Essex National Heritage Area

06/16/2026

Did you know a single armed sloop once tried to take on an entire town, and lost?

In August 1775, just months after Lexington and Concord, the Royal Navy sloop-of-war HMS Falcon, commanded by Captain John Linzee, spotted two American schooners returning from the West Indies and making for Salem. Linzee captured one without a fight, then chased the second into Gloucester Harbor, where it ran aground near Ten Pound Island.

Confident in an easy prize, Linzee sent 36 men in three small boats to seize the grounded ship. But Gloucester's townspeople had already raised the alarm. Local militia, led by Captains Joseph Foster and Bradbury Sanders, armed with muskets and two aging swivel guns, opened fire from shore as the British boats approached.

The British boarded the schooner anyway, only to find themselves trapped, pinned down by constant fire from the shore. Linzee tried firing on the town itself and even attempted to land a party to burn it, but the effort failed. By 7 pm, all three British boats had been captured, along with two dozen prisoners. Gloucester had not only fought off the Royal Navy, they had recaptured their own ship in the process.

This skirmish was part of a string of coastal clashes that pushed the Crown toward harsher reprisals, and helped set the stage for the creation of the Continental Navy later that year.

➡ Now you can see it happen all over again! The Battle of Gloucester reenactment returns to Stage Fort Park on June 20th and 21st, with morning and afternoon battle reenactments both days, living history camps, and a chance to walk the same shoreline where Gloucester held its ground 250 years ago. Learn more: https://battleofgloucester.com/
•
•
•
If you have any suggestions for future features, or would like Essex Heritage to feature your organization’s Rev250 highlights, comment below or email us at [email protected].



MA250 America250 Battle of Gloucester

06/09/2026

Did you know a Liberty Tree once lived at the Liberty Tree Mall in Danvers?

When Liberty Tree Mall opened in 1972, a large aluminum tree sculpture stood at center court honoring the original Liberty Tree, the Boston elm where colonists gathered to defy British rule in the 1760s. The sculpture had originally been featured at the 1964 New York World's Fair before finding a home on Boston Common, but after sustaining vandal damage it was removed for repairs and eventually relocated to the newly constructed Liberty Tree Mall in Danvers. By the early 1990s it was removed and is now considered lost.

This past Saturday, June 6th, the North Shore received a new Liberty Tree. Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo dedicated a living American hybrid elm on Church Street in downtown Salem, right behind the granite monument honoring patriots Benjamin Peirce and Major General Stephen Abbot, in front of St. Peter's Episcopal Church. Historian Charles Newhall and Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker spoke at the ceremony. Forester Dave Bresnahan represented the DCR, which donated the elm, and members of the Danvers Alarm List Company fired a musket salute.

The granite monument has its own history. The Liberty Tree plaque was dedicated by Historic Salem Inc. on Patriots' Day in 1976, along with a tree that has since died. This plaque serves as the first stop on Salem's First Muster each April, when the city remembers the men who answered the call on April 19, 1775. Among them: Benjamin Peirce, a Salem baker and the only Minuteman from the city killed at the Battle of Menotomy that day.

The second plaque honors Major General Stephen Abbot, whose founding of the Second Corps of Cadets created a military legacy that runs through the Civil War, both World Wars, and continues today in the Massachusetts National Guard.
•
•
•
If you have any suggestions for future features, or would like Essex Heritage to feature your organization’s Rev250 highlights, comment below or email us at [email protected].



MA250 America250 Danvers Alarm List Coy Historic Salem, Inc.

06/05/2026

Congratulations to our Trustee, Ken Turino, on this well-deserved recognition!👏

The Bay State Legacy Award is given to an individual who has made long-term, outstanding contributions to the interpretation and presentation of Massachusetts history or to the local history field in Massachusetts. The recipient of the 2026 Bay State Legacy Award is Kennith C. Turino, former Manager of Exhibitions and Community Engagement at Historic New England. Turino is recognized for exhibitions including Yankee Remix (in collaboration with Mass MoCA), The Importance of Being Furnished, and At the River’s Edge. He is also revered for his written works, including “Reinventing the Historic House Museum” and “Interpreting Christmas at Historic Sites and Museums.” These works have helped guide institutions nationwide toward more inclusive and imaginative practices. His nominator notes, “Turino has made an outstanding contribution to the interpretation and presentation of Massachusetts history through his innovative, inclusive, and community-centered approach to public history.”

Celebrate Turino and the other MHA award recipients at the 2026 Mass History Conference next Friday, June 12th!

