sills, while the heavy timbers that run from one side to the other inside the frame are the girts.

July 10, 2008:

The first floor sills and girts are ready to be set on the foundation.

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NPS employees working on the original timbers for Pedrick Store House

June 23, 2008:

The building's original timbers have been delivered to the site, and new lumber has been moved into the staging area. The new sills are being placed next to the floor girts so workers can begin marking where mortises are to be located that will accept the tenons located at each end of the girts.

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A member of the National Park Service's Northeast Region Preservation Team assembles fencing in the shadow of the Friendship.

June 2, 2008:

A staging area behind the Central Wharf rigging shed is being set by the National Park Service's Northeast Region Preservation Team. The area will be used to store lumber and piece together the original framing members before being erected on the building site, seen in the background of the accompanying photo.

April 21, 2008:

The Salem News has printed an article on Pedrick Store House.  Click here to read it. This link will open in a new window.

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Stacked lumber on Derby Wharf.

April 3, 2008:

Lumber has been purchased and delivered for the first floor frame and bids are now being accepted for construction of the deck running along the front of the building.

Painting by Racket Shreve

November 5, 2007:

Salem Maritime has acquired a watercolor painting by local artist Racket Shreve showing the historic appearance of the Pedrick Store House. The park anticipates using the painting in a future exhibit on the history of the building.

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An NPS contractor mixing mortar for the stone foundation.

October 30, 2007:

Laying stones along the back wall that will support the sill and floor joists is the last step in building the new foundation for the warehouse.

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The foundation of Pedrick Store House taking shape.

October 5, 2007:

Foundation work is nearing completion, with the rear wall completed earlier this week. The photo shows the rear wall on the left being formed, the completed grade beams in the center, and the wood piers along the water at the far right. A low stone wall will be built directly against the back wall to replicate the appearance of the building's Marblehead foundation in the coming weeks.

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NPS contractors working on the concrete footings.

September 25, 2007:

Concrete footings have been poured along the bulkhead wall and wood piers put in place. Workmen are now working on laying rebar for the concrete grade beams that will support additional building piers.

September 9, 2007:

Work is set to resume on the Pedrick Store House foundation this week. Construction could start as early as Monday, September 10.

August 15, 2007:

The Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places has determined that after the Pedrick Store House has been reassembled on Derby Wharf, it will be placed on the National Register as a contributing building within the Derby Waterfront Historic District.

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Piles being driven into waterway.

August 3, 2007:

A revised footing design has been completed by contract engineers that will better accomodate the cribbing configuration uncovered during excavations next to the bulkhead wall. Construction is expected to resume this month.

June 27, 2007:

Latent conditions uncovered by recent excavation work has forced a construction delay while project engineers access the situation. Work is expected to resume shortly after July 4.

June 25, 2007:

Now that the dock piles have been put in place, footing excavation work has begun, and is expected to continue all week.

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A view of the Pedrick Store House site.

June 11, 2007:

Enfield Enterprises will be preparing the construction site on Wednesday, June 13. On Monday, June 18, the seven 40-foot-long piles that will support the deck will be delivered at about 6 am so that Derby Street traffic is not adversely affected. We expect the disruption to be minimal, and apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. We do not anticipate any other work beginning before 8 am for the duration of the project. Pile driving will begin after 8 am, and the contractor is confident all seven piles can be driven in one day.

June 7, 2007:

Logistical concerns have forced the contractor to adjust the schedule of work on the building foundation. Sometime during the week of June 11, the driving of the seven piles used to support the dock is expected to begin, depending on the availability of the piles. Adequate notice of the actual start date will be posted here.

May 23, 2007:

Enfield Enterprises of Springfield, MA is expected to begin construction on the Pedrick Store House foundation the week of June 4. To maintain visitor safety, the fenced-in construction zone will be bypassed by a temporary walkway that will maintain access to Derby Wharf. Construction of the foundation is expected to be substantially completed by July 3.