Marblehead is a coastal

New England town The town is the basic unit of Local government in the United States, local government and local division of state authority in the six New England states. Most other U.S. states lack a direct counterpart to the New England town. New England towns ...

Essex County, Massachusetts Essex County is a County (United States), county in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the total population was 809,829, making it the third-most populous county in the stat ...

, along the North Shore. Its population was 20,441 at the 2020 census. The town lies on a small peninsula that extends into the northern part of

Massachusetts Bay Massachusetts Bay is a bay on the Gulf of Maine that forms part of the central coastline of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Description The bay extends from Cape Ann on the north to Plymouth Harbor on the south, a distance of about . Its ...

. Attached to the town is a near island, known as Marblehead Neck, connected to the mainland by a narrow isthmus. Marblehead Harbor, protected by shallow

shoal In oceanography, geomorphology, and geoscience, a shoal is a natural submerged ridge, bank, or bar that consists of, or is covered by, sand or other unconsolidated material and rises from the bed of a body of water to near the surface. It ...

s and rocks from the open sea, lies between the mainland and the Neck. Beside the Marblehead town center, two other villages lie within the town: the Old Town, which was the original town center, and Clifton, which lies along the border with the neighboring town of

Swampscott Swampscott () is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, located up the coast from Boston in an area known as the North Shore. The population was 15,111 as of the 2020 United States Census. A former summer resort on Massachusetts Ba ...

. A town with roots in

commercial fishing Commercial fishing is the activity of catching fish and other seafood for commercial profit, mostly from wild fisheries. It provides a large quantity of food to many countries around the world, but those who practice it as an industry must often ...

and

yachting Yachting is the use of recreational boats and ships called ''yachts'' for racing or cruising. Yachts are distinguished from working ships mainly by their leisure purpose. "Yacht" derives from the Dutch word '' jacht'' ("hunt"). With sailboats, t ...

, Marblehead was a major shipyard and is often referred to as the birthplace of the American Navy, a title sometimes disputed with nearby Beverly. Marblehead was once the fishing capital of Massachusetts. It is also the origin of Marine Corps Aviation. Three US Navy ships have been named USS ''Marblehead''. A center of

recreational boating Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure ...

, it is a popular

sailing Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsails or kites—to propel a craft on the surface of the ''water'' (sailing ship, sailboat, raft, windsurfer, or kitesurfer), on ''ice'' (iceboat) or on ''land'' (land yacht) over a chosen cour ...

kayaking Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving over water. It is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle. A kayak is a low-to-the-water, canoe-like boat in which the paddler sits fac ...

and

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

destination. Several yacht clubs were established here in the late 19th century, which continue to be centers of sailing. It is home to the Marblehead Light,

Fort Sewall Fort Sewall is a historic coastal fortification in Marblehead, Massachusetts. It is located at Gale's Head, the northeastern point of the main Marblehead peninsula, on a promontory that overlooks the entrance to Marblehead Harbor. Until 1814 it ...

, Little Harbor, Marblehead Neck Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary, Crocker Park, and Devereux Beach.

Archibald Willard Archibald MacNeal Willard (August 22, 1836 – October 11, 1918) was an American painter who was born and raised in Bedford, Ohio. He was the son of Samuel Willard, the pastor of Bedford Baptist Church. Willard had an interest in art ever since ...

's famous painting ''The Spirit of '76'' currently resides in Abbot Hall. Much of the Old Town is protected by the

Marblehead Historic District The Marblehead Historic District is a historic district roughly bounded by Marblehead Harbor, Waldron Court, Essex, Elm, Pond, and Norman Streets in Marblehead, Massachusetts. Among its notable features are Fort Sewall, a coastal fortificatio ...

. Marblehead is also home of the Marblehead Men's Softball League which was established in 1939 and is the oldest and longest standing adult softball league in the world.

History

Massebequash

Marblehead was originally called ''Massebequash'' after the river which ran between it and Salem. The land was inhabited by the

Naumkeag tribe Naumkeag is a historical tribe of Eastern Algonquian-speaking Native American people who lived in northeastern Massachusetts. They controlled territory from the Charles River to the Merrimack River at the time of the Puritan migration to New Engl ...

of the Pawtucket confederation under the overall

sachem Sachems and sagamores are paramount chiefs among the Algonquians or other Native American tribes of northeastern North America, including the Iroquois. The two words are anglicizations of cognate terms (c. 1622) from different Eastern Al ...

Nanepashemet Nanepashemet (died 1619) was a sachem and ''bashabe'' or great leader of the Pawtucket Confederation of Abenaki peoples in present-day New England before the landing of the Pilgrims. He was a leader of Native peoples over a large part of what is ...

. Epidemics in 1615–1619 and 1633, believed to be

smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) c ...

, devastated the tribe. Numerous shell mounds and burial sites have been found throughout the town's history, along with foundations of multiple villages and forts. On September 16, 1684, heirs of Nanepashemet sold their ; the deed is preserved today at Abbot Hall in the town.

European settlers and fishing

Marblehead's first European settler was Joseph Doliber in 1629, who set up on the shore near what is now the end of Bradlee Road. Three years earlier, Isaac Allerton, a

Pilgrim A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) who is on Pilgrimage, a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journey (often on foot) to some place of special significance to the a ...

from the ''

Mayflower ''Mayflower'' was an English ship that transported a group of English families, known today as the Pilgrims, from England to the New World in 1620. After a grueling 10 weeks at sea, ''Mayflower'', with 102 passengers and a crew of about 30, r ...

,'' had arrived in the area and established a fishing village at Marblehead Little Harbor. In May 1635, the General Court of Massachusetts Bay established the town of Marblehead on land that belonged to Salem. Marblehead residents, who never saw eye-to-eye with their more devout and conservative neighbors, were delighted, but less than a year later, the lawmakers reversed themselves. Marblehead finally became independent of Salem in 1649. Marblehead Maurice Prendergast

At times called "Marvell Head", "Marble Harbour" (by Captain John Smith) and "Foy" (by immigrants from

Fowey Fowey ( ; kw, Fowydh, meaning 'Beech Trees') is a port town and civil parish at the mouth of the River Fowey in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town has been in existence since well before the Norman invasion, with the local ch ...

, Cornwall), the town would be named "Marblehead" by settlers who mistook its

granite Granite () is a coarse-grained (phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies undergro ...

ledges for

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite. Marble is typically not Foliation (geology), foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the ...

. It began as a fishing village with narrow crooked streets, and developed inland from the harbor. The shoreline smelled of drying fish, typically

cod Cod is the common name for the demersal fish genus '' Gadus'', belonging to the family Gadidae. Cod is also used as part of the common name for a number of other fish species, and one species that belongs to genus ''Gadus'' is commonly not call ...

. These were exported abroad and to Salem. The town had one accused individual during the

Salem Witch Trials The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1693. More than 200 people were accused. Thirty people were found guilty, 19 of whom w ...

Wilmot Redd Wilmot Redd (a.k.a. Wilmot Read and Wilmot Reed) (early 17th century - September 22, 1692) was one of the victims of the Salem witch trials of 1692. She was born in Marblehead, Massachusetts, and executed by hanging on September 22, 1692. Her husb ...

. She was found guilty of witchcraft and executed by hanging on September 22, 1692. The town peaked economically just before the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...

, as locally financed

privateer A privateer is a private person or ship that engages in maritime warfare under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign or deleg ...

ing vessels sought bounty from large European ships. Much early architecture survives from the era, including the Jeremiah Lee Mansion.

Revolutionary War

A large percentage of residents became involved early in the Revolutionary War, and the sailors of Marblehead are generally recognized by scholars as forerunners of the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

. The first vessel commissioned for the army, '' Hannah,'' was equipped with cannons, rope, provisions (including the indigenous molasses/sea water cookie known as "

Joe Frogger The Joe Frogger is a type of cookie that has been popular in New England since the late 18th century. It is flavored with molasses, rum, and spices ( ginger, allspice, nutmeg, cloves) and has a soft, chewy center. Because the cookies kept well ...

