Early Settlement Trail



Maritime Trail



Industrial Trail

Communities

Amesbury

• Amesbury and Salisbury Mills Village Historic District
  Significant for its associations with the 19th century textile industry and it embodies the distinctive character of a mid-19th century industrial community
• Lowell's Boat Shop
  The country's oldest boat building shop and one of the nation's first mass production builders.
• Rocky Hill Meetinghouse
  To this day is the least altered of any 18th Century country-meeting house in Massachusetts
• Whittier Home
  The home of John Greenleaf Whittier, one of America's greatest poets, contains furnishings that remain nearly the same as when the Whittier family lived there from 1836-1892.
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Andover

• Addison Gallery of American Art
  Serves as a nationally recognized museum and as an educational resource for the students of Phillips Academy
• Andover Historical Society
  Collects, preserves, exhibits and interprets documents and artifacts reflecting the life of Andover and its people from the 17th century to the present
  
  Robert S. Peabody Museum of Archaeology
  The Robert S. Peabody Museum is one of the nation's major repositories of Native American archaeological collections. Major collections include materials from the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, Mexico, and the Arctic, and range from Paleo Indian (10,000+ years ago) to the present day.
• Shawsheen Village Historic District
  A model community of manufacturing, residential, commercial and recreational facilities in the popular classical revival style of architecture
• Ward Reservation
  The Ward Reservation represents the union of more than forty separate parcels of former farm and pasture land whose stone walls, when combined, total more than seventeen miles long.
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Beverly

• Balch House
  At more than 350 years old, the Balch House is considered to be one of the oldest standing timber-framed houses in America.
• Beverly Public Library
  The Beverly Room contains local history and books by and about Beverly people and places.
• Cabot House/Beverly Historical Society
  One of the first brick structures built in Beverly; it was home to the Cabot family from 1781-1802.
• Fish Flake Hill
  Overlooking Beverly Harbor, this oldest section of Beverly was named a Historic District by the city in 1971.
• Hale Farm
  Built in 1695, the farm was home to many generations of the Hale family.
• Long Hill
  Atlantic Monthly editor Ellery Sedgwick purchased the 114-acre Long Hill in 1916 and the house was built in 1921 with bricks from an early mill in Ipswich.
• North Shore Music Theatre (opens in new window)
  On its 26-acre Dunham Woods campus, the award-winning North Shore Music Theatre is the largest nonprofit professional theater in New England. NSMT annually produces a six musical subscription series, a production of A Christmas Carol and an acclaimed Celebrity Concert series. A leading provider of theater arts and education, its programs include: Theatre for Young Audiences program, a school touring program, and year-round classes for children.
• United Shoe Machinery Co.
  Built in 1903-06, it is ranked among architectural historians as one of the most significant industrial landmarks in the country.
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Danvers

• Danvers Historical Society
  The Society's collection is housed at Tapley Memorial Hall, 13 Page Street, and represents a large variety of cultural and decorative arts objects.
• Endicott Park
  Endicott Park is a beautiful one hundred and sixty five acre handicapped accessible park that provides a myriad of recreation and leisure time programs and activities ranging from picnicking and exercising to gardening.
• Glen Magna Farms & Estate
  Joseph Peabody purchased the farm during the War of 1812 and he and his family transformed it into a sprawling estate featuring several lush gardens.
• Judge Samuel Holten House
  The house is representative of the architecture of the period from 1670-1832.
• Rebecca Nurse Homestead
  The site features 27 acres of fields, pasture and woods and is a good representation of New England life during the colonial period.
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Essex

• Choate Island
  Protected and overseen by The Trustees of Reservations, people can now cruise to Choate Island, also known as Hog Island, to view the Crane Wildlife refuge and historic Choate Farm and experience an abundance nature, sightseeing and bird watching.
• Cogswell's Grant
  Home to the Little family, collectors of American decorative arts, the home is a visual delight rich in country atmosphere.
• Cox Reservation
  The views from this 27 acre site east toward the salt marsh, the Essex River, the back of Crane Beach, and Castle Hill and Choate Island are magnificent.
• Crane Wildlife Refuge
  The Refuge is a patchwork of coastal and island habitats that includes a portion of Castle Neck and seven islands in the Essex River Estuary (Choate, Long, Dean, Dilly, Pine, Patterson, and Round).
• Essex Shipbuilding Museum
  Through photographs, artifacts and documents, visitors can see how wooden boats were built and even hold the tools that built them.
• Stavros Reservation
  While most of Stavros Reservation protects more than fifty acres of salt marsh, its most popular feature is White's Hill, a coastal drumlin that offers panoramic views of Crane Beach, the Crane Wildlife Refuge (Choate Island), and Halibut Point.


