Beverly Farms
Encyclopedia
Beverly, Massachusetts
Beverly is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 39,343 on , which differs by no more than several hundred from the 39,862 obtained in the 2000 census. A resort, residential and manufacturing community on the North Shore, Beverly includes Beverly Farms and Prides...
. It is an ocean-front community with a population of about 3,500 which extends from the Manchester-by-the-Sea border to another informally defined section of Beverly known as Prides Crossing
Prides Crossing, Beverly, Massachusetts
-Location:Prides Crossing is a historic section located in the City of Beverly, Massachusetts. It is bordered to the north by Beverly Farms, and to the south by the Beverly Cove areas of Beverly...
. This area is part 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...
's North Shore
North Shore (Massachusetts)
The North Shore is a region in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, loosely defined as the coastal area between Boston and New Hampshire. The region is made up both of a rocky coastline, dotted with marshes and wetlands, as well as several beaches and natural harbors. The North Shore is an important...
region, about 20 miles north of Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
.
Past and present
Beverly Farms and the adjacent Prides Crossing originally were farming communities, like the rest of Beverly. In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, wealthy residents of Boston and New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
built summer "cottages" along the seashore; these cottages were nearly the size and stature of those in Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
, though only a few of the original mansions remain in Beverly Farms today.
In 1887, Beverly Farms unsuccessfully petitioned the Massachusetts Legislature for incorporation as a town.
By the mid twentieth century, Beverly Farms resembled a small town, somewh at secluded from the rest of Beverly and culturally interlinked with Prides Crossing. Working-class neighborhoods sprang up as support for the mansions became necessary. At this point, there was a wide financial gap between the wealthy and the working class.
Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together...
, was named in 1907 after Beverly Farms, part of Beverly, which was a vacation spot of then-President Taft
William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...
.
Changing times
Beverly Farms remains a vibrant community with changing demographics. Pockets of residential development and generally escalating real-estate values appear to have adjusted average residency to a wealthier population, much as in the past. Real estate in Beverly Farms has become very desirable. The community is served by three churches, Episcopal, BaptistBaptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
, and Roman Catholic. Among other public buildings are a community center (known as the Hastings House
Hastings House
The Hastings House is a property owned and maintained by the Beverly Farms-Prides Crossing Community Association. It is located at 14 Oak Street in the Beverly Farms section of Beverly, Massachusetts.-Organization:...
because it was donated and is partially supported by the Merril Hastings foundation), a fire station, a railroad station
Beverly Farms (MBTA station)
Beverly Farms is a passenger rail station on MBTA's Newburyport/Rockport Line. It is located at the intersection of Oak Street and West Street in Beverly, Massachusetts, and was originally built in 1898 by the Boston and Maine Railroad. The platforms are both low-level and both have a 1-car-length...
on the MBTA Commuter Rail
MBTA Commuter Rail
The MBTA Commuter Rail serves as the regional rail arm of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, in the United States. It is operated under contract by the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company a joint partnership of Veolia Transportation, Bombardier Transportation and Alternate...
, and a recently expanded branch of the Beverly Public Library.
Downtown Beverly Farms extends along West Street (part of Route 127) for about 1/2 mile. It has undergone some gradual changes over the last decade. Currently, the downtown is a mixture of high-end restaurants, bakeries, and clothing stores.http://www.primaryresearch.org/PRTHB/Neighborhoods/Farms/index.php
Summer in "The Farms"
Life in Beverly Farms is slow-paced in the winter but becomes increasingly active when the warm weather arrives. The summer is full of activity for residents and visitors alike. Many of those activities are based at the local community beach, West BeachWest Beach, Beverly, Massachusetts
-Location: The Beach is open for the summer season from Memorial Day to Labor Day.During the nine month off-season the property is open to the general public.West Beach is a small private beach on the North Shore of Massachusetts located...
: this is a private beach, owned by the residents of Beverly Farms and Prides Crossing; current and former residents of the areas are entitled to beach permits, allowing access to West Beach (non-residents must apply for an access permit; their wait typically is six to ten years, because of the limited size of the facility).http://www.beverlyfarms.org/westbeach.shtml
Beverly Farms is busiest at the Fourth of July holiday. A private organization of residents annually raises upwards of $60,000 through fundraisers to enable a weekend-long agenda of activities, including community dances, children's events, softball games, and the well-known "Horribles" parade http://www.beverlyfarms.org/fourth_horrible.shtml. Celebration of the holiday culminates with fireworks
Fireworks
Fireworks are a class of explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. The most common use of a firework is as part of a fireworks display. A fireworks event is a display of the effects produced by firework devices...
at West Beach above a crowd that averages about ten thousand.