Merrimac is a small New England community situated along the north bank of the Merrimack River in the Merrimack River Valley. First settled by the English in 1638 as a part of Salisbury, and later Amesbury, around the village of Merrimacport, the town was known throughout the 17th and 18th centuries as an agricultural and fishing community, with a small amount of shipbuilding. In the 19th century, benefiting from the establishment of the nearby industrial cities, Merrimac came to be known worldwide for its horse-drawn carriage industry.