West India Goods Store

West India Goods Store. Salem Maritime National Historic Site. , Captain Henry Prince (1764-1846) built the store across the street about 1800 while living in the brick house next door, which he purchased from famed merchant Elias Hasket Derby. It is assumed Prince used the store as a warehouse for cargo. Today, the West India Goods Store sells items similiar to those found in Salem shops during the early nineteenth century., Many stores in Salem specialized in selling merchandise brought back not ust from the West Indies but from ports around the world. Goods ranging from Sumatran pepper to Chinese porcelain could be found in the shops, allowing Salem residents to enjoy an unusual variety of products., Prince, who went to sea at age 19, became a successful merchant and the owner or part-owner of nine ships. He exported local goods and imported a wide variety of luxury items into Salem, most of which were then sent to other ports., As was common in merchant families, his son, Henry Prince, Jr. (1787-1854), joined him in business and commanded a privateer part-owned by his father during the War of 18 12. He became a lieutenant in the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service about the time his father joined the Customs Service in 1830.