Amesbury, Massachusetts
Encyclopedia
Amesbury is a city in Essex County
, Massachusetts
, United States
. Though it officially became a city in 1996, its formal name remains "The Town of Amesbury." In 1890, 9798 people lived in Amesbury; in 1900, 9473; in 1910, 9894; in 1920, 10,036; and in 1940, 10,862. The population was 16,283 at the 2010 census. A former farming and mill town
, Amesbury is today largely residential. It is one of the two northernmost towns in Massachusetts (the other being neighboring Salisbury).
Originally the boundary between Amesbury and Salisbury was the Powwow River. In 1876 Merrimac was created out of West Amesbury. In 1886 West Salisbury was annexed to Amesbury so the mill area on the Powwow River was unified. See the maps linked below.
Beginning as a modest farming community, it developed an aggressive maritime and industrial economy. The 90 feet (27.4 m) drop in the falls of the Powwow River
provided water power for sawmills
and gristmill
s. Shipbuilding
, shipping
and fishing
were also important. The ferry
across the Merrimack River
to Newburyport
was a lively business until the construction of bridges to Deer Island. Newton
, New Hampshire
would be set off from Amesbury in 1741, when the border between the two colonies was adjusted.
In the 19th century, textile
mills were built at the falls, as was a mechanized nail-making factory, believed to be the nation's first. The Merrimac Hat Company produced more hats than any of its competitors. Beginning in 1853, Amesbury became famous for building carriages, a trade which evolved into the manufacture of automobile bodies. The industry, however, would end with the Great Depression
. Amesbury also produced Hoyt's Buffalo Brand Peanut Butter Kisses. In 1876, the town of Merrimac
was set off from Amesbury. In 1996, the town changed its status to a city, and adopted the mayor and municipal council form of government, although it retained the title "Town of Amesbury." The current mayor is Thatcher W. Kezer III.
The community has an impressive collection of early architecture
, particularly in the Federal and Victorian
styles. Following a recent restoration of the historic downtown, many new restaurants opened. The "Doughboy
", a memorial sculpture by Leonard Craske, stands on the front lawn of the Amesbury Middle School. It was dedicated November 11, 1929. Craske is best known as sculptor for the "Fishermens' Memorial" in Gloucester
. There is here a monument erected to Josiah Bartlett
, who was born in Amesbury.
, the city has a total area of 13.6 square miles (35.4 km²), of which, 12.4 square miles (32.1 km²) of it is land and 1.2 square miles (3.2 km²) of it (9.08%) is water. Amesbury is drained by the Powow River. Powow Hill, elevation 332 feet (98 m), is the highest point in town. Once the site of Indian
gatherings, or "powows," it has views to Maine
and Cape Ann
. Amesbury is the second northern-most town in Massachusetts, its northernmost point coming just south of the northernmost point of the state, in Salisbury. Amesbury lies along the northern banks of the Merrimack River
, and is bordered by Salisbury
to the east, Newburyport
to the southeast, West Newbury
to the southwest, Merrimac
to the west, a small portion of Newton, New Hampshire
to the northwest, and South Hampton, New Hampshire
to the north.
In addition to the Merrimack, the Powow River bisects the town, breaking off with the Back River near the town center. The river flows through Lake Gardner and Tuxbury Pond, which are two of several inland bodies of water in town, including Lake Attitash
(which is partially in Merrimac), Meadowbrook Pond, and Pattens Pond. Several brooks also flow through the town. Amesbury has a town forest, which is connected to Woodsom Farm, as well as Powow Conservation Area, Victoria Batchelder Park and Amesbury Golf & Country Club.
Amesbury is served by two interstate highways. Interstate 495
runs from west to east through town, ending just over the Salisbury Town Line. It has two exits in town, Exit 54 at Massachusetts Route 150
(which lies entirely within Amesbury, and leads to New Hampshire Route 150
) and Exit 55 at Massachusetts Route 110, which also provides the town's only access to Interstate 95
at Exit 58. I-95 crosses the southeast corner of town, entering along the John Greenleaf Whittier Memorial Bridge, a steel through truss bridge crossing the Merrimack River. The Whittier Memorial Bridge also lies just east of the town's only other bridges across the Merrimack, the Derek S. Hines Memorial Bridge, which connects Amesbury to Deer Island (which is still part of Amesbury), and the Chain Bridge
, the only suspension bridge in Massachusetts, which spans from Deer Island to Newburyport. The current version was built in 1909, but was predated by the 1810 suspension bridge, one of the oldest suspension bridges in the country. The Chain Bridge and its counterparts over the years have been the main entryways into town across the Merrimack, and until the building of the Newburyport Turnpike Bridge, it was the easternmost bridge on the Merrimack River.
