what is it like to live in amesbury ma
Celebrated Amesbury, Massachusetts, is a complex place, where country roads see historic landmarks from the industrial age. Once labeled "The City known as the Town of Amesbury," this municipality operates nether a city-based governance, but feels like a much smaller community. The Powow River carves through the city center, before rushing on to run across the Merrimack River, whose meandering banks mark Amesbury'due south southern-most border— both important reminders of the maritime and mill trades that once powered the city.
Like many New England cities and towns, the heart of Amesbury, Massachusetts, sports a gazebo.
Brenda Darroch
I made my fashion to Amesbury on a sunny Friday afternoon to meet up with local Justin Hunt to learn more near the city. He and his lovely wife, Jamie, had the virtually interesting, if somewhat anarchistic, itinerary planned for me: one that would actually give me a taste of their hometown's historic past every bit it pertained to the industrial revolution, arts and culture, and its residents.
Our first terminate was at Camp Bauercrest, a Jewish boys' summer camp located on a wedge of land rising up from the shore of Lake Attitash, where nosotros met with Director Eric Rightor. Though most buildings were shuttered for the season, he gave u.s.a. an overview of the campsite's past as we trekked down to the waterfront. So how does this recreational getaway effigy into Amesbury'southward history? Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President of the United States, passed many a happy summertime day hither when it was a private residence, as the invitee of and so-owner and Mayor of Lynn, Massachusetts, Ralph South. Bauer.
Camp Bauercrest beneath a blanket of snow.
Brenda Darroch
Photographs of former campers line the walls at Camp Bauercrest.
Brenda Darroch
Attitash Lake
Brenda Darroch
From there, we sped along Pleasant Valley Road, trailing the path of the lower Merrimack toward Hatter's Signal. In one case home to the Merrimac Chapeau Company, portions of the stately brick buildings that hug the river'due south edge accept since been renovated into condos. But that wasn't our destination. We were headed across the street to R.E. Kimball—makers of pocket-size-batch jams, jellies & relishes. All the items produced at the "Jelly Manufactory"—nicknamed the "Pickle Palace" in its early days due to the popularity of their watermelon pickle—are made completely by paw in one 75 gallon steam vat. But information technology'due south not that single kettle, the hand-stirring, or fifty-fifty the historic building they occupy that makes this place so special. Information technology's the tradition of using pure, quality ingredients that the founding family unit infused into this business, now run by third-generation family members, Kim and Kate Gilbert.
This old-fashioned label stamper was once used for shoe boxes at the Haverhill shoe factories earlier being retrofitted for jelly jars.
Brenda Darroch
Jars of jelly and chutney are boxed and shipped from the back of R.E. Kimballs.
Brenda Darroch
How exercise you follow up a visit to the former pickle palace? With a stop at Lowell'south Boat Shop, which has been credited with producing the beginning fishing dory. Step through the doors, and earlier you fifty-fifty meet the hulking frames of wooden boats taking shape (under the watchful eye of Graham McKay—part boat-building manager, part museum curator), you're hit with the smell of freshly hewn wood. Now a working museum dedicated to preserving the arts and crafts of wooden boat building, Lowell'southward was established in 1793, making information technology the oldest continually operating boat shop in the United states of america.
Lowell's Boat Shop.
Brenda Darroch
According to my guides, boatshop manager Graham McKay always wears a tweed blazer to work.
Brenda Darroch
Niki, the boat store dog, may have the best gig in the place and certainly the best "office" view.
Brenda Darroch
With our stomachs rumbling, nosotros left the river's edge for the Millyard—a cluster of 19thursday century buildings that once supported Amesbury'southward fabric industry—to grab a bite to eat. Flatbread Pizza opened its doors in Amesbury, Massachusetts, in 1998, offering "real nutrient, served by real people, in a real environment." While tempted to gobble our pies up, Jamie managed to relieve some for the ducks who paddle along the placid surface of the Powow before it tumbles over the crest of the waterfall and into the chute that curves between the historic mill buildings.
