SEVEN SEAS WHARF
350+ YEARS
The historic Seven Seas Wharf has been in continuous operation for over 350 years in Gloucester Harbor, one of the oldest commercial fishing ports in America.
Some of the first settlers in Gloucester used the Seven Seas Wharf for the processing of fish to be shipped to England, and South America in exchange for salt, clothing and other essentials of daily life. Gloucester men had exchanged salt fish for molasses in the West Indies. They then made rum on this wharf from the molasses. Much of the rum was then shipped to England for finished manufactured goods that the early colonists needed. Some of the supporting beams of this wharf were once main masts of old fishing schooners and clipper ships joined together by treenails (oaken pegs) ten inches long.
Today’s fishermen use this wharf to stow and repair their nets, maintain their vessels, fuel their boats, and unload lobsters and fish.
With crews of five to seven men, our fishermen fish within a radius of 300 miles from Gloucester. The fishermen journey to such places as the coastal waters of Maine, New York and Nova Scotia. These draggers (vessels) carry as much as 50,000 to 200,000 lbs. of fish, including cod, haddock, flounder, whiting, ocean perch, herring, and a very popular item on the Gloucester House Menu — Native Squid.