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Georgetown

• Brocklebank Museum
  Built around 1668 and now operated as a museum, the home contains several unique features including one of the largest "walk-in" fireplaces in New England.


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Gloucester

• Beauport, Sleeper-McCann House
  Containing unique collections form the colonial era, the house is the work of designer Henry Davis Sleeper and is arranged by color and light.
• Cape Ann Historical Museum
  The museum exhibits the largest collection of paintings and drawings by Fitz Hugh Lane, the Gloucester native is recognized as one of America's most important 19th Century artists.
• Schooner Adventure
  Built in 1926, the 121' schooner is a National Historical Landmark due in part to its vital role in the early days of the nation when Gloucester was one of the busiest fishing ports in the country.
• Gloucester Maritime Heritage Center
  Occupying nearly 2 acres overlooking Gloucester Harbor, the center features the oldest continuously operating marine railway in the country.
• Ravenswood Park
  Long treasured by residents of Gloucester and neighboring towns, Ravenswood Park offers a tranquil wooded setting for walking, cross-country skiing, or snowshoeing along almost ten miles of trails and carriage paths.
• Sargent House Museum
  Once the home of sea merchants, American patriots and religious and community leaders, the home is a fine example of Georgian architecture built in 1782.
• Schooner Thomas E. Lannon
  The wooden 65' schooner was built to look like a traditional 1903 fishing schooner and takes day trips out of Gloucester Harbor.
• Stage Fort Park and Welcoming Center
  The Welcoming center is officially designated as an ENHC Visitor Center; here visitors can find a wealth of information about Gloucester and the surrounding area.

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Groveland

• Veasey Memorial ParkThe cottage and its out buildings were built in 1909 as the summer home to Arthur C. Veasey, owner of the Groveland Woolen Mills. The park was eventually donated to the town of Groveland by the Veasey Family.

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Haverhill

• Haverhill Historical Society, Buttonwoods Museum
  Exhibiting Native American artifacts such as stone tools, bone implements, baskets, shoes and shoemaking tools, the historical society and museum is also an ENHC Visitor Center with valuable information on Haverhill and the surrounding area.





• Haverhill Public Library
  The library serves the community by providing global access to informational, recreational and educational resources.
• Rocks Village Historic District
  River Rd., Wharf Lane and East Main St. Settled in 1643, the historic village follows the Merrimack River into Merrimacport. Once home to several of Haverhill's shipyards, it contains fifteen 18th-century houses.
• Tattersall Farm
  The 150-acre farm offers 19th century plantings, working hayfields, rolling meadows and wooded paths for walking, jogging and cross-country skiing.
• Whittier Family Homestead
  Built in 1688, this 148-acre homestead was the birthplace of poet and abolitionist John Greenleaf Whittier.
• Washington Street Shoe District
  Has been recognized as one of the finest examples of a complete street of Queen Ann industrial architecture in America.
• Winnekenni Castle
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Ipswich

• Appleton Farms
  Established in 1638, the farm offers such recreational activities as picnicking, horseback riding, bird watching, cross-country skiing and hiking.
• Choate Island
  Protected and overseen by The Trustees of Reservations, people can now cruise to Choate Island, also known as Hog Island, to view the Crane Wildlife refuge and historic Choate Farm and experience an abundance nature, sightseeing and bird watching.
• Crane Beach & Castle Hill
  Comprising more than 2,000 acres, the estate is open to the public year round for outdoor study, leisure and recreation.
• Hall-Haskell House
  This officially designated ENHC Visitor Center offers information on Ipswich and the surrounding towns.
• Hamlin Reservation
  Hamlin Reservation's gently rolling fields and marsh meadows - today home to bobolinks and small mammals - were once active farmland.
• Heard House
  Built in 1795, the historic house mingles Western and Asian cultures in an atmosphere of the China trade years.
• Paine House & Greenwood Farm
  Located on a peninsula on the Ipswich River Estuary, Greenwood Farm comprises pastures, meadow, woodlands, salt marsh, and three tidal islands: Diamond Stage, Widow's, and Homestead.
• Whipple House Museum
  Retains much of its original oak, pine and chestnut framework and offers an exceptional look at the domestic surroundings of early New England colonists.