, see the article Amesbury (CDP)
, Massachusetts
. It provides details that are included in the aggregate numbers reported here.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 16,450 people, 6,380 households, and 4,229 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,326.3 people per square mile (512.2/km²). There were 6,623 housing units at an average density of 206.2 persons/km² (534.0 persons/sq mi). The racial makeup of the city was 97.2% White, 0.6% African American
, 0.22% Native American, 0.9% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 6,380 households out of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.2% were married couples
living together, 11.3% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 33.7% were non-families. 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.1% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 33.8% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $34,906, and the median income for a family was $62,875. Males had a median income of $25,489 versus $31,968 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $23,103. 5.9% of the population and 3.9% of families were below the poverty line.
Amesbury's high school football
rival is Newburyport
; the two teams play against each other every Thanksgiving Day
.
Essex County, Massachusetts
-National protected areas:* Parker River National Wildlife Refuge* Salem Maritime National Historic Site* Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site* Thacher Island National Wildlife Refuge-Demographics:...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Though it officially became a city in 1996, its formal name remains "The Town of Amesbury." In 1890, 9798 people lived in Amesbury; in 1900, 9473; in 1910, 9894; in 1920, 10,036; and in 1940, 10,862. The population was 16,283 at the 2010 census. A former farming and mill town
Mill town
A mill town, also known as factory town or mill village, is typically a settlement that developed around one or more mills or factories .- United Kingdom:...
, Amesbury is today largely residential. It is one of the two northernmost towns in Massachusetts (the other being neighboring Salisbury).
History
Amesbury was settled in 1655 as a part of Salisbury, but was separated from Salisbury in 1666 and incorporated as the town of Amesbury in 1668.Originally the boundary between Amesbury and Salisbury was the Powwow River. In 1876 Merrimac was created out of West Amesbury. In 1886 West Salisbury was annexed to Amesbury so the mill area on the Powwow River was unified. See the maps linked below.
Beginning as a modest farming community, it developed an aggressive maritime and industrial economy. The 90 feet (27.4 m) drop in the falls of the Powwow River
Powwow River
The Powwow River is a river located in New Hampshire and Massachusetts in the United States. It is a tributary of the Merrimack River, part of the Gulf of Maine watershed.-River course:...
provided water power for sawmills
Sawmills
Sawmills may refer to:* A sawmill, a facility where logs are cut to length* Sawmills Studio, a famous UK music recording studio* Sawmills, North Carolina...
and gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
s. Shipbuilding
Shipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to before recorded history.Shipbuilding and ship repairs, both...
, shipping
Shipping
Shipping has multiple meanings. It can be a physical process of transporting commodities and merchandise goods and cargo, by land, air, and sea. It also can describe the movement of objects by ship.Land or "ground" shipping can be by train or by truck...
and fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
were also important. The ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
across the Merrimack River
Merrimack River
The Merrimack River is a river in the northeastern United States. It rises at the confluence of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers in Franklin, New Hampshire, flows southward into Massachusetts, and then flows northeast until it empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Newburyport...
to Newburyport
Newburyport, Massachusetts
Newburyport is a small coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, 35 miles northeast of Boston. The population was 21,189 at the 2000 census. A historic seaport with a vibrant tourism industry, Newburyport includes part of Plum Island...
was a lively business until the construction of bridges to Deer Island. Newton
Newton, New Hampshire
Newton is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,603 at the 2010 census.- History :The sixth town to be granted from the Masonian land purchase of 1746, Newton was originally part of Salisbury, Massachusetts; later, part of Amesbury, Massachusetts; then...
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
would be set off from Amesbury in 1741, when the border between the two colonies was adjusted.