" ), and a crew from Marblehead. With their nautical backgrounds, soldiers from Marblehead under General John Glover were instrumental in the escape of the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...

after the

Battle of Long Island The Battle of Long Island, also known as the Battle of Brooklyn and the Battle of Brooklyn Heights, was an action of the American Revolutionary War fought on August 27, 1776, at the western edge of Long Island in present-day Brooklyn, New Yo ...

.The Marblehead militia had become the

14th Continental Regiment The 14th Continental Regiment, also known as the Marblehead Regiment and Glover's Regiment, was raised as a Massachusetts militia regiment in 1775, and taken into the Continental Army establishment during the summer of 1775. When the Continent ...

of George Washington's army—and one of the few integrated regiments in the entire army. Marblehead men ferried George Washington across the

Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock (village), New York, Hancock, New York, the river flows for along the borders of N ...

for his attack on Trenton. Many who set out for war, however, did not return, leaving the town with 459 widows and 865 orphaned children in a population of less than 5,000. The community lost a substantial portion of its population and economy, although it was still the tenth-largest inhabited location in the United States at the first census, in 1790. When George Washington visited the town during his presidential tour of 1789, he knew the sailors of Marblehead well; they had served him honorably in the war. He observed that the town "had the appearance of antiquity."

Fishing industry

In the 75 years from the American Revolution to the middle of the nineteenth century, Marblehead experienced a golden age of fishing. The

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

brought disruption similar to during the American Revolution, with fishing grounds being blockaded, and fisherman heading off to war, with over 500 Marbleheaders being imprisoned by the British. After the war, and later into the 19th century, wealthier citizens wanted a new bank to finance vessels, and to serve the town's fishermen and merchants. On March 17, 1831, with a capital of US$100,000, they founded the

Grand Bank Grand Bank or 'Grand Banc' as the first French settlers pronounced it, is a small rural town in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, with a population of 2,580. It is located on the southern tip or "toe" of the Burin Peninsula (al ...

. The name was changed to National Grand Bank on October 3, 1864. The town's fishermen had 98 vessels (95 of which exceeded 50 tons) putting to sea in 1837, where they often harvested fish off the

Grand Banks of Newfoundland The Grand Banks of Newfoundland are a series of underwater plateaus south-east of the island of Newfoundland on the North American continental shelf. The Grand Banks are one of the world's richest fishing grounds, supporting Atlantic cod, swordf ...

. However, a gale or hurricane in that area on September 19, 1846, sank 11 vessels and damaged others. With 65 men and boys lost in the storm, the town's fishing industry began a decline. The storm is depicted in ''Fireboard: The Great Gale of 1846,'' c. 1850 by William Thompson Bartoll. A copy of the book is held by the

Peabody Essex Museum The Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) in Salem, Massachusetts, US, is a successor to the East India Marine Society, established in 1799. It combines the collections of the former Peabody Museum of Salem (which acquired the Society's collection) and the ...

American Civil War

During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, 1,048 Marblehead men went to war, joining both the Army and Navy. One hundred ten died; 87 were wounded, many of whom died later of their injuries. During the war, Marblehead would raise almost $100,000 to supplement the war effort, an incredible effort for a town of 8,000 that relied mainly on fishing for income. Marblehead would be the first regiment in the state to answer the call for troops. A

Grand Army of the Republic The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army (United States Army), Union Navy (U.S. Navy), and the Marines who served in the American Civil War. It was founded in 1866 in Decatur, Il ...

veterans organization was formed after the war, and established headquarters in the old town house, where it still displays artifacts from the Marblehead regiments that served.

Shoemaking, airplanes, and yachting

During the late 19th century, Marblehead had a short-term industrial boom from shoe-making factories. At the same time, the exceptional harbor attracted yachting by wealthy boat owners, and some yacht clubs established centers there. It would become home to the Boston Yacht Club, Corinthian Yacht Club, Eastern Yacht Club, Marblehead Yacht Club, Dolphin Yacht Club, and the oldest junior yacht club in America, the Pleon Yacht Club. This also caused numerous "summer homes" of wealthy Boston residents to be built on Marblehead Neck. The building boom would cause Marblehead Light to be replaced in 1896 with a new iron structure since the light of shorter tower was becoming blocked by the large new homes. Marblehead was also the site of the Burgess & Curtis Aircraft Factory, where it was the first licensed

aircraft manufacturer An aerospace manufacturer is a company or individual involved in the various aspects of designing, building, testing, selling, and maintaining aircraft, aircraft parts, missiles, rockets, or spacecraft. Aerospace is a high technology industry. ...

in the United States.

William Starling Burgess William Starling Burgess (December 25, 1878 – March 19, 1947) was an American yacht designer, aviation pioneer, and naval architect. He was awarded the highest prize in aviation, the Collier Trophy in 1915, just two years after Orville Wright w ...

designed and flight-tested most of the aircraft that were manufactured at the two plant sites in town. On August 20, 1912, Alfred Austell Cunningham became the first Marine aviator, taking off from Marblehead Harbor in a

Burgess Model H __NOTOC__ The Burgess Model H was an early United States airplane and one of the first air machines specifically designed and built for military use. History Classified as the "Model H military tractor", it was developed and built in 1912 by Burg ...

seaplane given to him by the Burgess Company. His flight was the start of

United States Marine Corps Aviation United States Marine Corps Aviation (USMCA) is the aircraft arm of the United States Marine Corps. Aviation units within the Marine Corps are assigned to support the Marine Air-Ground Task Force, as the aviation combat element, by providing six ...

Post-war suburban community

After World War II, the town enjoyed a population boom, developing as a

bedroom community A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...

for nearby Boston, Lynn, and Salem. This boom ended around 1970, when the town became built out. Marblehead today continues to be a sailing and small-town tourism destination in the summer months. File:NY Fleet in Marblehead Harbor.jpg,

Marblehead Harbor Marblehead Harbor is a harbor located in Marblehead, Massachusetts, 17 miles northeast of Boston. It is considered the birthplace of the Continental Navy, forerunner of the United States Navy, and of United States Marine Corps Aviation. Descripti ...

, 1908 File:Front Street, Marblehead, MA.jpg, Front Street, 1914 File:La Fayette House, Marblehead, MA.jpg, Lafayette House, File:Eastern Yacht Club, Marblehead, Mass. LCCN89712216.jpg, Eastern Yacht Club File:The Old Spite House, Marblehead, MA.jpg, Old Spite House, File:St. Michael's Church in Marblehead Massachusetts.JPG, St. Michael's Church built in 1714 File:New York Yacht Club, Marblehead, Mass (NYPL b12647398-68455).tiff, Yachts in harbor viewed from Fort Sewall

Town government

The Town of Marblehead has an open town meeting, and is led by a Board of Selectmen. A board of seven selectmen first met on Friday, December 22, 1648.

Town hall

The seat of the first town government used the existing Meeting House on what is now the site of Old Burial Hill. The meeting house served as a place for the town to meet and the main church in town; a dual use that was typical during this time period. The second meeting house was built around 1696 on Franklin Street, which would become known as the " Old Meeting House", also serving the dual use of a town meeting location and church. In 1726, it was decided by the town to construct a separate Town House, which was completed in 1727 ( Old Town House). However, the Old Meeting House would continue to occasionally be used for large town meetings, before it was demolished around 1825 after the new First Congregational Church was built (

Old North Church Old North Church (officially, Christ Church in the City of Boston), at 193 Salem Street, in the North End, Boston, is the location from which the famous "One if by land, two if by sea" signal is said to have been sent. This phrase is related ...

