Known as Salem Village in the 17th century, there are still over a dozen houses in Danvers dating from that era, many associated with the witchcraft tragedy of 1692. Becoming independent from Salem in 1752, Danvers witnessed the development of various neighborhood villages, each having its era of prominence, and possessing a unique character.
At the time of the Revolution, Danversport was a shipping and shipbuilding center where tidal mills prospered. Its local bricks became nationally famous, while the later leather tanning industry brought a diverse and colorful mixture of new immigrant labor to the area. Tapleyville emerged in the 1830s as a center for the production of woven carpets where English and Scottish weavers settled and made their homes. Danvers Plains took advantage of important crossroads and the introduction of the railroad in the 1840s to become the prominent commercial center. Putnamville and Danvers Highlands were noted for their important and early shoe manufacturing industry, while farms throughout Danvers became known far and wide for the Danvers half-long carrot, and the Danvers onion, still popular today.
Though a number of Danvers' structures have been lost to fire and "progress," much of the town's period architecture still survives, and its written records have been preserved, making Danvers an important and accessible area for period study.