In the 19th century, textile
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
mills were built at the falls, as was a mechanized nail-making factory, believed to be the nation's first. The Merrimac Hat Company produced more hats than any of its competitors. Beginning in 1853, Amesbury became famous for building carriages, a trade which evolved into the manufacture of automobile bodies. The industry, however, would end with the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. Amesbury also produced Hoyt's Buffalo Brand Peanut Butter Kisses. In 1876, the town of Merrimac
Merrimac, Massachusetts
Merrimac is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, and on the southeastern border of New Hampshire, approximately northeast of Boston and west of the Atlantic Ocean. It is situated along the north bank of the Merrimack River in the Merrimack Valley. The population was 6,504 in 2008...
was set off from Amesbury. In 1996, the town changed its status to a city, and adopted the mayor and municipal council form of government, although it retained the title "Town of Amesbury." The current mayor is Thatcher W. Kezer III.
The community has an impressive collection of early architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
, particularly in the Federal and Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
styles. Following a recent restoration of the historic downtown, many new restaurants opened. The "Doughboy
Doughboy
Doughboy is an informal term for an American soldier, especially members of the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I. The term dates back to the Mexican–American War of 1846–48....
", a memorial sculpture by Leonard Craske, stands on the front lawn of the Amesbury Middle School. It was dedicated November 11, 1929. Craske is best known as sculptor for the "Fishermens' Memorial" in Gloucester
Gloucester, Massachusetts
Gloucester is a city on Cape Ann in Essex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is part of Massachusetts' North Shore. The population was 28,789 at the 2010 U.S. Census...
. There is here a monument erected to Josiah Bartlett
Josiah Bartlett
Josiah Bartlett was an American physician and statesman, delegate to the Continental Congress for New Hampshire and signatory of the Declaration of Independence...
, who was born in Amesbury.
Geography
Amesbury is located at 42°51′29"N 70°55′50"W. According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 13.6 square miles (35.4 km²), of which, 12.4 square miles (32.1 km²) of it is land and 1.2 square miles (3.2 km²) of it (9.08%) is water. Amesbury is drained by the Powow River. Powow Hill, elevation 332 feet (98 m), is the highest point in town. Once the site of Indian
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
gatherings, or "powows," it has views to Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
and Cape Ann
Cape Ann
Cape Ann is a rocky cape in northeastern Massachusetts on the Atlantic Ocean. The cape is located approximately 30 miles northeast of Boston and forms the northern edge of Massachusetts Bay. Cape Ann includes the city of Gloucester, and the towns of Essex, Manchester-by-the-Sea, and...
. Amesbury is the second northern-most town in Massachusetts, its northernmost point coming just south of the northernmost point of the state, in Salisbury. Amesbury lies along the northern banks of the Merrimack River
Merrimack River
The Merrimack River is a river in the northeastern United States. It rises at the confluence of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers in Franklin, New Hampshire, flows southward into Massachusetts, and then flows northeast until it empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Newburyport...
, and is bordered by Salisbury
Salisbury, Massachusetts
Salisbury is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 7,827 at the 2000 census. The community is a popular summer resort beach town situated on the Atlantic Ocean north of Boston on the New Hampshire border....
to the east, Newburyport
Newburyport, Massachusetts
Newburyport is a small coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, 35 miles northeast of Boston. The population was 21,189 at the 2000 census. A historic seaport with a vibrant tourism industry, Newburyport includes part of Plum Island...
to the southeast, West Newbury
West Newbury, Massachusetts
West Newbury is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. Situated on the Merrimack River, its population was 4,450 at the 2006 census. Along with neighboring Merrimac and Groveland, it is part of the Pentucket Regional School District....
to the southwest, Merrimac
Merrimac, Massachusetts
Merrimac is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, and on the southeastern border of New Hampshire, approximately northeast of Boston and west of the Atlantic Ocean. It is situated along the north bank of the Merrimack River in the Merrimack Valley. The population was 6,504 in 2008...
to the west, a small portion of Newton, New Hampshire
Newton, New Hampshire
Newton is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,603 at the 2010 census.- History :The sixth town to be granted from the Masonian land purchase of 1746, Newton was originally part of Salisbury, Massachusetts; later, part of Amesbury, Massachusetts; then...
to the northwest, and South Hampton, New Hampshire
South Hampton, New Hampshire
South Hampton is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 814 at the 2010 census. South Hampton is home to Cowden State Forest and Powwow River State Forest.- History :...
to the north.