). The

Town House A townhouse, townhome, town house, or town home, is a type of terraced housing. A modern townhouse is often one with a small footprint on multiple floors. In a different British usage, the term originally referred to any type of city residence ...

would serve as the town hall until the construction of Abbot Hall in 1876, where the town clerk and board of selectmen still meet today. File:Marblehead First Meeting House.jpg, First Meeting House – 1638 File:Marblehead Franklin Meeting House.jpg, alt=(Old Meeting House), Old Meeting House – 1696 File:Marblehead Old Town Hall.jpg, Old Town House – 1727 File:Abbot Hall - Mablehead, Massachusetts.JPG, Abbot Hall – 1876

Geography and transportation

is land and , or 77.61%, is water. Marblehead is situated on the North Shore of Massachusetts along

and

Salem Harbor Salem Harbor is a harbor in northeastern Massachusetts spanning an area north and south of Salem, Massachusetts, Salem. Historically the Salem Harbor was the site of one of the major international ports in the colonies. During the American R ...

. The town consists of a rocky peninsula that extends into the bay, with an additional

neck The neck is the part of the body on many vertebrates that connects the head with the torso. The neck supports the weight of the head and protects the nerves that carry sensory and motor information from the brain down to the rest of the body. In ...

to the east connected by a long

sandbar In oceanography, geomorphology, and Earth science, geoscience, a shoal is a natural submerged ridge, bank (geography), bank, or bar that consists of, or is covered by, sand or other unconsolidated material and rises from the bed of a body o ...

, now a causeway. This ring of land defines Marblehead's deep, sheltered harbor. Marblehead Neck is home to a bird sanctuary, as well as Castle Rock and Chandler Hovey Park at its northern tip, where Marblehead Light is located. Fountain Park and

are located at the west edge of the mouth of Marblehead Harbor. The town land also includes several small islands in Massachusetts Bay and Dolliber Cove, the area between Peaches Point and Fort Sewall. The town is partially divided from Salem by the Forest River, and is also home to several small ponds. Keeping with the town's location, there are four beaches (one in Dolliber Cove, one in

, and two along the southern shore of town), as well as six yacht clubs, one public kayaking center and several boat ramps. Marblehead station postcard (3)

Besides Marblehead Neck, there are three other villages within town, the Old Town to the northeast and Clifton to the southwest. Given its small area, most of the residential land in town is thickly settled. Marblehead's town center is located approximately from the center of Salem, northeast of

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

and southwest of

Cape Ann Cape Ann is a rocky peninsula in northeastern Massachusetts, United States on the Atlantic Ocean. It is about northeast of Boston and marks the northern limit of Massachusetts Bay. Cape Ann includes the city of Gloucester and the towns of ...

. It is bordered by

to the south and Salem to the northwest. (As Salem's water rights extend into Massachusetts Bay, there is no connection between Marblehead and the city of Beverly across Beverly Harbor.) Marblehead is home to the eastern termini of

Massachusetts Route 114 Route 114 is a Massachusetts state route that, while essentially a northwest–southeast route, is signed west–east. It runs from Route 28 in Lawrence to its terminus at Route 129 in Marblehead. The route is entirely located in Essex County ...

and

Route 129 The following highways are numbered 129: Canada * Ontario Highway 129 * Prince Edward Island Route 129 Costa Rica * National Route 129 India * National Highway 129 (India) Japan * Japan National Route 129 United States * Interstate 129 * ...

, which both terminate at the intersection of Pleasant Street and Ocean Avenue. Route 114 heads west into Salem, while Route 129 heads south along Atlantic Avenue into Swampscott towards Lynn. There are no freeways within town, with the nearest access being to

Massachusetts Route 128 Route 128, known as the Yankee Division Highway, is a state highway in the U.S. state of Massachusetts maintained by the Highway Division of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). Spanning , it is one of two beltways (the othe ...

in Peabody and Beverly. Two

MBTA bus The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) operates List of MBTA bus routes, 170 bus routes in the Greater Boston area. The MBTA has a policy objective to provide transit service within walking distance (defined as ) for all residents ...

routes—the and —originate in town regularly with service to Boston, with weekend service to Wonderland in Revere. The former

Eastern Railroad The Eastern Railroad was a railroad connecting Boston, Massachusetts to Portland, Maine. Throughout its history, it competed with the Boston and Maine Railroad for service between the two cities, until the Boston & Maine put an end to the compe ...

began service in 1839 and had lines connecting through Swampscott and Salem was discontinued in the late 1950s. The track routes were converted to bike trails and the three train depots were torn down. The

Newburyport/Rockport Line The Newburyport/Rockport Line is a branch of the MBTA Commuter Rail system, running northeast from downtown Boston, Massachusetts towards Cape Ann and the Merrimack Valley, serving the North Shore. The first leg, operating via the Eastern Rou ...

of the

MBTA Commuter Rail The MBTA Commuter Rail system serves as the commuter rail arm of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's transportation coverage of Greater Boston in the United States. Trains run over of track to 141 different stations, with 58 statio ...

passes through neighboring Swampscott and Salem, with service between the North Shore and Boston's

North Station North Station is a commuter rail and intercity rail terminal station in Boston, Massachusetts. It is served by four MBTA Commuter Rail lines – the Fitchburg Line, Haverhill Line, Lowell Line, and Newburyport/Rockport Line – and the Amtrak ...

. The nearest air service is located at

Beverly Municipal Airport Beverly Regional Airport is a city-owned, public-use airport located in Beverly, Danvers and Wenham, Massachusetts, in Essex County, three nautical miles (6 km) northwest of Beverly's central business district. The National Pla ...

, with the nearest national and international service at Boston's

Logan International Airport General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport , also known as Boston Logan International Airport and commonly as Boston Logan, Logan Airport or simply Logan, is an international airport that is located mostly in East Boston and partially ...

. Seasonal ferry service to Boston can also be found in Salem.

Historic maps

Marblehead in 17001781 Northshore Coastal Map1795 Marblehead Map1804 Marblehead Harbor Bowditch Map1830 Marblehead Map1850 Plan of Marblehead, Mass1872 Marblehead Map1881 Atlas of Marblehead
published by Hopkins.
1882 Bird's Eye View of Marblehead1885 Marblehead Map – Sanborn Fire Insurance1890 Marblehead Map – Sanborn Fire Insurance1896 Marblehead Map – Sanborn Fire Insurance1897 Atlas of Marblehead1901 Marblehead Map – Sanborn Fire Insurance1908 Marblehead Map – Sanborn Fire Insurance1912 Marblehead Atlas.1915 Marblehead Map – Sanborn Fire Insurance

Climate

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 19,808 people, 8,838 households, and 5,467 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 8,906 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 97.6%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 0.4%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.1% Native American, 1.0%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, >0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 0.2% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 0.7% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 0.9% of the population. There were 8,541 households, out of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.5% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.5% were non-families. Of all households 28.7% were made up of individuals, and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.94. In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.9% under the age of 18, 3.5% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 29.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.3 males. According to a 2009 estimate, the median income for a household in the town was $97,441, and the median income for a family was $129,968. Males had a median income of $70,470 versus $44,988 for females. The per capita income for the town was $46,738. About 3.2% of families and 4.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.7% of those under age 18 and 4.6% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Marblehead Public Schools oversees four schools: Brown and Glover elementary schools; the Village School (grades 4–6); Marblehead Veterans Middle School; and

Marblehead High School Marblehead High School is a public high school located in Marblehead, Massachusetts. History The school has approximately 970 students. The current campus began construction in 2001, and opened for the 2002–2003 school year. In 2002, Natio ...

. The town is also home to the Marblehead Community Charter Public School, the first Commonwealth charter school to open in Massachusetts.

Town song

The Town of Marblehead has the unique distinction of having an official town anthem "Marblehead Forever". It is performed at most major town events and commemorations. It was written by the Reverend Marcia Martin Selman to the music of the hymn tune "The Lily of the Valley", from a melody by J. R. Murray, "Songs of Rejoicing", 1888.

Points of interest

Castle Rock Park * Crocker Park, the gift of ''

Uriel Crocker Uriel Crocker (September 12, 1796 – July 19, 1887) was a public-spirited Boston citizen, head of the Crocker & Brewster publishing house during its 58-year existence (1818-1876), and actively involved in other enterprises including railroad ...

