Abby Epplett, Historian

In September 2024, I visited places and attended programs in Essex National Heritage Area as part of its annual event Trails & Sails . During my trip, I hiked on several trails in the area, most of which were maintained either by Greenbelt, which is Essex County’s land trust, or by The Trustees of Reservations, a non-profit organization in Massachusetts.

In September 2024, I visited places and attended programs in Essex National Heritage Area as part of its annual event Trails & Sails . On my second day, I visited Central Cemetery in Beverly, just down the street from Hale Farm. This cemetery has been in operation since the 18 th century and is still active. Perhaps the most famous burial is Nathan Dane , last mentioned in my post on Cabot House as the Senator who added the amendment to bar slavery in the Northwest Territory into the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 .

In September 2024, I visited places and attended programs in Essex National Heritage Area as part of its annual event Trails & Sails . On my second day, I visited the John Hale Farm in Beverly, MA . This farm was completed by 1694 and owned by Reverend John Hale , a minister at First Parish Church in Beverly who is best known for first supporting and then decrying the Salem Witch Trials, which seemingly took place during the construction the farm in 1692. Hale’s book, titled in part A Modest Enquiry into the Nature of Witchcraft , was published in 1702, two years after his death, and served as an explanation of what happened in Salem. The house has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1974 .

In September 2024, I visited places and attended programs in Essex National Heritage Area as part of its annual event Trails & Sails . On my second day, I visited the John Balch House in Beverly, MA . This 1679 post-medieval style home was the former residence of the colonial Balch family and purchased by the Balch Family Association with the help of William Sumner Appleton, Jr. in 1916. Appleton would later found the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities (SPNEA), now called Historic New England (HNE) . Meanwhile, the house was given to the Beverly Historical Society, now Historic Beverly, in 1932, and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 .

In September 2024, I visited places and attended programs in Essex National Heritage Area as part of its annual event Trails & Sails . On my second day, I visited the John Cabot House in Beverly, MA. This 1781 Georgian style red brick building was the former residence of the wealthy Cabot family, who earned their fortune as successful merchant mariners. The building is now the headquarters of Historic Beverly and has been since 1892 after Edward Burley bequeathed it to the historical society.

In September 2024, I visited places and attended programs in Essex National Heritage Area as part of its annual event Trails & Sails . On my second day, I visited Hospital Point Lighthouse in Beverly, MA. Built in 1872, this lighthouse is owned by the United States Coast Guard and acts as a private residence for the First Coast Guard District Commander and his family. The open house during Trails & Sails is one of the few times the general public is permitted on the property, and regular readers know I cannot deny myself a good lighthouse tour .