In addition to the Merrimack, the Powow River bisects the town, breaking off with the Back River near the town center. The river flows through Lake Gardner and Tuxbury Pond, which are two of several inland bodies of water in town, including Lake Attitash
Lake Attitash
Lake Attitash is a lake located on the border of Merrimac, Massachusetts and Amesbury, Massachusetts, and constitutes at least a portion of Amesbury's water supply....
(which is partially in Merrimac), Meadowbrook Pond, and Pattens Pond. Several brooks also flow through the town. Amesbury has a town forest, which is connected to Woodsom Farm, as well as Powow Conservation Area, Victoria Batchelder Park and Amesbury Golf & Country Club.
Amesbury is served by two interstate highways. Interstate 495
Interstate 495 (Massachusetts)
Interstate 495 is the designation of an Interstate Highway half-beltway in Massachusetts. It was the longest auxiliary Interstate Highway of its kind—measuring 120.74 miles —until 1996, when the PA Route 9 section of the Pennsylvania Turnpike was redesignated as Interstate 476, making it about ...
runs from west to east through town, ending just over the Salisbury Town Line. It has two exits in town, Exit 54 at Massachusetts Route 150
Massachusetts Route 150
Route 150 is a short south–north highway entirely in Amesbury, Massachusetts.-Route description:Route 150 begins at an intersection with Beacon Street, an unusual instance that a numbered route does not have its terminus with another numbered route...
(which lies entirely within Amesbury, and leads to New Hampshire Route 150
New Hampshire Route 150
New Hampshire Route 150 is a long north–south state highway in Rockingham County in southeastern New Hampshire. The road runs from Kensington south to the Massachusetts border....
) and Exit 55 at Massachusetts Route 110, which also provides the town's only access to Interstate 95
Interstate 95 in Massachusetts
Interstate 95 is the main highway on the East Coast of the United States, paralleling the Atlantic Ocean from Florida to Maine. The Massachusetts portion of the highway enters from the state of Rhode Island in Attleboro and travels in a northeasterly direction to the junction with Route 128 in...
at Exit 58. I-95 crosses the southeast corner of town, entering along the John Greenleaf Whittier Memorial Bridge, a steel through truss bridge crossing the Merrimack River. The Whittier Memorial Bridge also lies just east of the town's only other bridges across the Merrimack, the Derek S. Hines Memorial Bridge, which connects Amesbury to Deer Island (which is still part of Amesbury), and the Chain Bridge
Chain Bridge (Massachusetts)
The Chain Bridge is a 225-foot, single-span suspension bridge, which crosses the right branch of the Merrimack River flowing around Deer Island. As the boundary between the city of Newburyport and the town of Amesbury, Massachusetts runs through Deer Island, Chain Bridge does connect the two...
, the only suspension bridge in Massachusetts, which spans from Deer Island to Newburyport. The current version was built in 1909, but was predated by the 1810 suspension bridge, one of the oldest suspension bridges in the country. The Chain Bridge and its counterparts over the years have been the main entryways into town across the Merrimack, and until the building of the Newburyport Turnpike Bridge, it was the easternmost bridge on the Merrimack River.
Demographics
For additional demographic information on the central urban area of Amesbury, which is a census-designated placeCensus-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
, see the article Amesbury (CDP)
Amesbury (CDP), Massachusetts
Amesbury CDP is a census-designated place comprising the main urban portions of the City of Amesbury, Massachusetts in Essex County.Those details reported here are also included in the aggregate values reported for the entire city; as of the 2000 census, the CDP had a total population of...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. It provides details that are included in the aggregate numbers reported here.
As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 16,450 people, 6,380 households, and 4,229 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,326.3 people per square mile (512.2/km²). There were 6,623 housing units at an average density of 206.2 persons/km² (534.0 persons/sq mi). The racial makeup of the city was 97.2% White, 0.6% African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, 0.22% Native American, 0.9% of the population were Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
or Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
of any race.