'' * Crowninshield (Brown's) Island * The Driftwood *

Herreshoff Castle Herreshoff Castle, formerly known as Castle Brattahlid, is an unusual residence located at 2 Crocker Park, Marblehead, Massachusetts. As of 2006, the owners have offered the carriage house as a bed-and-breakfast. The great room has not been part o ...

* The Landing, public town dock on Front Street *

* Marblehead Light, Chandler Hovey Park * Marblehead Neck Wildlife Sanctuary * Pleon Yacht Club, the oldest junior yacht club in the United States * Little Harbor Boathouse, the public kayaking outfitter on Little Harbor

Historical sites and museums

* Abbot Hall (1877), containing ''The Spirit of '76'' by

Archibald MacNeal Willard Archibald MacNeal Willard (August 22, 1836 – October 11, 1918) was an American painter who was born and raised in Bedford, Ohio. He was the son of Samuel Willard, the pastor of Bedford Baptist Church. Willard had an interest in art ever since ...

, & Maritime Exhibit *

(1644) * Old Burial Hill (1638) * Marblehead Museum * Old Town House (1727) & G.A.R. Civil War Museum * General John Glover House * General Glover Farm * Jeremiah Lee Mansion (1768) * King Hooper Mansion (1728), now home to the Marblehead Arts Association. * Old Powder House (1755) *Ambrose Gale House (1663) * Simon Bradstreet House (1723) * St. Michael's Church (1714) *

(1824) * William L. Hammond Park (formally recognized as the birthplace of Marine Corps Aviation, 1977) * Gun House (1810)

Yacht clubs

Marblehead Eastern Yacht Club - panoramio

There are six active yacht clubs in town:

Notable people

Politicians and military

Nicholas Broughton Nicholas is a male given name and a surname. The Eastern Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Anglican Churches celebrate Saint Nicholas every year on December 6, which is the name day for "Nicholas". In Greece, the name and its ...

, first Captain of the American Navy *

Elbridge Gerry Elbridge Gerry (; July 17, 1744 – November 23, 1814) was an American Founding Father, merchant, politician, and diplomat who served as the fifth vice president of the United States under President James Madison from 1813 until his death in 18 ...

, fifth

Vice President of the United States The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest officer in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks first in the presidential line of succession. The vice ...

* John Glover, Revolutionary War general *

John Manley John Paul Manley (born January 5, 1950) is a Canadian lawyer, businessman, and politician who served as the eighth deputy prime minister of Canada from 2002 to 2003. He served as Liberal Member of Parliament for Ottawa South from 1988 to 2 ...

, Commodore, American Navy * David D. McKiernan, retired

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

four-star general *

Seth Moulton Seth Wilbur Moulton (born October 24, 1978) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for Massachusetts's 6th congressional district since 2015. A former Marine Corps officer, he is a member of the Democratic Party. After gra ...

, retired

Marine Corps Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refle ...

officer and a Democratic Congressman *

Samuel Sewall Samuel Sewall (; March 28, 1652 – January 1, 1730) was a judge, businessman, and printer in the Province of Massachusetts Bay, best known for his involvement in the Salem witch trials, for which he later apologized, and his essay ''The Selling ...

, Congressman, great uncle to

Louisa May Alcott Louisa May Alcott (; November 29, 1832March 6, 1888) was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet best known as the author of the novel ''Little Women'' (1868) and its sequels ''Little Men'' (1871) and ''Jo's Boys'' (1886). Raised in ...

* Duncan Sleigh,

U.S. Marine The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through com ...

Navy Cross The Navy Cross is the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps' second-highest military decoration awarded for sailors and marines who distinguish themselves for extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. The medal is eq ...

recipient *

Joseph Story Joseph Story (September 18, 1779 – September 10, 1845) was an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, serving from 1812 to 1845. He is most remembered for his opinions in ''Martin v. Hunter's Lessee'' and ''United States ...

Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

justice

Athletes

* Sheldon Brown, bicycle mechanic and author of books on cycling *

Shalane Flanagan Shalane Grace Flanagan (born July 8, 1981) is an American long-distance runner, Olympic medalist and New York City Marathon champion. She was the first American woman to win the New York City Marathon since 1977. She holds the NACAC area reco ...

, Olympic runner, Beijing Olympics Silver medalist, 2017

New York Marathon The New York City Marathon (currently branded TCS New York City Marathon after its headline sponsor) is an annual marathon () that courses through the five boroughs of New York City. It is the largest marathon in the world, with 53,627 finishe ...

winner *

Tyler Hamilton Tyler Hamilton (born March 1, 1971) is an American former professional road bicycle racer. He is the only American rider to win one of the five Monuments of cycling, taking Liège–Bastogne–Liège in 2003. Hamilton became a professional cycli ...

, cyclist *

Kayla Harrison Kayla Jean Harrison (born July 2, 1990) is an American professional mixed martial artist and former Olympic and world champion judoka, currently signed to the Professional Fighters League (PFL). Harrison competed in the weight category in jud ...

, mixed martial artist, won the 2010 World Championships, gold medals at the

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...

and

2016 Olympics ) , nations = 207 (including IOA and EOR teams) , athletes = 11,238 , events = 306 in 28 sports (41 disciplines) , opening = 5 August 2016 , closing = 21 August 2016 , opened_by = Vice President Michel Temer , cauldron = Vanderlei Cordeiro ...

Ted Hood Frederick Emmart Hood (May 5, 1927 — June 28, 2013) was an American yachtsman and naval architect. He founded the sailmaker Hood Sails in Marblehead, Massachusetts in 1952. Hood Sails operated until purchased by Quantum Sails in 2017. Hood fou ...

, yachtsman,

America's Cup The America's Cup, informally known as the Auld Mug, is a trophy awarded in the sport of sailing. It is the oldest international competition still operating in any sport. America's Cup match races are held between two sailing yachts: one f ...

winner *

Shawn McEachern Shawn Kenneth McEachern (born February 28, 1969) is an American ice hockey coach and former professional ice hockey player. He is the current head boys' varsity ice hockey coach at The Rivers School, an independent 6–12 school in Weston, Massac ...

Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup (french: La Coupe Stanley) is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, an ...

winner *

Maureen McKinnon-Tucker Maureen McKinnon (formerly Maureen McKinnon-Tucker; born February 25, 1965) is an American paralympian yachtswoman. In 2008 in Beijing she became the first woman to represent the United States in sailing at a Paralympic Games and also the first ...

, Gold Medalist Sailing

2008 Summer Paralympics The 2008 Summer Paralympic Games (), the 13th Summer Paralympic Games, took place in Beijing, China from September 6 to 17, 2008. As with the 2008 Summer Olympics, equestrian events were held in Hong Kong and sailing events in Qingdao. It was ...

Jake Phelps Jake may refer to: Name * Jake (given name), including a list of persons and fictional characters with the name * Katrin Jäke (born c. 1975), German swimmer * Jake (gamer), American ''Overwatch'' player and coach Animals * Jake (rescue dog), a s ...

, skateboarder – editor-in-chief

Thrasher Magazine ''Thrasher'' is a skateboarding magazine founded in January 1981 by Eric Swenson and Fausto Vitello. The publication consists primarily of skateboard- and music-related articles, photography, interviews and skatepark reviews. The magazine also ...

Cory Schneider Cory Franklin Schneider (born March 18, 1986) is an American professional ice hockey goaltender for the Bridgeport Islanders in the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL). H ...

New Jersey Devils The New Jersey Devils are a professional sports, professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern ...

goaltender

Architects and yacht designers

, yacht designer and

* L. Francis Herroshoff, yacht designer

Businessmen and entrepreneurs

, publisher, businessman * Joseph Dixon: inventor who pioneered in the industrial use of graphite, leading to

Dixon Ticonderoga The Dixon Ticonderoga Company () is an office and art supplies maker from the United States, with headquarters in Heathrow, Florida. The company offers a number of brands, with one of the most well-known being ''Ticonderoga'': the yellow No. 2 penc ...

pencils * James J.H. Gregory, horticulturalist, known as the "Seed King". Also founded charitable traveling library extension service Marblehead Libraries for southern African Americans *

Peter Lynch Peter Lynch (born January 19, 1944) is an American investor, mutual fund manager, and philanthropist. As the manager of the Magellan Fund at Fidelity Investments between 1977 and 1990, Lynch averaged a 29.2% annual return, consistently more th ...

