Historic Beverly

Historic Beverly Historic Beverly is devoted to collecting the objects and documents that illustrate Beverly history.

Our September 17 Prospect Hill Walking Tour is officially FULL! 🎟️But you still have another chance to join us on Septem...
08/31/2026

Our September 17 Prospect Hill Walking Tour is officially FULL! 🎟️

But you still have another chance to join us on September 26!

Explore the history of Prospect Hill, from Nathan Dane to the development of the hill as a residential neighborhood in the 1890s, with plenty of interesting characters and buildings along the way. This half-mile tour will focus on the Nichols Field area, including Pickett, McKinley, Columbus, Harrison, and Pierce Streets, as well as Prospect Street.

After the tour, stop by Beverly's Powder House on the hill for a free look at Revolutionary War history!

This tour is offered FREE as part of Essex National Heritage's Trails & Sails, but registration is required and space is limited.

The first date filled up, so grab your spot for September 26 while you can!

🔗: https://historicbeverly.net/event/prospect-hill-walking-tour-3/

08/29/2026

🎨 Art History Deep Dive: Capture of the British Wagon-Train by Marion (1898) by Hugh W. Ditzler.

Known as the "Swamp Fox," Brigadier General Francis Marion mastered the art of surprise in South Carolina during the Revolutionary War! Rather than facing large British armies head-on, Marion used speed, stealth, and intimate knowledge of the local terrain to launch swift guerrilla-style raids against supply lines. Ditzler's painting dramatically captures the chaos of an ambush—a reminder that the Revolution was won not just through massive, formal battles, but through strategic strikes that weakened British forces piece by piece.

💥 Come experience this action-packed artwork in person at The John Cabot House as part of The American Revolution: A Story in 40 Paintings exhibit! 🖼️✨

📍 Location: 117 Cabot St, Beverly, MA


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Next week, Dr. Dane Morrison, professor emeritus of Salem State University will be presenting at our September's First F...
08/28/2026

Next week, Dr. Dane Morrison, professor emeritus of Salem State University will be presenting at our September's First Friday about stories lost at sea. Like Joel Woodbury.

From July through November of 1855, newspapers from all over the world published an article about the murder Captain Joel Woodbury of Beverly.

Joel Woodbury was the captain of the Sarah Moors (sometimes reported as the Sarah Maers or Moers) when it wrecked on a voyage from Sydney to San Francisco at Raven's Island. The Sarah Moors carried cargo and passengers. One family on board was the Ross family who were said to have been incredibly disruptive on board. Accounts from Woodbury's logbook state that they would drink and argue and Mr. James Ross threatened to kill his wife. One night he was caught trying to do just that and was "tied hand and foot" and left by Captain Woodbury on the island of Rotamar. According to some sources, the passengers tried to prevent him from doing this and he threatened them with his revolver. Captain Woodbury, I'm sure, thought that this would be the last he would ever see of James Ross.

Imagine his surprise when in Macao, China, James Ross rushed across to Captain Woodbury, shouted "Ah! You are the man I want!" and then stabbed him to death. According to Ross, he had remained on the island of Rotamar "nearly naked" for almost five months before he was rescued. He then traveled to Fiji, Sydney, San Francisco, Hong Kong, and then, finally, Macao where he murdered Captain Woodbury.

For more stories like this, make sure to come to September's First Friday
📆: September 4th, 2026 at 2 P.M.
🔗: https://historicbeverly.net/event/first-friday-from-beverly-to-the-east-indies-featuring-dane-morrison/

Cabot Business spotlight: 139 Cabot StreetDid you know that there once was an ice cream parlor in Atlantic Block (139 Ca...
08/28/2026

Cabot Business spotlight: 139 Cabot Street

Did you know that there once was an ice cream parlor in Atlantic Block (139 Cabot)?
Located between Washington Street and Franklin Place, 137-145 Cabot Street was built in 1885 and became known as Atlantic Block with its Victorian Eclectic architectural design. The construction was supported by A.W. and I.T. Webber, who were tailors. By 1892, the first floor of the building was occupied by I.T. Webber, tailor; J.W. Pitcher, dry goods dealer; and H.H. Richards, clothing dealer. The Beverly Citizen described it as “one of the best business blocks in Beverly” that same year. In 1915, Beverly Ice Cream and Candy Parlor opened their doors. It was owned by the four Geanakos brothers - John, Nicholas, Christopher, and Demos. The ice cream and candy parlor not only served ice cream, but lunch and dinner as well. They would list their menu specials in the Beverly Evening Times. In 1961, Capri restaurant was opened by Charlie Amore. Capri was there for three decades, becoming a Beverly staple among its residents, often having long lines of people waiting to get in. Today it houses The Beverly Credit Union, but longtime residents fondly remember Capri restaurant.

Stop by The Beverly Credit Union today!

📷: This photograph shows Capri restaurant on Atlantic Block. It was taken in 1970 by TK. Symonds. This photograph can be found in Historic Beverly’s collection.

This August marks the 247th anniversary of the Penobscot Expedition, one of the largest naval disasters in American hist...
08/27/2026

This August marks the 247th anniversary of the Penobscot Expedition, one of the largest naval disasters in American history.

In the summer of 1779, an American fleet sailed to Maine in an attempt to drive British forces from the Penobscot region. Poor planning, indecision, and a disastrous retreat ultimately resulted in the destruction or capture of most of the American fleet.

Beverly was directly connected to the expedition. At least two Beverly vessels participated, along with dozens of local men.

The Black Prince was a privateer owned and invested in primarily by Beverly men, while the Defence was owned by Beverly merchants Andrew Cabot and Moses Brown.