There were 6,380 households out of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.2% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 11.3% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 33.7% were non-families. 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.1% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 33.8% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $34,906, and the median income for a family was $62,875. Males had a median income of $25,489 versus $31,968 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $23,103. 5.9% of the population and 3.9% of families were below the poverty line.
Education
- Amesbury Academy
- Amesbury High SchoolAmesbury High SchoolAmesbury High School is a coeducational preparatory school in the city of Amesbury, Massachusetts, drawing students from Amesbury, South Hampton, New Hampshire, and other parts of the Merrimack River Valley region....
- Amesbury Middle SchoolAmesbury Middle SchoolAmesbury Middle School has evolved much over the more than 85 years it has been in existence, serving students from the town of Amesbury, Massachusetts.- School snapshot :Amesbury Middle School220 Main StreetAmesbury, MA 01913Phone: 388-0515...
- Amesbury Elementary School
- Charles C. Cashman Elementary School
- Amesbury Public SchoolsAmesbury Public SchoolsAmesbury Public Schools has, for over 100 years, served students from the town of Amesbury, Massachusetts. Currently the district offers pK-12 education.-District Snapshot:Amesbury Public Schools10 Congress StreetAmesbury, MA 01913Website: -History:...
- Sparhawk School
Amesbury's high school football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
rival is Newburyport
Newburyport, Massachusetts
Newburyport is a small coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, 35 miles northeast of Boston. The population was 21,189 at the 2000 census. A historic seaport with a vibrant tourism industry, Newburyport includes part of Plum Island...
; the two teams play against each other every Thanksgiving Day
Thanksgiving (United States)
Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, is a holiday celebrated in the United States on the fourth Thursday in November. It has officially been an annual tradition since 1863, when, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving to be celebrated on Thursday,...
.
Points of interest
- Amesbury Carriage Museum 270 Main St.
- Amesbury Hat Museum 978-388-0091 which displays hats of the old Merrimack Hat Factory.
- Bartlett Museum, Inc. (1870) 270 Main St.
- Macy-Colby HouseMacy-Colby HouseThe Macy-Colby House is a historically significant seventeenth Century saltbox home located in Amesbury, Massachusetts. It is a historic house museum and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 2008.-History:...
(c. 1654) 257 Main St. - Mary Baker Eddy Historic House 277 Main Street
- John Greenleaf Whittier HomeJohn Greenleaf Whittier HomeThe John Greenleaf Whittier Home is a historic house located at 86 Friend Street, Amesbury, Massachusetts. It was the home of American poet and abolitionist John Greenleaf Whittier from 1836 until his death in 1892, and is now a nonprofit museum open to the public May 1 through October 31; an...
86 Friend St. - Friends' Meeting HouseAmesbury Friends Meeting HouseThe Amesbury Friends Meetinghouse is a Friends Meeting House in Amesbury, Massachusetts. The building was constructed in 1850, with poet John Greenleaf Whittier serving on the building committee. From 1851 to 1962, the meetinghouse hosted the Salem Quarterly meeting. The Amesbury Monthly Meeting of...
(1850) 120 Friend St. - Salisbury Point Railroad Historical Society 9 Water St.
- Old Powder House (1810)
- Rocky Hill Meeting HouseRocky Hill Meeting HouseThe Rocky Hill Meeting House is a well-preserved New England meeting house located at 4 Portsmouth Road, Amesbury, Massachusetts. It is the best preserved example of an original 18th century meeting house interior in New England, and now a nonprofit museum owned by Historic New England and open to...
(c. 1785) 4 Portsmouth Road. - Alliance Park (Site of the Construction of the U.S.S. Alliance in 1777)
- Chain BridgeChain Bridge (Massachusetts)The Chain Bridge is a 225-foot, single-span suspension bridge, which crosses the right branch of the Merrimack River flowing around Deer Island. As the boundary between the city of Newburyport and the town of Amesbury, Massachusetts runs through Deer Island, Chain Bridge does connect the two...
- Lowell's Boat ShopLowell's Boat ShopLowell's Boat Shop is a National Historic Landmark at 459 Main Street in Amesbury, Massachusetts.The shop was built in 1793 by Simeon Lowell...