, investor, author * Lydia Pinkham Gove: granddaughter of entrepreneur

Lydia Pinkham Lydia Estes Pinkham (born Estes; February 9, 1819 – May 17, 1883) was an American inventor and marketer of an herbal-alcoholic "women's tonic" for menstrual and menopausal problems, which medical experts dismissed as a quack remedy, but w ...

, built mansion

Carcassonne Carcassonne (, also , , ; ; la, Carcaso) is a French fortified city in the department of Aude, in the region of Occitanie. It is the prefecture of the department. Inhabited since the Neolithic, Carcassonne is located in the plain of the ...

on Marblehead Neck with commendation from President Roosevelt, she was the first woman to fly in plane across the United States * Michael Smith, American diplomat and trade negotiator

Writers and journalists

Ashley Bowen Ashley Bowen (1728–1813) was the first United States, American sailor to write an autobiography. Although Bowen's career as a sailor was not particularly remarkable, his writings are of great value in understanding the life of an average sailor a ...

, first American sailor to write an autobiography *

Susan Estrich Susan Estrich (born December 16, 1952) is an American lawyer, professor, author, political operative, and political commentator. She is known for serving as the campaign manager for Michael Dukakis in 1988 (being the first woman to manage the pre ...

, lawyer, professor, author, political operative *

Julia Glass Julia Glass (born March 23, 1956) is an American novelist. Her debut novel, '' Three Junes'', won the National Book Award for Fiction in 2002.

, novelist *

Katherine Howe Katherine Howe (born 1977) is an American novelist who lives in New England and New York City. She specializes in historical novels which she uses to query ideas about "the contingent nature of reality and belief." Her debut novel was the New Yor ...

, novelist *

Ada Louise Huxtable Ada Louise Huxtable (née Landman; March 14, 1921 – January 7, 2013) was an architecture critic and writer on architecture. Huxtable established architecture and urban design journalism in North America and raised the public's awareness of the ...

, architecture critic, lived in Marblehead seasonally for over 30 years *

Martha Hooper Blackler Kalopothakes Martha Hooper Blackler Kalopothakes (, Blackler; June 1, 1830 – December 16, 1871) was a 19th-century American missionary to Greece. She was also a journalist and translator. Kalopothakes died in 1871. Biography Martha Hooper Blackler was born ...

(1830–1871), missionary, journalist, translator *

Ruth Edna Kelley Ruth Edna Kelley (8 April 1893 – 4 March 1982) was an American librarian and writer. She is chiefly remembered for ''The Book of Hallowe'en'' (1919), the first book-length history of the holiday. Biography Kelley was born in Massachusetts, ...

, author *

Harry Kemelman Harry Kemelman (November 24, 1908 – December 15, 1996) was an American mystery writer and a professor of English. He was the creator of the fictitious religious sleuth Rabbi David Small. Early life Harry Kemelman was born in Boston, Massac ...

, novelist * Edward A. Lawrence, Jr. (1847-1893), Protestant pastor, author; namesake of Lawrence House (Baltimore) * Caroline Atherton Mason, poet *

Eugene O'Neill Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright and Nobel laureate in literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama techniques of realism, earlier ...

, playwright and winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature 1936 *

Rhod Sharp Rhoderick Sharp (born 1953 in Perth) is a Scottish broadcaster, best known as a former presenter of '' Up All Night'' on BBC Radio 5 Live. Early life After being educated at Perth Academy, Sharp took a degree in English at the University of Aber ...

, news journalist, broadcaster, BBC – "Up All Night" *

Amy Siskind Amy Siskind (born December 16, 1965) is an American activist and writer. She is the author of ''The List: A Week-by-Week Reckoning of Trump’s First Year'' (2018) and organizer of the We the People March. Early life and education Siskind was b ...

, activist and author *

Tasha Tudor Tasha Tudor (August 28, 1915 – June 18, 2008) was an American illustrator and writer of children's books. Biography Tasha Tudor was born in Boston, Massachusetts as Starling Burgess, the daughter of naval architect W. Starling Burgess, known ...

, Caldecott honored children's author and illustrator, daughter of

, great-granddaughter of

Frederic Tudor Frederic Tudor (September 4, 1783 – February 6, 1864) was an American businessman and merchant. Known as Boston's "Ice King", he was the founder of the Tudor Ice Company and a pioneer of the international ice trade in the early 19th century. H ...

Arts and entertainment

Amelia Peabody Amelia Peabody Emerson is the protagonist of the Amelia Peabody series, a series of historical mystery novels written by author Elizabeth Peters (a pseudonym of Egyptologist Barbara Mertz, 1927–2013). Peabody is married to Egyptologist Radcliff ...

, sculptor, breeder and philanthropist *

Keith Ablow Keith Russell Ablow (born November 23, 1961) is an American author, television personality, and psychiatrist. He is a former contributor for Fox News Channel and TheBlaze. Formerly an assistant clinical professor at Tufts University School ...

, former psychiatrist, writer, host and pundit *

Frank Black Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV (born April 6, 1965) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is best known as the frontman of the alternative rock band Pixies, with whom he performs under the stage name Black Francis. Fo ...

, musician and member of the

alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...

band

Pixies A pixie (also pisky, pixy, pixi, pizkie, and piskie in Cornwall and Devon, and pigsie or puggsy in the New Forest) is a mythical creature of British folklore. Pixies are considered to be particularly concentrated in the high moorland areas aro ...

Rob Delaney Rob Delaney (born January 19, 1977) is an American comedian, actor, writer, and activist. He was the co-star and co-writer of the TV show ''Catastrophe'', and has appeared in comedy films such as ''Deadpool 2'' (2018) and ''Tom & Jerry'' (2021). ...

, comedian and "funniest person on Twitter" *

Loyd Grossman Loyd Daniel Gilman Grossman (born 16 September 1950) is an American-British author, broadcaster and cultural campaigner who has mainly worked in the United Kingdom. He is well known for presenting the BBC programme ''MasterChef'' from 1990 to 20 ...

, UK television host *

Dave Mattacks David James Mattacks (born 13 March 1948) is an English rock and folk drummer. Best known for his work with Fairport Convention, Mattacks has also worked both as a session musician and as a performing artist. Apart from playing the drums, he i ...

, English-born

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

and

folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Folk Plus or Fol ...

drummer A drummer is a percussionist who creates music using drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one mem ...

and

session musician Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a ...

; former member of

Fairport Convention Fairport Convention are an English folk rock band, formed in 1967 by guitarists Richard Thompson and Simon Nicol, bassist Ashley Hutchings and drummer Shaun Frater (with Frater replaced by Martin Lamble after their first gig.) They started o ...

and guest percussionist for Jethro Tull * Pete Muller,

National Geographic ''National Geographic'' (formerly the ''National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as NAT GEO) is a popular American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. Known for its photojournalism, it is one of the most widely ...

photographer *

Estelle Parsons Estelle Margaret Parsons (born November 20, 1927) is an American actress, singer and stage director. After studying law, Parsons became a singer before deciding to pursue a career in acting. She worked for the television program ''Today'' and ...

, actress, Academy Award winner for Actress in a Supporting Role – ''Bonnie and Clyde'' (1967) *

BBC Radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927). The service provides national radio stations covering th ...

presenter of '' Up All Night'' *

Jamie Walters James Leland Walters Jr. (born June 13, 1969) is an American actor and singer, best known for his roles on ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' and '' The Heights'' and singing lead vocal on " How Do You Talk to an Angel". Career Walters was born in Boston ...

