National Register Listings in
Essex County, Massachusetts

Abbot Hall Abbot Tavern Abbot, Asa and Sylvester, House Abbot, Benjamin, House Abbot, J. T., House Abbot-Baker House Abbot-Battles House Abbot-Stinson House Academy Hill Historic District Adams, Abraham, House Adams-Clarke House ADVENTURE (schooner) Agawan Diner American Woolen Company Townhouses American Woolen Mill Housing District Amesbury and Salisbury Mills Village Historic District Amesbury Friends Meeting House Andover National Bank Andover Town Hall Andover Village Industrial District Ann's Diner Annisquam Harbor Light Station Arden Arlington Mills Historic District Arlington-Basswood Historic District Asbury Grove Historic District Babson-Alling House Bailey House Bailey, Timothy P., House Baker's Island Light Station Balch, John, House Ballardvale District Barker, Stephen, House Barnard Block Barnard, Parson, House Beauport Beauport Bellvue Cemetery Beverly Center Business District Beverly Depot Beverly Depot-Odell Park Historic District Beverly Grammar School Beverly Powder House Blakeley Building Blanchard-Upton House Boardman House Boardman, John, House Bowditch, Nathaniel, House Bowker Place Boxford Village Historic District Bradford Burial Ground Bradford Common Historic District Bradlee School Breakheart Reservation Parkways-Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston Bridge Street Neck Historic District Briggs Carriage Company Brown House Brown Square House Brown Stocking Mill Historic District Brown's Manor Brown, Austin, House Buildings at 24-30 Summer St. Burnham, David, House Burnham, James, House Burnham-Patch House Buswell, J.E., House Cable, Benjamin Stickney, Memorial Hospital Cabot, Capt. John, House Caldwell Block Calef, Dr. John, House Capen, Parson, House Capitol Diner Carlton-Frie-Tucker House Castle Hill Central Gloucester Historic District Central Square Historic District Central Street District Chandler-Bigsby-Abbot House Chandler-Hidden House Chaplin-Clarke House Charter Street Historic District Chase, Samuel, House Chestnut Street District Chestnut Street District (Boundary Increase) Chickering House Choate Bridge Choate, Rufus, House City Hall Claflin-Richards House Cochran,Jehiel, House Cogswell's Grant Coker, Benjamin, House Community House Conant, Exercise, House Corning, Samuel, House Crombie Street District Cushing, Caleb, House Daddy Frye's Hill Cemetery Dalton House Dascomb House Davis, Ephraim, House Davis-Freeman House Derby Summerhouse Derby Waterfront District Derby Wharf Light Station Diamond Historic District Dickinson-Pillsbury-Witham House Dodge Building Dolan, Terence, House Double-arch Sandstone Bridge Downtown Lawrence Historic District Downtown Salem District Dustin House Dyke-Wheeler House East End Historic District East Gloucester Square Historic District East Parish Meeting House Eastern Point Light Station Emerson House Emerson House Emerson, Capt. Oliver, Homestead Emmons, G.B., House Engine House No. 6 English High School Essex Company Machine Shop Essex Company Offices and Yard Essex County Court Buildings Essex Insitiute Historic District Essex Town Hall and TOHP Burnham Library Estey Tavern Fabens Building Federal Street District Felton, Nathaniel, Houses First Baptist Church First Church Congregational First Parish Burial Ground First Religious Society Church and Parish Hall First Unitarian Church First Universalist Church Fish Flake Hill Historic District Fish Flake Hill Historic District (Boundary Increase) Flint Farm Flint Public Library Follansbee House Fort Pickering Fort Sewall Foster, Gen. Gideon, House Foster, Phineas, House Foster, Stephen, House Foster, William, House Fowler House Fowler, Rea Putnam, House Fox Hill School French-Andrews House Friend, James, House Front Street Block Frye, Nathan, House Frye, Samuel, House Fuller, Joseph, House Fuller, Lieut. Thomas, House G.A.R. Hall and Museum Gardiner-Pingree House Gedney and Cox Houses Georgetown Central School Gerry, Elbridge, House Giddings, George, House and Barn Giddings-Burnham House Gleason Building Gloucester City Hall Gloucester Fisherman's Memorial Gloucester Net and Twine Company Glover, Gen. John, House Goodale, Isaac, House Gott House Gould, Capt. Joseph, House Gould, Zaccheus, House Grace Episcopal Church Granite Keystone Bridge Grant, Benjamin, House Gray, David, House Great Stone Dam Greenlawn Cemetery Hale, Reverend John, House Hale-Boynton House Hamilton Hall Hamilton Historic District Hammond Castle Harding, Sarah H., House Hardy, Joseph, House Hardy, Urias, House Harnden Farm Harraden, Edward, House Harris Farm Hart House Haskell, William, House Hastings-Morse House Haverhill Board of Trade Building Haverhill Historical Society Historic District Hayes, Charles H., Building Hazen-Kimball-Aldrich House Hazen-Spiller House Heard-Lakeman House Henfield House Herrick, Ella Proctor, House Hickey-Osborne Block High Rock Tower-High Rock Cottage and Daisy Cottage High Service Water Tower and Reservoir High Street Cemetery High Street Historic District Holmes, Oliver Wendell, House Holt Farm Holt-Cummings-Davis House Holyoke-French House Hooper, Robert "King", Mansion Hopkinson, George, House Hose House No. 2 Hospital Point Light Station House 15-19 Park Street House at 10 Park Street House at 113-115 Center Street House at 13 Annis Street House at 136 Hampstead Street House at 23 East Street House at 262-264 Pelham Street House at 306 Broadway House at 4 Birch Avenue House at 491 Prospect Street House at 50 Pelham Street House at 526 Prospect Street House at 9 Park Street House at 922 Dale Street House of Seven Gables Historic District House on Labor-in-Vain Road Howe Barn Howe Village Historic District Humphreys, Sir John, House Intervale Factory Ipswich Mills Historic District Jackson Terrace Historic District Jenkins, Benjamin, House Johnson House Johnson, Capt. Timothy, House Joseph Fenno House-Woman's Friend Society Kimball, Solomon, House Kittredge Mansion Kunhardt, George, Estate L.H. Hamel Leather Company Historic District Lake, Stanley, House Lambert, Thomas, House Lane, Fitz Henry (formerly known as Fitz Hugh), House Larch Farm Lawrence Street Cemetery