Historic factory buildings curve along the Powow River.
Brenda Darroch
Neatly stacked rows of firewood line the walk to Flabread Pizza.
Brenda Darroch
Mallard ducks crowd the walkway alongside the Powow River.
Brenda Darroch
Having fed as many ducks every bit possible while saving a few slices for later, nosotros wended our way around to an 1800s era manufactory edifice on Loftier Street that at present houses Amesbury Industrial Supply, a massive hardware store. I accept to admit that visiting a hardware store while exploring a town is a start for me, but information technology all fabricated sense in one case I met iind-generation proprietor Greg Jardis. Sure, he'southward a character and I suspect people popular in to his store only to chew the fat with him, only information technology'due south his visitor philosophy that illustrates the connection Amesbury residents feel for their metropolis'south heritage. While not everything in the store is, or can be, manufactured in the United States, they carry as many American-made products as possible. Our ancestors congenital this metropolis with their labor to provide a amend life for future generations, Greg tells me, so why would we turn away from that to relieve a few pennies at a large box store that fills its shelves with products made in other countries? Why, indeed?
Greg Jardis displays some of the goods available at Amesbury Industrial.
Brenda Darroch
What'due south so special about this brick? It'due south signed by Robert Patten, the Master Mason who constructed the building Amesbury Industrial now occupies. Masons traditionally scratched their names into a brick laid on the East side of a building.
Brenda Darroch
A view of the manufactory buildings that surround Amesbury Industrial.
Brenda Darroch
We could have whiled away several hours volleying "practice you have…" inventory questions at Greg, merely Bob Schledwitz was waiting for united states of america, fix to open up the John Greenleaf Whittier Home to give us a tour. Open to the public between May and October (check hours of operation before visiting), the museum gives visitors a chance to observe the business firm as it would accept appeared between 1836 and 1892 when Whittier (along with his mother, aunt, and younger sister) was living at that place, penning several of his most famous works—some poetic in nature, others advocating against the evils of slavery.
John Greenleaf Whittier House
Brenda Darroch
Pace inside this room, and yous tin can well-nigh imagine John Greenleaf Whittier working away at the desk.
Brenda Darroch
You may have known Whittier equally an author and an abolitionist, merely he was as well a Quaker, and and then our next stop was to the Friends Meeting House, "Where Whittier Worshipped." Justin'south mother, Paula Chase, was on mitt to testify us around the elementary white edifice. You might think the structure plain were it not for the luxuriously over-sized windows that allow a flood of sunlight to sweep through its two main rooms, imbuing it with a sense of peace and well being. The Amesbury Quakers are an active grouping in the community, working to improve the lives of others through charity work and peaceful protests.
Friends Coming together House — "Where Whittier Worshipped"
Brenda Darroch
The division to the correct can be cranked up to join the ii main rooms a the Friends Meeting House.
Brenda Darroch
We couldn't wrap upward our tour without visiting 2 places that operate at the heart of the community. The Amesbury Public Library, where John Greenleaf Whittier served as one of the first trustees and book curators, and Our Neighbor's Table, a non-profit organization defended to feeding those in need. Justin and Jamie, along with their ii boys, are so committed to the mission of Our Neighbor'south Table that they volunteer at that place as a family, and final Christmas their oldest son Derek asked Santa to donate food for the organization rather than a gift for himself. Santa delivered and managed to sneak a toy or ii in as well.
The Amesbury Library is a community gathering spot.
Brenda Darroch
With the sun only starting to fade behind the tree tops, our very unusual tour wrapped upward. Have you figured out what all of these establishments had in common for Justin to cull them for our outing? All are anchored in traditions that celebrate Amesbury, Massachusetts' sense of history, community, and even that old Yankee work ethic.
Accept you ever visited Amesbury, Massachusetts?
This postal service was get-go published in 2014 and has been updated.
Source: https://newengland.com/today/travel/massachusetts/amesbury-massachusetts/
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