, actor, musician and star of 90210

Notable visitors

Politicians and royalty

President George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...

: 1789, George Washington part of his ten-day presidential visit to Massachusetts *

Marquis de Lafayette Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette (6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834), known in the United States as Lafayette (, ), was a French aristocrat, freemason and military officer who fought in the American Revoluti ...

: 1784, after Revolutionary War was over, Marquis de Lafayette visited to honor General John Glover and to see his friend Elbridge Gerry. Returned in 1824. *

President Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...

: 1830s (rumored) * President Chester Arthur: 1882, U.S. steamer anchored off Marblehead, was "kidnapped" after returning from Salem and brought to Abbott Hall where he was welcomed by Marbleheaders and gave short speech. *

President Coolidge Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of the United States from 1923 to 1929. Born in Vermont, Coolidge was a Republican lawyer from New England who climbed up the ladder of Mas ...

: 1925, visits Marblehead Harbor aboard the presidential yacht " USS Mayflower" *

President Franklin Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

: 1933, for sailing trip in Marblehead * Prince Olav of Norway: 1939 went sailing in Marblehead while touring United States *Senator

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...

: visited "Spirit of 76" painting with wife

Jacqueline Jacqueline may refer to: People * Jacqueline (given name), including a list of people with the name * Jacqueline Moore (born 1964), ring name "Jacqueline", American professional wrestler Arts and entertainment * ''Jacqueline'' (1923 film), ...

. *

Mikhail Gorbachev Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (2 March 1931 – 30 August 2022) was a Soviet politician who served as the 8th and final leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 to dissolution of the Soviet Union, the country's dissolution in 1991. He served a ...

Celebrities

Lucille Ball Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedienne and producer. She was nominated for 13 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning five times, and was the recipient of several other accolades, such as the Golden ...

: 1947, arrived at Seaside park via helicopter to perform in summer theater series. *

Vivian Vance Vivian Vance (born Vivian Roberta Jones; July 26, 1909 – August 17, 1979) was an American actress and singer best known for playing Ethel Mertz on the sitcom ''I Love Lucy'' (1951–1957), for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outst ...

: performed in Marblehead Summer theater series. *

Marjorie Merriweather Post Marjorie Merriweather Post (March 15, 1887 – September 12, 1973) was an American businesswoman, socialite, and philanthropist. She was also the owner of General Foods Corporation. Post used much of her fortune to collect art, particularly Im ...

: visited throughout 1930s and after the war, anchoring yacht

Sea Cloud ''Sea Cloud'' is a sailing cruise ship owned by Sea Cloud Cruises of Hamburg, Germany. Launched as a private yacht as ''Hussar V'' for Marjorie Merriweather Post in 1931, she later served as a weather ship for the United States Coast Guard and U ...

off Marblehead Light. *

Walter Cronkite Walter Leland Cronkite Jr. (November 4, 1916 – July 17, 2009) was an American broadcast journalist who served as anchorman for the ''CBS Evening News'' for 19 years (1962–1981). During the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as "the mo ...

: 1997, for USS Constitution's 200th anniversary *

Tallulah Bankhead Tallulah Brockman Bankhead (January 31, 1902 – December 12, 1968) was an American actress. Primarily an actress of the stage, Bankhead also appeared in several prominent films including an award-winning performance in Alfred Hitchcock's ''Lif ...

Billie Burke Mary William Ethelbert Appleton Burke (August 7, 1884 – May 14, 1970) was an American actress who was famous on Broadway and radio, and in silent and sound films. She is best known to modern audiences as Glinda the Good Witch of the North ...

: Actress, best known as

Glinda Glinda is a fictional character created by L. Frank Baum for his ''Oz'' novels. She first appears in Baum's 1900 children's classic ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'', and is the most powerful sorceress in the Land of Oz, ruler of the Quadling Coun ...

in '' The Wizard of Oz'', performed in the 1955 Marblehead Summer Theatre Series *

Gloria Vanderbilt Gloria Laura Vanderbilt (February 20, 1924 – June 17, 2019) was an American artist, author, actress, fashion designer, heiress, and socialite. During the 1930s, she was the subject of a high-profile child custody trial in which her mother ...

: Actress, performed at Marblehead High School Auditorium, summer theatre series *

Eva Gabor Eva Gabor ( ; February 11, 1919 – July 4, 1995) was a Hungarian-American actress, businesswoman, singer, and socialite. She voiced Duchess and Miss Bianca in the animated Disney Classics, ''The Aristocats'' (1970), ''The Rescuers'' (1977), ...

: Actress, performed in summer theatre series *

Charles Coburn Charles Douville Coburn (June 19, 1877 – August 30, 1961) was an American actor and theatrical producer. He was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award three times – in ''The Devil and Miss Jones'' (1941), ''The More the Me ...

: Actor, performed in summer theatre series *

Ethel Waters Ethel Waters (October 31, 1896 – September 1, 1977) was an American singer and actress. Waters frequently performed jazz, swing, and pop music on the Broadway stage and in concerts. She began her career in the 1920s singing blues. Her not ...

: American blues singer, " ''Stormy Weather''", performed in Marblehead in 1955 * Sarah Churchill: Actress,

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 Winston Churchill in the Second World War, dur ...

's daughter, performed in summer series

Writers

* H. P. Lovecraft visited Marblehead in 1922, an event which had profound personal effect on him. He used Marblehead as his inspiration for the fictional town of Kingsport. ''See: Arts, Films section for actors who came for location shooting.''

Arts

Paintings

Notable paintings & artists depicting Marblehead scenes and figures: *William Thompson Bartoll **''The Great Gale of 1846,'' oil on wood fireboard, 1850,

Alfred Thompson Bricher Alfred Thompson Bricher (April 10, 1837 – September 30, 1908) was a painter associated with White Mountain art and the Hudson River School. Life and work Bricher was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He was educated in an academy at Newbur ...

: **''Castle Rock, Marblehead'', 1878,

Smithsonian American Art Museum The Smithsonian American Art Museum (commonly known as SAAM, and formerly the National Museum of American Art) is a museum in Washington, D.C., part of the Smithsonian Institution. Together with its branch museum, the Renwick Gallery, SAAM holds o ...

John Singleton Copley John Singleton Copley (July 3, 1738 – September 9, 1815) was an Anglo-American painter, active in both colonial America and England. He was probably born in Boston, Massachusetts, to Richard and Mary Singleton Copley, both Anglo-Irish. Afte ...

**''Jeremiah Lee'', oil portrait, 1769, The Wadsworth Atheneum **''Mrs Jeremiah Lee, Martha Swett'', oil portrait, 1769, The Wadsworth Atheneum * Clement Drew **''Yachts Off Halfway Rock Marblehead'', oil on board, 1884. * J.O.J. Frost **''Waterfront of Old Town,'' paint on masonite, 1924, Marblehead Historical Society **''The March into Boston from Marblehead...April 16, 1861,'' oil on fiberboard, 1925,

**''The Marblehead Fishermen,'' oil on board, ,

*James Jeffrey Grant **''From the Hilltop, Marblehead, Mass'' **''Marblehead'', *

Frederick Childe Hassam Frederick Childe Hassam (; October 17, 1859 – August 27, 1935) was an American Impressionist painter, noted for his urban and coastal scenes. Along with Mary Cassatt and John Henry Twachtman, Hassam was instrumental in promulgating Impressioni ...

**''Panorama of Marblehead'', Marblehead Messenger, illustration, 1880 *M.H. Howes **''First International Yacht Race off Children's Island'', oil on canvas, 1905 * John Ross Key **''On the Coast near Marblehead'' **''Marblehead, Mass,''

Fitz Henry Lane Fitz Henry Lane (born Nathaniel Rogers Lane, also known as Fitz Hugh Lane) (December 19, 1804 – August 14, 1865) was an American painter and printmaker of a style that would later be called Luminism, for its use of pervasive light. Biography ...