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Places to Stay in Ipswich

• The Inn at Castle Hill
  The Inn at Castle Hill on the Crane Estate invites you to return to an age of innocent pursuits. Step into a timeless place of understated elegance and serenity. Located in the heart of the spectacular Crane Estate, enjoy simple, yet luxurious pleasures, and reconnect with what's really important in life. Snug beds, hearty meals, and a warm and generous staff anticipate your arrival.


Learn more about art in Ipswich at ipswicharts.com.

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Lawrence

• Lawrence History Center: Immigrant City Archives and Museum
  Established in 1978 to preserve the history of Lawrence and its people, it is the official repository for all Lawrence city records.
• Lawrence Heritage State Park/Boarding House Site
  The park includes 23 acres spread throughout the city and the officially designated ENHC Visitor Center provides visitors with information on Lawrence and the surrounding area and exhibits.
• North Canal Historic District
  The district is comprised of 70 properties that feature mills, boarding houses, locks, and bridges, the North Canal, the Great Stone Dam and the Immigrant City Archives.


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Lynn

• Grand Army of the Republic Museum
  The museum features memorabilia from the Revolutionary War through the Korean War.
• Lynn Heritage State Park Visitor Center
  Walk the boardwalk along the ocean front.
• Lynn Museum
  Exhibiting furniture, artwork and everyday objects of the 1770's through the 1870's.
• Lynn Woods
  Enjoy hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking, horseback riding, bird watching and picnicking in the summertime and cross-country skiing in the winter through the 2,200 acres.
• Mary Baker Eddy Historic Home
  This is the first home owned by Mary Baker Eddy where she wrote "Science and Health", her primary work, in 1875.


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Manchester

• Agassiz Rock
  Big and Little Agassiz Rocks are dramatic examples of giant boulders plucked from bedrock and carried far away by the last glacier.
• Coolidge Reservation
  Part of historic Coolidge Point, the Coolidge Reservation is named for the prominent family who came to own the peninsula. The diverse woodland features a mix of oak and pine with numerous wildflowers and ferns, and is home to an array of birds and other wildlife, including fishers and fox.
• Manchester Historic District
  39 acres featuring buildings that represent virtually every type of vernacular architecture from the 17th to 20th Centuries.


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Marblehead

• Crowninshield Island
  This modest coastal island features a variety of marine ecosystems, including several tidal pools, a small sandy beach, a field, a salt marsh, and a wooded hilltop. From a jagged granite promontory, visitors can take in views of Fort Sewall, Gerry Island, Marblehead Light, and Marblehead Harbor.
• Fort Sewall
  First established in 1644, this fort was used as a defensive breastwork for more than 200 years. Now a public park.
• Jeremiah Lee Mansion
  The Jeremiah Lee Mansion is a magnificent colonial Georgian home built by American craftsmen in 1768 when Lee was the wealthiest merchant and ship owner in Massachusetts. Preserved in its nearly original state, the house stands as a tribute to both colonial America's strong ties to England and its independent commercial success.
• Marblehead Historic District
  The Marblehead Historic District is one of the largest contiguous colonial districts to be placed on National Register, the nation’s official list of important sites and structures that preserves local, state, and national heritage.
• Marblehead Museum and Historical Society
  The Marblehead Museum properties include the Jeremiah Lee Mansion and Gardens and the G.A.R. and Civil War Museum. The Museum also includes the J.O.J. Frost Folk Art Gallery, a permanent installation of paintings and sculpture by Marblehead native J.O.J. Frost.


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Methuen

• Methuen Memorial Organ Hall
  Features the first concert organ in the U.S.
• Searles Tenney Nevins Historic District
  Reflects the major influences that shaped Methuen's architecture and economy.