(1793) - Kayaking the Powow River - Downtown Amesbury to the Merrimac
Notable residents
- Susannah (North) MartinSusannah MartinSusannah Martin was a woman executed for witchcraft during the Salem witch trials.Martin was the fourth daughter, and youngest child, of Richard North and Joan North. Her mother died when she was a child. Her stepmother was named Ursula. She was baptized in Olney, Buckinghamshire, England on...
, victim of Salem witch trialsSalem witch trialsThe Salem witch trials were a series of hearings before county court trials to prosecute people accused of witchcraft in the counties of Essex, Suffolk, and Middlesex in colonial Massachusetts, between February 1692 and May 1693...
in 1692 - Josiah BartlettJosiah BartlettJosiah Bartlett was an American physician and statesman, delegate to the Continental Congress for New Hampshire and signatory of the Declaration of Independence...
(1729–1795), signer of the Declaration of IndependenceDeclaration of independenceA declaration of independence is an assertion of the independence of an aspiring state or states. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another nation or failed nation, or are breakaway territories from within the larger state...
, first Governor of New HampshireGovernor of New HampshireThe Governor of the State of New Hampshire is the supreme executive magistrate of the U.S. state of New Hampshire.The governor is elected at the biennial state general election in November of even-numbered years. New Hampshire is one of only two states, along with bordering Vermont, to hold... - Paine WingatePaine WingatePaine Wingate was an American preacher, farmer, and statesman from Stratham, New Hampshire. He served New Hampshire in the Continental Congress and both the United States Senate and House of Representatives....
(1739–1838), preacher, statesman - Daniel BlaisdellDaniel BlaisdellDaniel Blaisdell was a United States Representative from New Hampshire. He was born in Amesbury, Massachusetts and attended the public schools there. He served in the American Revolutionary War from August 1776 to August 1777...
(1762–1833), United States Congressman from New Hampshire - John Greenleaf WhittierJohn Greenleaf WhittierJohn Greenleaf Whittier was an influential American Quaker poet and ardent advocate of the abolition of slavery in the United States. He is usually listed as one of the Fireside Poets...
(1807–1892), poet - Nathaniel CurrierNathaniel CurrierNathaniel Currier was an American lithographer, who headed the company Currier & Ives with James Ives.-Early years:...
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Publications
- James Merrill, History of Amesbury (Haverhill, 1880, 430 pages) Full image at books.google
- Sargeant, Christopher. 1794 Map of Amesbury.
- Clough, Aaron. 1795 Map of Salisbury.
- Nichols, W., J S Morse. 1830 Map of Amesbury.
- Anderson, Philander. 1830 Map of Salisbury.
- Beers, D.G. 1872 Atlas of Essex County, Massachusetts Amesbury. Plate 9. Amesbury and Salisbury Mills. Now Amesbury Center. Plate 12. Salisbury. Plate 15. West Amesbury now Merrimac. And East Salisbury. Plate 17. Salisbury Point. Plate 19. (Now The Point in Amesbury).
- Bigelow, E.H. Amesbury and Salisbury Mills. Birds eye view at the Boston Public Library Website.
- Norris, George E. Amesbury. Panaramic View. Published 1890. Burleigh Lith.Est. At the Library of Congress Website.
- Hughes & Bailey. Amesbury. Panoramic View. Published 1914.
- Walker, George H. 1884 Atlas of Essex County Massachusetts 1884 Map of Amesbury. Plate 169. Amesbury,Salisbury Point. Plate 74. Merrimac Center (was West Amesbury). Plate 151. Amesbury Village Mills. Plate 170-171. 1884 Map of Merrimac. Plate 172. 1884 Map of Salisbury. Plate 175. Salisbury Village Mills on the Powwow River. Plate. 176-177. East Salisbury. Plate 178. Danvers Catholic Church, Folger's Carriage Factory Amesbury. Plate 166.
- Amesbury Vital Records to 1849. Published 1913. Transcribed and put online by John Slaughter and Jodi Salerno.
External links
- Official Website
- Amesbury Playhouse
- Amesbury Public Library
- A New Chronology of the Life & Times of Jonathan Farren of Amesbury, MA, and Newton, NH