We know something of what happened aboard the Black Prince thanks to the surviving account of crew member Israel Trask. As the expedition collapsed, Trask recalled that the crew was forced to burn the Black Prince to prevent the vessel from falling into British hands. Trask and other members of the crew then fled on foot into the Maine wilderness.

His journey home would take two months. Traveling with limited rations and eventually without shoes, Trask finally made his way back to Gloucester.

The Penobscot Expedition was a devastating American defeat, but surviving accounts like Trask's allow us to understand the disaster through the experiences of the individual men who lived through it and the Beverly vessels that never returned home.

Courtesy of Maine Historical Society

08/27/2026

As we celebrate Beverly’s 400th Anniversary, exploring our community's full history means uplifting the courageous individuals whose stories were long silenced. In 1774, Juno Larcom, an enslaved woman in Beverly, filed a remarkable petition suing her enslaver, David Larcom, for her freedom. After David sold three of her children—including her 12-year-old son Reuben—Juno took a stand in court to fight for her liberty and the freedom of her remaining children. You can view Juno’s original 1774 petition, alongside the 1773 bill of sale for her son Reuben, on display at The Cabot House as part of our powerful exhibit: Set at Liberty: Stories of Enslaved People in a New England Town. Come visit, reflect, and learn more about 400 years of complex, vital local history. 🏛️✨

📍 Location: The John Cabot House 117 Cabot St, Beverly, MA 01915

Beverly 400+ MA250 Revolution250

Keep the celebration of the 19th amendment going this week at the Cabot House (117 Cabot St.). Make your own Votes for W...
08/26/2026

Keep the celebration of the 19th amendment going this week at the Cabot House (117 Cabot St.). Make your own Votes for Women rosette!

Color became an important way for suffragists to publicly show their support for the cause. In the United States, gold or yellow had been associated with women's suffrage since the nineteenth century, while the National Woman's Party later adopted purple, white, and gold. Purple represented loyalty to the cause, white represented purity of purpose, and gold represented light and life.

Suffrage colors varied between organizations and countries. In Britain, the Women's Social and Political Union famously adopted purple, white, and green in 1908, with purple representing dignity and loyalty, white representing purity, and green representing hope.

Suffragists wore these colors on ribbons, sashes, buttons, and rosettes, turning something as simple as an accessory into a visible statement of support for women's right to vote.

Stop by and create your own suffrage-inspired rosette to wear! 💜🤍💛💚

Our new walking tour She Walked Here: Remarkable Women of Beverly scheduled for Thursday, August 27th, 2026 is officiall...
08/25/2026

Our new walking tour She Walked Here: Remarkable Women of Beverly scheduled for Thursday, August 27th, 2026 is officially sold out.

⭐ Meet Esther Grace Earl.Did you know a young woman born in Beverly inspired one of the bestselling novels of the twenty...
08/25/2026

⭐ Meet Esther Grace Earl.

Did you know a young woman born in Beverly inspired one of the bestselling novels of the twenty-first century?

Esther Grace Earl was born in Beverly on August 3, 1994. At the age of twelve, she was diagnosed with metastatic thyroid cancer. Rather than allowing her illness to define her, Esther built friendships with people around the world through blogging, YouTube, and the online community known as Nerdfighteria.

One of those friendships was with author John Green.

Through their friendship, Esther became an inspiration to Green as he worked on what would become The Fault in Our Stars. While Green dedicated the novel to Esther and credited her with helping him finish it, he was careful to point out that Esther was not the model for Hazel Grace Lancaster. Instead, Esther inspired him to write honestly about living with serious illness while embracing life, friendship, and love.

Before her death in 2010 at just sixteen years old, Esther left a lasting mark on countless people who knew her online and in person.

One of her final ideas became one of her greatest legacies. Esther wanted a day dedicated to celebrating "family and love," especially the kinds of love that often go unspoken. Today, her birthday, August 3, is celebrated around the world as Esther Day. Each year, people honor her memory by reaching out to friends and family to tell them they love them, whether through a phone call, a handwritten letter, or a simple conversation. John Green has called it "the most important holiday in Nerdfighteria."

Her legacy also lives on through This Star Won't Go Out, the nonprofit founded by her parents to support families of children with cancer.

Happy belated Esther Day. We hope you found a moment this week to tell someone you love them. ❤️

📷: Images courtesy of findagrave

NOW SOLD OUT👟 She Walked Here: Remarkable Women of Beverly Walking Tour. In celebration of Beverly’s 400th Anniversary, ...
08/25/2026

NOW SOLD OUT

👟 She Walked Here: Remarkable Women of Beverly Walking Tour. In celebration of Beverly’s 400th Anniversary, lace up your walking shoes and step into four centuries of history! Join us as we trace the footsteps of the incredible women who shaped our city’s vibrant past.

📜✨ From early pioneers and activists to trailblazing artists and local leaders, hear the inspiring, funny, and surprising stories of the remarkable women who walked these very streets before us.

📅 Date: Thursday, August 27th
⏰ Time: 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
📍 Meeting Location: The Cabot House (117 Cabot St, Beverly, MA)
🎟️ Tickets: $5 for Historic Beverly Members | $10 for Non-Members.

Help us honor 400 years of local history—grab your tickets and join us for an evening walk through Beverly’s past!

Beverly 400+ MA250 Revolution250

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117 Cabot Street
Beverly, MA
01915

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Wednesday 9:30am - 4pm
Thursday 12pm - 8pm
Friday 9:30am - 4pm
Saturday 9:30am - 4pm

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