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Nahant

• Nahant Historical Society
  Explore an interactive exhibit showing the history of Nahant from its early days as grazing land for Lynn livestock, through its days as a fishing community, its heyday as the Summer resort community for Boston's wealthy, literary and scientific notables and artists.
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Newbury

• Dole-Little House
  c. 1715 house that has been restored to reflect the original period of construction.
• Newbury Historic District
  High Rd., Green and Hanover Sts. Contains some of New England's most important examples of First Period architecture clustered newar a pre-Revolution common.
• Old Town Hill
  Thousands of years ago, a large and beautiful salt marsh crossed by tidal creeks was created in the lowlands and valleys surrounding the glacial drumlin known as Old Town Hill.
• Parker River National Wildlife Refuge
  The 4600-plus acre refuge offers recreational and educational adventures such as wildlife observation, hunting, fishing and shellfishing.
• Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm
  Built at the end of the 17th Century to impress visitors, today the house reveals three centuries of construction technologies and building stabilization.
• Swett-Ilsley House
  Original portion built in 1670 and expanded in the 18th and 19th Centuries.
• Tristram Coffin House
  Built in 1654, this is the oldest structure in the Newbury Historic District.


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Newburyport


• Cushing House Museum & Garden/Historical Society of Old Newbury
  Elegant Federal period mansion offering tours and special events.
• Custom House Maritime Museum
  This museum displays and maintains original artifacts from the prosperous trade era, maritime art, maps, journals and other objects. The Museum also hosts an ENHA Visitor Center.
• Joppa Flats Education Center and Wildlife Sanctuary
  The Joppa Flats Education Center is located at the gateway to one of the country’s most productive, year-round, wildlife viewing areas—the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge and the Plum Island estuary. Highlights for visitors are the many species of birds that utilize the area’s extensive salt marshes, mudflats, rivers, bays, and coastal waters.
• Maudslay State Park
  Gardens, trails, fishing, bird watching, cycling, picnicking, skiing, snowshoeing, outdoor concerts and performances.
• Essex National Heritage Area Visitor Center
  An ENHA Newburyport Visitors Center is also located in the Chamber of Commerce; the visitor booth is open to the public every day.
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North Andover

• Harold Parker State Forest
  Provides summer hiking, winter cross-country skiing, picnic area and campground.
• The Museum of Printing
  Dedicated to preserving the history of the graphic arts, printing equipment and printing craftsmanship.
• North Andover Historical Society
  Founded in 1913 to preserve the history and traditions of North Andover.
• Stevens-Coolidge Place
  Formerly known as Ashdale Farm, the Stevens-Coolidge Place was the summer home of John Gardner Coolidge and Helen Stevens-Coolidge from 1914 to 1962. Gardens open year-round, daily, sunrise to sunset.
• Ward Reservation
  The Ward Reservation represents the union of more than forty separate parcels of former farm and pasture land whose stone walls, when combined, total more than seventeen miles long.
• Weir Hill
  Weir Hill (pronounced "wire hill") is a double drumlin that rises 305 feet and includes more than a mile of shoreline on Lake Cochichewick.
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Peabody

• Brooksby Farm
  An 8 1/2-acre working farm with orchards, animals, trails and a farm stand.
• Elizabeth Cassidy Folk Art Museum &
  Peabody Art Association Gallery
  The Museum features permanent and rotating exhibits of unique works from the Society’s extensive collection of folk art, including architectural embellishments, funerary art, pottery, portraits and needlework. The Museum is also the home of the Peabody Art Association Gallery, which features rotating exhibits of paintings and photographs by Association artists.
• Felton Historic Houses at Brooksby Farm
  Built in 1644, the Nathaniel Felton, Sr., House was the first house built on Mount Pleasant (the Brooksby Farm area). The Nathaniel Felton, Jr. House's outdoor garden has become a popular spot to exchange wedding vows, before waltzing across the street to the Smith Barn for that once in a lifetime reception.
• George Peabody House Museum
  A restored house and community cultural center features an ENHC Visitor Center with information on Peabody and the surrounding area and exhibits on Peabody's tannery history.
• Peabody Historical Society
  Established to preserve the heritage of the city of Peabody.
• Smith Barn at Brooksby Farm
  The Peabody Historical Society's Smith Barn at Brooksby Farm provides an ideal setting for any private celebration you may have in mind, from office party to wedding.


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Rockport

• Halibut Point State Park
  70-acre park located at the northern tip of Cape Ann features a rocky shoreline ideal for picnicking and tide pooling.
• Paper House
  A house made of Boston newspapers.
• Thacher Island
  This National Historic Landmark off the coast of Rockport boasts twin lighthouses 45' tall. Accessible by small boats and kayaks.


