Pedrick Store House, Salem

In the late 18th century, Marblehead held the esteemed title of being Massachusetts' most successful fishing port. Its prized catch, codfish, was dried on wooden flakes or drying racks along the shore and then shipped from Marblehead and its neighbor, Salem, to destinations throughout the British Empire. These codfish served as valuable commodities in exchange for molasses and sugar in the Caribbean Islands, wine from Madeira, and a treasure trove of finished goods such as cloth, Chinese porcelain, books, and furniture from England.

For a merchant like Thomas Pedrick, a warehouse was a vital component of their business. It served as a storage facility for goods and equipment used on their vessels, offered a space for vessel repair work, and often housed the merchant's business office or "counting house."

In 1809, the warehouse changed hands, finding a new owner in Captain William Story, a relative of Thomas Pedrick. Story, a former captain of the Friendship of Salem, sought to enter the ranks of the merchant community and made improvements to the property by replacing the wooden dock with a durable granite and earth wharf.

Throughout its history, the second floor of the Pedrick Store House continued to serve as a sail loft until 1904, operated by the Graves Family from 1852 onwards. By the late 19th century, the first floor had transformed into an office for the local ferry service.

In 1904, the Marblehead Transportation Company acquired the building, making alterations to support their inn and ferry business. However, it was in 1993 that the building and its wharf, then known as Tucker's Wharf, found new ownership under the town of Marblehead. Despite initial restoration plans, the National Park Service took over the building in 2003, embarking on several years of conservation efforts to preserve its original 18th-century timbers.