06/05/2026

The countdown is on... we are officially 100 days until Trails & Sails! 🥳

This year, Trails & Sails is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Every September since 2002, this free event series has brought locals and visitors together to explore the incredible historical, cultural, and natural resources that make Essex County so unique. From guided hikes and kayaking to historic house tours and kid-friendly fun, Trails & Sails events has something for everyone! 🛶🗺️🥾

Join us from September 12th to 27th as we get our yearly reminder of just how much the Essex National Heritage Area has to offer. Follow along as we count down to our biggest year yet! 💚💙
•
•
•
Learn more here: https://trailsandsails.org
•
•
•

Visit Massachusetts North of Boston

06/05/2026

We’re counting down the days until we celebrate the 25th anniversary of Trails & Sails in September. This year is shaping up to be the biggest Trails & Sails to date, with over 200 events already scheduled across Essex County. The next 100 days will be exciting, so follow us here for all the updates!

More information: https://trailsandsails.org/countdown-to-trails-sails/

06/05/2026

We're counting down the days until we celebrate the 25th anniversary of Trails & Sails in September. This year is shaping up to be the biggest Trails & Sails to date, with over 200 events already scheduled across Essex County. The next 100 days will be exciting, so follow us here for all the updates!

More information: https://trailsandsails.org/countdown-to-trails-sails/

06/02/2026

This Memory Lane Monday, we're celebrating the opening of the Jeremiah Lee Brick Kitchen & Slave Quarters at the Marblehead Museum, a site that invites visitors to explore the hidden histories of Essex County.

This is one of only three surviving detached slave quarters owned by a historic site in New England. Built in the 1760s, it once served as a kitchen, carriage house, and living quarters for the three enslaved individuals who lived and worked on Jeremiah Lee's estate. The exhibit "Resistance & Resilience" uses original documents and artifacts to share their stories, and to celebrate the humanity, agency, and contributions of those enslaved in a Colonial seaport community. With admission by donation, this history is accessible and public.

Essex Heritage is proud to have supported this important project. We invite you to visit and experience this powerful new space for yourself!
•
•
•
If you have any suggestions for future features, or would like Essex Heritage to feature your organization’s Rev250 highlights, comment below or email us at [email protected].



MA250 America250 Marblehead Museum

05/29/2026

As we conclude tourism month, Kate Fox shares how Trails & Sails helps fuel tourism in Essex County. 💚💙

Whether you're traveling from across town or from another state, Trails & Sails is the perfect opportunity to try something new. And good news -- our online calendar is ready for exploration! Start building your itinerary today and stay tuned throughout the summer as we continue to add more free events happening in the Essex National Heritage Area from September 12-27.

📆 https://trailsandsails.org/calendar/

A big thank you to Kate Fox, Executive Director of Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism (MOTT) for her participation in this four-part interview and to JGPR for filming! ✨
•
•
•
Interested in learning more about Trails & Sails? Mark your calendars for September 12-27 and learn more here: https://trailsandsails.org/



North of Boston Visit Massachusetts

05/28/2026

Learn all about Essex County's privateering history! ⚓

Another installation in our "Conflict & Community: Salem, Essex County, and the American Revolution" lecture series, this FREE event will feature historian Dr. Emily Murphy, Curator for Salem Maritime National Historical Park and Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site.

While most of us learned about the land battles of the Revolution, far less is known about the merchants and mariners who risked everything to take the fight to the British on the high seas. Dr. Murphy will explore the world of Essex County's privateersmen and navy sailors — and examine how privateering transformed the economy and daily life in North Shore port communities.

Space is limited, so registration is strongly recommended. Don't miss it!

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-spirit-of-privateering-prevails-here-revolutionary-war-at-sea-tickets-1985827765303?

📆 Date: Thursday, June 11, 2026
🕘 Time: 6:30pm to 7:45pm
📍 Location: Salem Armory Regional Visitor Center, Salem

MA250 America250 Salem Maritime National Historic Site

05/27/2026

They say it's about the journey and not the destination, but we're still glad to finally have our Fourth-Order Fresnel lens safely home! ✨

After being away for 50 years, this original Bakers lens was recently acquired through a long-term loan with the US Coast Guard. It was an opportunity we couldn't pass up, but the work isn't done! Now we need your help to make this homecoming to the Bakers Island Lighthouse Station last for generations to come.

Your gift will fund several important projects that we MUST complete this summer, including:

🔆 Custom Display Case Construction
🔅 Professional Transportation and Handling
🔆 Lampist Condition Assessment
🔅 UV Protection and Environmental Monitoring
🔆 Interpretive Exhibit Development "More than an Artifact" in the Assistant Keeper's House

The return of the lens is not simply a museum acquisition, it is a reunion! 💛

Learn more and donate here: https://www.bakersislandlight.org/bringthelighthome/

Bakers Island Light Station