Marblehead is a coastal

New England town The town is the basic unit of 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 overlay the entire area of a state, ...

Essex County, Massachusetts Essex County is a county in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. At the 2020 census, the total population was 809,829, making it the third-most populous county in the state, and the eightieth-most populous in the countr ...

, 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. 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 oft ...

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, ...

, Marblehead was a major shipyard and is often referred to as the birthplace of the

American 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 ...

, a title sometimes disputed with nearby Beverly. Marblehead was once the fishing capital of Massachusetts. It is also the origin of

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 si ...

. 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 pleasu ...

, 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 chose ...

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 faci ...

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 fish stocking, stocked bodies of water such as fish pond, ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. ...

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. 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 En ...

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 i ...

. 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 a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journey (often on foot) to some place of special significance to the adherent of ...

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, ...

,'' 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 un ...

ledges for

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite. Marble is typically not foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the term ''marble'' refers to metamorphose ...

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

, 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 they ...

" ), 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 Yor ...

.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 region of the United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock, New York, the river flows for along the borders of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, before ...

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 be ...

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 (als ...

. 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, sword ...

. 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.

American Civil War

During the

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

, 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, ...

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 ind ...

in the United States. William Starling Burgess 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 Alfred Austell Cunningham (March 8, 1882 – May 27, 1939) was an American aviator and a United States Marine Corps officer who became the first Marine Corps aviator and the first director of Marine Corps Aviation. His military career included se ...

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, 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. Historically the Salem Harbor was the site of one of the major international ports in the colonies. During the American Revolutionary War, mer ...

. 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 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. ...

, 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 Marblehead Harbor, 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 o ...

. It is bordered by Swampscott 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 and Route 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 oth ...

in Peabody and Beverly. Two

MBTA bus The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) operates 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 living in areas with po ...

routes—the and —originate in town regularly with service to Boston, with weekend service to

Wonderland Wonderland may refer to: Places Municipalities * Wonderland, California, a ghost town in Plumas County * Wonderland, Ohio, a ghost town in Columbus, Ohio, U.S. Roads, streets, and trails * Wonderland Avenue, a roadway in Laurel Canyon, Los A ...

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 compet ...

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 stati ...

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

, 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 partial ...

. 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 ...

, 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 ha ...

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, >0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.2% from other races, and 0.7% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties for ...

or Latino 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, Nati ...

. 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 Historic District * 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 The General John Glover House is a National Historic Landmark at 11 Glover Street in Marblehead, Massachusetts. It is a -story gambrel-roofed colonial built in 1762 by John Glover (general), John Glover (1732–1797), a local merchant, politic ...

* 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

, 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, first Captain of the

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 1 ...

, 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 p ...

* 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 ...

, 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, ...

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 ...

, retired Marine Corps officer and a Democratic Congressman * Samuel Sewall, 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,

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 gat ...

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, 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 ...

winner * Shawn McEachern,

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 f ...

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 ...

, 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 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. The club was founded as the Kan ...

goaltender

Architects and yacht designers

* William Starling Burgess, 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 pen ...

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 ...

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

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, 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 pr ...

, 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 th ...

, 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, novelist * Edward A. Lawrence, Jr. (1847-1893), Protestant pastor, author; namesake of

Lawrence House (Baltimore) Lawrence House was an American social settlement in Baltimore, Maryland. Its beginnings were in 1893, when Rev. Dr. Edward A. Lawrence and a friend took up lodging at 214 Parkin Street. Lawrence died suddenly later in 1893, and in his memory ...

* 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, earli ...

, 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, activist and author * Tasha Tudor, Caldecott honored children's author and illustrator, daughter of William Starling Burgess, great-granddaughter of Frederic Tudor

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 o ...

, 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. F ...

, 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 mainstream or commercial ...

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, comedian and "funniest person on Twitter" * Loyd Grossman, UK television host * Dave Mattacks, English-born rock and folk

drummer A drummer is a percussionist who creates music using drums. Most contemporary western bands that play rock, pop, jazz, or R&B music include a drummer for purposes including timekeeping and embellishing the musical timbre. The drummer's ...

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 widel ...

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 ...

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: 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 Revolutio ...

: 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: 1830s (rumored) *

President Chester Arthur Chester Alan Arthur (October 5, 1829 – November 18, 1886) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 21st president of the United States from 1881 to 1885. He previously served as the 20th vice president under President James A ...

: 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 Ma ...

: 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: 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 the country's dissolution in 1991. He served as General Secretary of the Com ...

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 Gold ...

: 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 I ...

: 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 '' L ...

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 moth ...

: Actress, performed at Marblehead High School Auditorium, summer theatre series * Eva Gabor: Actress, performed in summer theatre series * Charles Coburn: 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 no ...

: 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 during the Second World War, and again from ...

'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, Peabody Essex Museum *

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 Newburyp ...

: **''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 ...

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, Peabody Essex Museum **''The Marblehead Fishermen,'' oil on board, ,

*James Jeffrey Grant **''From the Hilltop, Marblehead, Mass'' **''Marblehead'', * Frederick Childe Hassam **''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,'' Peabody Essex Museum * Fitz Henry Lane **''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 ...

**''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 Arthur Quartley (May 24, 1839 – May 19, 1886) was an American painter known for his marine seascapes. Biography Quartley was born in Paris and lived there to the age of twelve, when his family moved to Baltimore, Maryland. He studied drawing w ...

**''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 a perceived pattern or outline, typically representing an animal, mythological subject, or inanimate object. The origins of the earliest constellation ...

,'' water color, 1924, Peabody Essex Museum **''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 **''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'' 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 ''Home Before Dark'' is the twenty-seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Neil Diamond. Released on May 5, 2008, it was the artist's second album for American Recordings. ''Home Before Dark'' received generally positive reviews fr ...

'' (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 witc ...

'' (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'' (2001) *'' What's the Worst That Could Happen?'' (2001)was filmed in Manchester-by-the-Sea, but scenes are set in Marblehead. *'' Moonlight Mile'' (2002) *'' Grown Ups'' (2010) *'' The Company Men'' (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 ...

'' (2012) *'' Hubie Halloween'' (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'', 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 both ...

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

The West Wing ''The West Wing'' is an American 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 West Wing of the White Hous ...

'' 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 ...

'' 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, 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 Benjamin Berkley "Ben" Sherwood (born February 12, 1964) is an American writer, journalist, and producer who was formerly the President of Disney-ABC Television Group and ABC News. Early life and education Sherwood was born to a wealthy Jewis ...

, 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 (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 Georgene Faulkner (1873 – 1958) was an American children's book author and storyteller of the early twentieth century. In her career, she was known and promoted as "the Story Lady." A native Chicagoan, she attended the School of Educati ...

, 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'', 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 Ashley Bowen *''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 Harry Kemelman, 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 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 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 literature and d ...

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