In the wake of beloved television star James Van Der Beek’s passing, I recently delved into his most notable series: “Dawson’s Creek.” After only a few episodes, I was hooked. While enjoying an episode titled “Roadtrip” (S1, Ep. 9), I noticed something that made my jaw hit the floor: the logo of my tiny private school! I was bound and determined to find out why all my Salem Sibs and I had the great honor of having our tiny school featured in a renowned teen drama. It was decided that this creative writer would take her first crack at a little investigative journalism to find out why.
“Dawson’s Creek” was a teen television series that ran from 1998 to 2003, created by the screenwriter Kevin Williamson. While set in the fictional town of “Capeside”, it was actually filmed in Wilmington, North Carolina, Kevin Williamson’s home state! Williamson was born in New Bern and attended East Carolina University to study Theatre Arts. In a Feb. 2026 BBC article “Dawson’s Creek, The 90s Teen Drama That ‘Wore its Heart on its Sleeve,’” Emma Saunders writes, “The creator Kevin Williamson has said many times… that Dawson (the main character) was based on him.”
In a 2020 interview conducted by Candace Powell, Williamson explained how he pitched the idea for the show and stated, “I started talking about growing up in North Carolina on a creek with my video camera, filming movies in the backyard, and wishing to be Steven Spielberg. It was about me and my friends.” Because Dawson’s Creek was heavily influenced by Williamson’s life, he wanted to pay tribute to his birthplace. Unfortunately, I cannot find any direct quotes explaining why he chose tiny Salem College to have a little feature; it is likely that he wanted to keep production and props local to his home as much as he could. TV shows in their early stages often have smaller budgets for things such as props, so local options are also usually a more cost-effective choice. Either way, I feel honored to have discovered this small easter egg in my new favorite show. It seems as if every day I find a new reason to be proud to be a part of Salem, and this is a pretty unique one.
Photo Credit: Jaylin Van Noy
