 On November 12, 1996, Essex National Heritage Area (ENHA) was authorized by Congress.The heritage area consists of all of Essex County, MA a area between the Atlantic Coast and the Merrimack Valley.The area includes 34 cities and towns; two National Historic Sites (Salem Maritime National Historic Site and Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site); and thousands of historic sites and districts that illuminate colonial settlement, the development of the shoe and textile industries, and the growth and decline of the maritime industries, including fishing, privateering, and the China trade.