Lee, Jeremiah, House Lincolnshire, The Livermore, William, House Lodge, Henry Cabot, House Lovejoy, Charles, House Low, Thomas, House Lowell's Boat Shop Lynn Bank Block Lynn Common Historic District Lynn Masonic Hall Lynn Memorial City Hall and Auditorium Lynn Public Library Lynn Realty Company Building No. 2 Lynn Woods Historic District Lynn, Armory Machine Shop Village District Macy-Colby House Main Street Historic District Main Street-Locke Manchester Village Historic District Manning House Marblehead Historic District Marblehead Light March, Samuel, House Market Square Historic District Mary Baker Eddy House Mechanics Block Historic District Mechanics Block Historic District (Boundary Increase) Meetinghouse Common District Meetinghouse Green Historic District Memorial Hall Library Merrifield House Merrimack Associates Building Methuen Memorial Music Hall Methuen Water Works Monroe, Bessie, House Moore-Hill House Morse, Moses, House Morse, Timothy, House Mowers' Block Munroe Street Historic District Murray, William, House Musgrove Block Nahant Beach Boulevard-Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston Nahant Civic Historic District Nahant Life-Saving Station Nevins Memorial Library Nevins, Henry C., Home for Aged and Incurables New Hampshire, The Newbury Historic District Newburyport Harbor Front Range Light Newburyport Harbor Light Newburyport Harbor Rear Range Light Newburyport Historic District Newell Farm Newhall, Lucian, House Newman-Fiske-Dodge House North Andover Center Historic District North Canal North Canal Historic District North Canal Historic District (Boundary Increase) North Street Fire Station Norwood-Hyatt House Noyes, James, House O'Shea Building Oak Grove Cemetery Odd Fellows' Hall Old Castle Old Farm Old Garrison House Old Lynn High School Old Post Office Building Old Public Library Old Town Farm Old Town Hall Historic District Old Town House Olmsted Subdivision Historic District Orlando Osborne, Prince, House Osgood Farm Osgood Hill Osgood, Col. John, House Osgood, Samuel, House Our Lady of Good Voyage Church Paine-Dodge House Palmer School Park Lodge Patch, Emeline, House Peabody Central Fire Station Peabody City Hall Peabody Civic Center Historic District Peabody Institute Peabody Institute Library Peabody Museum of Salem Peabody School Peabody, George, House Peabody, John P., House Pearson, Abiel, House Perkins, John, House Perkins, Joseph, House Perrin, William, House Pierce-Nichols House Pillsbury-French House Pine Grove Cemetery Pinkham, Lydia, House Platts-Bradstreet House Pleasant-High Historic District Point Neighborhood Historic District Primrose Street Schoolhouse Proctor, John, House Punchard, Benjamin House Puritan House Putnam, Deacon Edward, Jr., House Putnam, Gen. Israel, House Putnam, James, Jr., House Rea-Proctor Homestead Ridgewood Cemetery River Road-Cross Street Historic District Rockport Downtown Main Street Historic District Rockport High School Rockport High School, Old Rocks Village Historic District Rocky Hill Meetinghouse and Parsonage Rocky Neck Historic District Rogers-Downing House Rollins, John R., School Ross Tavern Russell House Rust, Nathaniel, Mansion Sacred Heart Parish Complex Salem Common Historic District Salem Common Historic District (Boundary Increase) Salem Diner Salem Landry Salem Maritime National Historic Site Salem Village Historic District Salem Willows Historic District Samuel Brown School Sargent-Robinson House Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site Saugus Town Hall Saunders, Daniel, School Sawyer House School Street School Searles High School Seaside Park Second O'Shea Building Sewall-Scripture House Shawsheen Village Historic District Shepard Block Simpson, James E., House Smith House Smith, Hazadiah, House Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Building South Green Historic District Southwick House Spencer-Pierce-Little House Spicket Falls Historic District Spofford-Barnes House Sprague House St. Michael's Church St. Nicholas Orthodox Church and Rectory St. Stephen's Memorial Church Stacy, George O., House State Lunatic Hospital at Danvers Stevens, Abiel, House Story Grammar School Story, Joseph, House Straightsmouth Island Light Superior Courthouse and Bartlett Mall Sutton Block Swampscott Cemetery Swampscott Fish House Swampscott Railroad Depot Swan, Asie, House Tapley Building Tavern Acres Historic District Ten Pound Island Light Tenny Castle Gatehouse Third Railroad Station Thomson, Elihu, House Thorndike, Capt. John, House Titcomb, Benaiah, House Topsfield Town Common District Towne Farm Tufts, Rev. John, House Turner Hill Turnpike House Twin Lights Historic District-Cape Ann Light Station United Shoe Machinery Corporation Clubhouse US Customhouse US Post Office-Beverly Main US Post Office-Lynn Main US Post Office-Newburyport Main US Post Office-Salem Main Vamp Building Wade House Waldo, George A., House Walker Body Company Factory Walnut Grove Cemetery Ward, John, House Ward, Joshua, House Ward, Richard, House Washington Street Historic District Washington Street Shoe District Webster-Lane House Wenham Historic District Wesley Methodist Church West Cogswell House West Parish Center District Whipple, John, House White-Ellery House White-Preston House Whittemore House Whittier, John Greenleaf, Homestead (Haverhill) Whittier, John Greenleaf, House Wilson, Shoreborne, House Winter Island Historic District and Archeological District Winter Street School Wood Worsted Mill Woodberry-Quarrels House Woodbridge, Thomas March, House Woodbury, Peter, House Woodridge House YMCA
The first Thanksgiving in America was held in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621. The feast lasted for three days and was attended by both Pilgrims and Native Americans.
Essex County, located in northeastern Massachusetts, has a rich and diverse history that spans over four centuries. The area was originally inhabited by Native American tribes, including the Pawtucket and Naumkeag people, prior to European colonization. In the early 17th century, English colonists settled the region, establishing several towns, most notably Salem, which became a major port and center of trade.