**''Becalmed Off Halfway Rock'', oil on canvas, 1860,

Cape Ann Museum Cape Ann Museum is an art and historical museum located in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Its collection and programming focuses on the artists and art colonies of Cape Ann, including thRocky Neck Art Colonyand the Folly Cove Designers. The museum's c ...

**''Halfway Rock off Marblehead'', oil on canvas,

*Orlando Rouland **''Looking Over Old Marblehead,'' 1928, oil on Canvas **''Moonlight on Washington Square,'' oil on canvas **''Marblehead Common at night,'' oil on canvas **''Old Town Rooftops,'' oil on canvas * Maurice Brazil Prendergast: **''Marblehead'', watercolor 1914.

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston The Museum of Fine Arts (often abbreviated as MFA Boston or MFA) is an art museum in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the 20th-largest art museum in the world, measured by public gallery area. It contains 8,161 paintings and more than 450,000 works ...

**''Bathing, Marblehead'', 1897,

**''Moonlight at Marblehead'', **''Marblehead Harbor'', –1920, Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia **''Peaches Point'', oil on canvas, ,

Bowdoin College Museum of Art The Bowdoin College Museum of Art is an art museum located in Brunswick, Maine. Included on the National Register of Historic Places, the museum is located in a building on the campus of Bowdoin College designed by the architectural firm McKim, Me ...

* Arthur Quartley **''Morning off Marblehead,'' oil on canvas, 1879 *

John Singer Sargent John Singer Sargent (; January 12, 1856 – April 14, 1925) was an American expatriate artist, considered the "leading portrait painter of his generation" for his evocations of Edwardian-era luxury. He created roughly 900 oil paintings and more ...

**''On deck of the Yacht

Constellation A constellation is an area on the celestial sphere in which a group of visible stars forms Asterism (astronomy), a perceived pattern or outline, typically representing an animal, mythological subject, or inanimate object. The origins of the e ...

,'' water color, 1924,

**''Rainy day on the deck of the yacht

,'' water color, 1924 * James David Smillie **''At Marblehead Neck,'' etching, 1883,

National Gallery of Art, Washington DC The National Gallery of Art, and its attached Sculpture Garden, is a national art museum in Washington, D.C., United States, located on the National Mall, between 3rd and 9th Streets, at Constitution Avenue NW. Open to the public and free of cha ...

**''Causeway - Marblehead Neck,'' etching, 1883 *William R. Stone **''Low Tide, Marblehead, Massachusetts'',(Doliber's Cove) Oil on canvas, 1889 *

Mary Bradish Titcomb Mary Bradish Titcomb (1858 – 1927) was an American painter, mainly of portraits and landscapes. She is often grouped with the American Impressionists. Biography A native of Windham, New Hampshire, upon graduation from high school Titcom ...

**''Marblehead Harbor,'' oil on canvas **''Sunday Morning'', oil on canvas, 1920 **''House in Poplars, Marblehead Mass,'' gouche on board **''Rockaway Street'', watercolor, 1906 **''View of Marblehead'', oil on canvas **''Sedona Hill, Marblehead,'' oil on canvas *Stanley Wingate Woodward **''The Old Spite House'', Etching, ,

Films

Movies filmed in Marblehead include: *''

The Pride of the Clan ''The Pride of the Clan'' is a 1917 American silent romantic drama film directed by Maurice Tourneur, and starring Mary Pickford and Matt Moore. Cast *Mary Pickford as Marget MacTavish * Matt Moore as Jamie Campbell *Warren Cook as Robert, E ...

'' starring ''

Mary Pickford Gladys Marie Smith (April 8, 1892 – May 29, 1979), known professionally as Mary Pickford, was a Canadian-American stage and screen actress and producer with a career that spanned five decades. A pioneer in the US film industry, she co-founde ...

'' (1917) – Castle Rock (park transformed into Scottish village) *'' Home Before Dark'' (1958) – "Lafayette House" (used as primary home for filming) *''

Coma A coma is a deep state of prolonged unconsciousness in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light, or sound, lacks a normal wake-sleep cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. Coma patients exhi ...

'' (1978) *''

The Witches of Eastwick ''The Witches of Eastwick'' is a 1984 novel by American writer John Updike. A sequel, '' The Widows of Eastwick'', was published in 2008. Plot The story, set in the fictional Rhode Island town of Eastwick in the early 1970s, follows the witch ...

'' (1986) – Abbott Hall (used for concert scene and reveal of Jack Nicholson's character) *'' The Good Son'' (1993) *'' Hocus Pocus'' (1993) – Old town streets (bike ride scene), Old Burial Hill (daytime cemetery), Crocker Park (Abbott Hall bells ringing), Witches night time flyover *''Autumn Heart'' (2000) *''

Treading Water Treading water or water treading is what a Human swimming, swimmer can do while in a vertical position to keep their head above the surface of the water, while not providing sufficient directional thrust to overcome inertia and propel the swimmer ...

'' (2001) *'' What's the Worst That Could Happen?'' (2001)was filmed in

Manchester-by-the-Sea Manchester-by-the-Sea (also known simply as Manchester, its name prior to 1989) is a coastal town on Cape Ann, in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The town is known for scenic beaches and vista points. According to the 2020 population ...

, but scenes are set in Marblehead. *'' Moonlight Mile'' (2002) *'' Grown Ups'' (2010) *''

The Company Men ''The Company Men'' is 2010 American drama film, written and directed by John Wells. It features Ben Affleck, Kevin Costner, Chris Cooper and Tommy Lee Jones. It premiered at the 26th Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2010 and had a on ...

'' (2010) *''

Grown Ups 2 ''Grown Ups 2'' is a 2013 American comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan, written by Adam Sandler, Fred Wolf, and Tim Herlihy, and produced by Sandler and Jack Giarraputo. It is a sequel to the 2010 film '' Grown Ups''. The film stars Sandler, Ke ...

'' (2012) *''

Hubie Halloween ''Hubie Halloween'' is a 2020 American mystery horror comedy film directed by Steven Brill, co-written by Tim Herlihy and Adam Sandler, who also stars in the title role, and co-starring an ensemble supporting cast consisting of Kevin James, J ...

'' (2019) *'' Godmothered'' (2020)

Television

* ''

Marblehead Manor ''Marblehead Manor'' is an American sitcom that originally aired in first-run syndication from September 19, 1987 to May 28, 1988. It starred Paxton Whitehead, Phil Morris, Linda Thorson, Bob Fraser and Michael Richards. The series was a Dame ...

'' (1987) was a sitcom about a wealthy Marblehead resident that ran for one season on CBS. * ''

Cheers ''Cheers'' is an American sitcom television series that ran on NBC from September 30, 1982, to May 20, 1993, with a total of 275 half-hour episodes across 11 seasons. The show was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions in association w ...

'', set in

, made three references to the town. Sam mentions sailing to Marblehead in Season 1, Episode 6. Diane mentions Sam having taken her to a

bed and breakfast Bed and breakfast (typically shortened to B&B or BnB) is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast. Bed and breakfasts are often private family homes and typically have between four and eleven rooms, wit ...

in Marblehead in Season 4, episode 15. Sam says that he will sail to Marblehead for relaxation in Season 5, Episode 1. * In ''

Sabrina, the Teenage Witch ''Sabrina the Teenage Witch'' is a comic book series published by Archie Comics about the adventures of a fictional American teenager named Sabrina Spellman. Sabrina was created by writer George Gladir and artist Dan DeCarlo, and first appeared ...

'', Aunt Hilda makes reference to Marblehead in the sixth episode of the second season, entitled "Sabrina, the Teenage Boy." * The TV movie '' The Crossing'' (2000) has General Washington (

Jeff Daniels Jeffrey Warren Daniels (born February 19, 1955) is an American actor, comedian, musician, and playwright, known for his work on stage and screen playing diverse characters switching between comedy and drama. He is the recipient of several accol ...

) speaking to Col. Glover (

Sebastian Roché Sebastian Roché (born 4 August 1964) is a French-American actor. He is known for his roles as Kurt Mendel in ''Odyssey 5'', Jerry Jacks in '' General Hospital'', Thomas Jerome Newton in ''Fringe'', Balthazar in '' Supernatural'', Mikael in bot ...