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Salem

• Derby Street Historic District  Map
  An area of Salem prominent in foreign commerce during the late 1700's and early 1800's.
• House of the Seven Gables  Map
  The house, built in 1668, was made famous by Salem author Nathaniel Hawthorne.
• McIntire Historic District
  Features a walking tour that takes visitors past several of architect Samuel McIntire's significant houses.
• Misery Islands
  Misery Islands offer coastal views, rolling rocky terrain, diverse wildlife habitats, and interesting ruins that recall the Islands' past as an exclusive resort and summer colony.
• National Park Service Regional Visitor Center
  Located in the old Salem Armory building, the ENHC Visitor Center offers information on Salem and the surrounding area and also features maps, exhibits, dioramas, movies and a gift shop.
• Peabody Essex Museum
  A museum of international art and culture, the PEM is America's oldest continually operated museum.
• Phillips House
  A historic house museum with a unique collection from five generations of the Phillips family.
• Salem 1630: Pioneer Village
  This living history museum is a re-creation of the English colony established by Samuel Conant.
• Salem Maritime National Historic Site  Map
  This was the first National Historic Site in the National Park System and it preserves and interprets the maritime history of New England and the U.S.


• Salem Witch Museum


• Washington Square Salem, Massachusetts 01970 (978)744-1692
  The Salem Witch Museum brings visitors back to Salem in 1692. Visitors are given a dramatic history lesson using stage sets with life-size figures, lighting and a narration - an overview of the Witch Trials of 1692. Their new exhibit, Witches: Evolving Perceptions, examines the stereotypical witch, aspects of witchcraft in the 17th century, modern witchcraft and the phenomenon of witch hunts.
  
• Schooner Fame of Salem
  
• Pickering Wharf Marina, Salem, MA 01970 978-729-7600
  The full-scale replica of the 1812 privateer Fame sails three times daily from Pickering Wharf in Salem. Fame is also available for private charter and hosts summer camps for children.
• 



• Witch House
  The only house still standing in Salem with direct ties to the Witch Trails of 1692.


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Places to Stay in Salem




• Hawthorne Hotel
  18 Washington Square West Salem MA 01970 978-744-4080
  
• Elegantly restored full service hotel located in the heart of historic Salem. The Hawthorne Hotel offers 89 individually appointed rooms and 7,000 square feet of meeting function space. Walking distance to all museums, cultural sites and waterfront makes it an ideal location. Proud member of the Historic Hotels of America, a designation of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.


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Salisbury
• Salisbury Beach State Reservation
  Five miles of accessible white sandy beaches.
• Maria Miles Visitor Center
  Since opening in July of 1999, over 2 million travelers have visited this Information Center. Facilities include tourist information, ATM, pay phones, restrooms, and vending machines. Free Internet access is also available to visitors. The well trained and knowledgeable staff answer visitors' questions and promote the North of Boston Region.
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Saugus

• Breakheart Reservation
  640-acre park boasts scenic views of Boston, 2 freshwater lakes, birding and more.
• Saugus Historical Society
  Special events throughout the year: Strawberry Festival, Old Fashioned Picnic, Christmas Stroll and others.
• Saugus Iron Works
  This National Historic Site is also an ENHC Visitor Center that provides information on Saugus and the surrounding area. Come and learn about the nation's first fully integrated ironworks from 1646.


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Swampscott

• Fishermans Beach
  Swampscott beach with public swimming during the summer months.


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Topsfield

• Bradley Palmer State Park
  This 721-acre former estate features pine needled paths, acres of sunny rolling meadows and spectacular rhododendrons which line old carriage roads.
• Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary
  Massachusetts Audubon's largest sanctuary, this property covers 2,800 acres of diverse habitats, including fields, vernal pools, forests, swamps, islands, eskers, and eight miles of the Ipswich River.
• Topsfield Historical Society
  c. 1683 Parson Capen House and c. 1710 restored Joseph Gould Barn.


• Alfalfa Farm Winery
• 978-774-0014
  267 Rowley Bridge Rd. Topsfield, MA 01983
  Visit Alfalfa Farm Winery and taste what New England has to offer! An historic farm that mixes New England charm with the latest wine making technology. Free wine tastings and functions.



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Wenham

• Wenham Museum
  The Wenham Museum invites visitors of all ages to explore how we have lived, worked, dressed and played from the 17th Century to today.
  
  
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