During the late 17th century, Essex County experienced a dramatic event that would shape its history for centuries to come: the Salem Witch Trials. In 1692, a wave of hysteria swept through Salem, resulting in the execution of 20 individuals accused of witchcraft. This dark period is now remembered as one of the most infamous episodes in American history and has left a lasting impact on the county's cultural identity.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, Essex County became a hub of economic activity and industrialization. The region's harbors facilitated trade and shipbuilding, while its rivers powered mills and factories. Cities like Lawrence and Lowell became major centers of textile manufacturing, attracting large numbers of immigrants seeking employment in the mills. This influx of diverse cultures has enriched Essex County's cultural heritage.

In the 20th century, Essex County continued to evolve and adapt to changing times. The decline of traditional industries led to a shift towards a more diversified economy, with an emphasis on healthcare, education, and technology. Today, Essex County remains an important part of the Greater Boston metropolitan area, with its towns and cities offering a blend of historical charm, natural beauty, and urban amenities.

This timeline provides a condensed summary of the historical journey of Essex County, Massachusetts.

  • 1629: The area that is now Essex County is settled by English colonists.
  • 1643: Essex County is officially established as one of the three original counties in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
  • 1692: The infamous Salem Witch Trials take place in Essex County, leading to the execution of several individuals accused of witchcraft.
  • 1700s: Essex County becomes a center for shipbuilding and maritime trade.
  • 1775-1783: Essex County residents play a significant role in the American Revolutionary War, with many serving in the Continental Army.
  • 1808: The Essex Merrimack Bridge, connecting Essex County with Merrimack, New Hampshire, is completed, facilitating trade.
  • 1836: The city of Lawrence is incorporated, becoming one of the major industrial centers in Essex County.
  • 1861-1865: Many residents of Essex County fight in the American Civil War, with some notable involvement in naval operations.
  • 1908: The Great Chelsea Fire destroys parts of Chelsea, a city in Essex County, leading to advancements in fire safety regulations.
  • 1965: Essex County Community College is established in Haverhill, providing higher education opportunities for local residents.
  • 2004: Essex County Greenbelt Association is formed to preserve and protect open spaces and farmlands in the county.