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Newburyport, Massachusetts

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Template:Infobox Town MA Newburyport is a small coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, 38 miles (61 km) northeast of Boston. A historic seaport with a vibrant tourism industry, Newburyport includes part of Plum Island.

History

Located on the North Shore, Newburyport was first settled in 1635 as part of "Newberry Plantation," now Newbury. It would be set off and incorporated as a town in 1764, and then as a city in 1851. Situated near the mouth of the Merrimack River, it was once a whaling, shipbuilding and shipping center, with an industry in silverware manufacture. The seaport declined after President Thomas Jefferson's Embargo of 1807 and the War of 1812 (although a port for privateering during it), which helped preserve Newburyport's charming early appearance. The city's historical highlights include:

Notable Residents:

Historic Houses & Museums:

Historic Preservaton

Like many other U.S. cities, by the 1960s many of Newburyport's historic buildings had been allowed to fall into disrepair or were razed. By the early 1970s, however, a number of civic groups began to work to restore Newburyport's downtown to its original state. The 1975 completion of the Inn Street Mall marked the final stage of the restoration of historic downtown Newburyport. The city is frequently cited as an example of how to preserve a city's historic architecture, while still allowing it to be liveable and functional.

  • State Street in c. 1906
    State Street in c. 1906
  • Dexter House in c. 1908
    Dexter House in c. 1908
  • Frog Pond in c. 1905
    Frog Pond in c. 1905
  • Joppa Landing in c. 1906
    Joppa Landing in c. 1906

Geography

Newburyport is located at 42°48′45″N 70°52′39″W / 42.81250°N 70.87750°W / 42.81250; -70.87750Invalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (42.812391, -70.877440)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 27.4 km² (10.6 mi²). 21.7 km² (8.4 mi²) of it is land and 5.7 km² (2.2 mi²) of it (20.77%) is water. Newburyport is drained by the Merrimack River.

Demographics

File:Brown Square, Newburyport, MA.jpg
Brown Square in 1913

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 17,189 people, 7,519 households, and 4,428 families residing in the city. The population density was 792.0/km² (2,050.3/mi²). There were 7,897 housing units at an average density of 363.8/km² (942.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.11% White, 0.42% African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.61% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.16% from other races, and 0.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.88% of the population.

There were 7,519 households out of which 25.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.7% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.1% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.90.

City Hall in c. 1910

In the city the population was spread out with 20.7% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 32.7% from 25 to 44, 28.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 86.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $158,557, and the median income for a family was $173,306. Males had a median income of $151,831 versus $137,853 for females. The per capita income for the city was $134,187. About .8% of families and .2% of the population were below the poverty line, including .3% of those under age 18 and .9% of those age 65 or over.

"Yankee Homecoming"

"Yankee Homecoming" is the annual festival celebrating the first European settlers to the Newburyport area. It begins on the last Saturday of July and ends on the first Sunday of August. The first Sunday of the festival, known as "Olde Fashioned Sunday," is celebrated at the Bartlett Mall in downtown Newburyport, and features many activities, including an art show, an appearance by the city's oldest fire engine, the "Neptune," and the participation of many local businesses. There is also an antique car show. Other popular events include the "Bed Race" in which a bed, pushed by a few people, is rolled down Federal Street. There is also a fireworks show, and, most notable of all, the famous parade on the last Sunday of the festival. More recently, there are concerts every night at the waterfront park, and the 3 year old "Annual Boat Parade." Each Yankee Homecoming features a grand marshal and numerous street vendors. Newburyport's "Yankee Homecoming" is the oldest in the country. Every night during Yankee Homecoming various bands play for audiences on the boardwalk.

Points of interest

Atkinson Common in 1908

High Street is a remarkable street of fine old houses, linking the Atkinson Common (1893-1894) with the Bartlett Mall, site of the Charles Bulfinch-designed Essex County Superior Courthouse (1805). Laid out in 1801, the Bartlett Mall was redesigned in the 1880s by noted Boston landscape architect Charles Eliot, with later improvements by Arthur Shurcliff.

Newburyport High School is located on historic High Street. This school is unusual, as its library has been officially declared an echo chamber. Only 24 public schools along the eastern seaboard can state this claim. Students are often deafened by the booming voice of Dean of Student Life, Tim McCarron.

Also located on High Street is the Kelley School, built in 1872. It is the second oldest continuous-running public school in the United States that has not seen a significant alteration to its physical plant. Entering through the doors of this friendly neighborhood school takes one back to a time when education was smaller and more personal.

Some other points of interest are: the city's historic waterfront, Market Square & Inn Street, Cashman Park, and the world-famous "Park Lunch" restaurant which recovered from a fire two years ago.

Publications

  • Smith, History of Newburyport, Mass., (Boston, 1854)
  • D. H. Hurd, History of Essex County, Mass., (Philadelphia, 1888)
  • J. J. Currier, History of Newburyport, (Newburyport, 1906)

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