) about the men of Marblehead rowing across the Delaware. * ''

The West Wing ''The West Wing'' is an American serial (radio and television), serial political drama television series created by Aaron Sorkin that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1999, to May 14, 2006. The series is set primarily in the ...

'' Season 4 episode 18, "Privateers", has Mrs. Marion Cotesworth-Haye of Marblehead denouncing the first lady's (

Stockard Channing Stockard Channing (born Susan Antonia Williams Stockard; February 13, 1944) is an American actress. She is known for playing Betty Rizzo in the film '' Grease'' (1978) and First Lady Abbey Bartlet in the NBC television series ''The West Wing'' ( ...

) membership of the Daughters of the Revolution, when they learn that her distant relative was more pirate than patriot. * ''

The Handmaid's Tale ''The Handmaid's Tale'' is a futuristic dystopian novel by Canadian author Margaret Atwood and published in 1985. It is set in a near-future New England in a patriarchal, totalitarian theonomic state known as the Republic of Gilead, which h ...

'' mentions Marblehead in season one episode 7, entitled "The Other Side".

Literature

Set in Marblehead, or based on local figures

*''Marblehead, by Joan Thompson: The town appears in the eponymous book debuting in 1978. *''The Hearth & Eagle'', by

Anya Seton Anya Seton (January 23, 1904 – November 8, 1990), born Ann Seton, was an American author of historical fiction, or as she preferred they be called, "biographical novels". Career Seton published her first novel, '' My Theodosia'', in 1941. Seto ...

, traces the history of Marblehead from early settlement in 1630 to modern times through the story of one family, originally from Cornwall, who eventually ran Marblehead's Hearth & Eagle Inn. *''Agnes Surriage'', by Edwin Lassetter Bynner *''The Fountain Inn'', by Nathan P. Sanborn * '' The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud'', by Ben Sherwood, is set in Marblehead and features the Waterside Cemetery. A film adaptation was made in 2010. *''General John Glover and His Marblehead Mariners'', by

George Athan Billias George Athan Billias (June 26, 1919 – August 16, 2018) was an American historian. Early life Billias was born in Lynn, Massachusetts and graduated from Lynn English High School in 1937. He received his B.A. from Bates College in 1948 and his ...

(1960) *''The Wizard of Orne Hill and Other Tales of Old Marblehead'', by Dorothy Miles *''At the Point of Cutlass'', by Gregory Flemming, tells the story of Marblehead's "Robinson Curusoe" Philip Ashton and is based on his memoirs *''Hidden Silver'', by Georgene Faulkner, Relates the story of a Marblehead family during the American Revolution *'Azor of Marblehead Series (1948–1960), by Maude Cowley **''Azor'' **''Azor and the Haddock'' **''Azor and the Blue-eyed Cow'' **''Tor and Azor'' **''Pringle and the Lavender Goat'' *''Swansday at Redd's'', A Marblehead Story, by Ray Cole *''Remembering James J. H. Gregory: The Seed King, Philanthropist, Man'', by Shari Kelley Worrell *''Marblehead from HollyHocks to Hot Top'', articles by John D Hill, Morrill S. Reynolds, Phyllis Masters, Percy L. Martin *''Ashton's Memorial: An History of the Strange Adventures of Philip Ashton, Jr.'' (1725) *''Marblehead's First Harbor: The Rich History of a Small Fishing Port'', by Hugh Peabody Bishop and Brenda Bishop Booma *''

The Lace Reader ''The Lace Reader'' (2006) is a novel by Brunonia Barry. The novel is set in Salem, Massachusetts, the American town famous for the Salem witch trials. A crucial plot device is the Ipswich lace that the protagonist's family would make. The nov ...

'', by Brunonia Barry *''A Guide to Marblehead'', by Samuel Roads Jr. (1881) *''Old Marblehead'', by Samuel Chamberlain (1940) *''Peaches Point: The Summer World Of T.H. Shepard'', By Timothy Shepard (1976) *''History and Traditions of Marblehead'', by Samuel Roads Jr. (1880) *''In the Time of Worms: An Ancient Tale of Marblehead'', by Kenelm Winslow Harris *''Under the Golden Cod'', by 350th Anniversary book Committee detailing the history of the congregation of Marblehead Old North Church from 1635 to 1985. * ''

Captains Courageous ''Captains Courageous: A Story of the Grand Banks'' is an 1897 novel by Rudyard Kipling that follows the adventures of fifteen-year-old Harvey Cheyne Jr., the spoiled son of a railroad tycoon, after he is saved from drowning by a Portuguese f ...

'' by

Rudyard Kipling Joseph Rudyard Kipling ( ; 30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936)''The Times'', (London) 18 January 1936, p. 12. was an English novelist, short-story writer, poet, and journalist. He was born in British India, which inspired much of his work. ...

mentions the town *''The Autobiography of Ashley Bowen'' (1728–1813), by

*''Red On Black, A Marblehead Story'', by Eben Weed *''Where Away: The Story of USS Marblehead'', by George Sessions Perry and Mabel Leighton *Ten Hours Until Dawn'', by Michael J. Tougias *''Marblehead: The Spirit of '76 Lives Here'', by Priscilla Sawyer Lord (1972)

Literature influenced by Marblehead

*''Rabbi Small'', by

, takes place in the fictional town of Barnard's Crossing, a place based on Marblehead. Kemelman lived in Marblehead for 50 years. * The

Jesse Stone Jesse Albert Stone (November 16, 1901 – April 1, 1999) was an American rhythm and blues musician and songwriter whose influence spanned a wide range of genres. He also used the pseudonyms Charles Calhoun and Chuck Calhoun. His best-know ...

novels:

Robert B. Parker Robert Brown Parker (September 17, 1932 – January 18, 2010) was an American writer, primarily of fiction within the mystery/detective genre. His most famous works were the 40 novels written about the fictional private detective Spenser. AB ...

supposedly based the fictional town of Paradise, in which the novels take place, on Marblehead. Both Paradise and Marblehead are on the coast in Essex County,

is visible from them, and each has an annual Race Week yachting event.

=Influence on H. P. Lovecraft

= Horror and

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...

writer H. P. Lovecraft derived great inspiration from Marblehead. Following his first visit in December 1922, he retroactively reconfigured his fictional Kingsport in its own image. As of 1920, Kingsport was an unspecified location on Rhode Island, only mentioned in passing. Loveraft likely based the name on that of Kingstown, R.I. Lovecraft's regarded his experience of visiting Marblehead in 1922, however, as life-changing. Thereafter, he based his Kingsport on Marblehead. :''See Kingsport''

Contemporary photographs of Marblehead

File:ZichtopMarblehead.jpg, alt=View of sea along fort wall, Seaside view from Fort Sewall File:OldTownHouseMarblehead.jpg, Old Town House File:WashingtonStreetMarblehead.jpg, Homes on Washington Street File:Marblehead Massachusetts street scene and buildings.JPG, Architectural styles File:Marblehead Massachusetts view from town towards harbor and peninsula.JPG, Rocks File:Marblehead Massachusetts house and tree with flag.JPG, House with flag File:Marblehead Massachusetts firehouse Engine No 2.JPG, Fire station File:Marblehead Massachusetts dock and harbor.JPG, Dock File:Marblehead Historic District Residence.jpg, Historic home File:Marblehead Harbor Late Afternoon.jpg, Harbor view from the causeway File:Marblehead Little Theatre, Marblehead MA.jpg, Marblehead Little Theater

Voting History

External links

*Town of Marblehead
Historic Marblehead – Audio walking tour
by Samuel Roads, Published 1880, 390 pages.

References

{{authority control 1629 establishments in Massachusetts Populated coastal places in Massachusetts Populated places established in 1629 Port cities and towns in Massachusetts Towns in Essex County, Massachusetts Towns in Massachusetts