Beverly’s Maritime Role in the American Revolution
2025-09-13 10:00 - 11:30 (America/New_York) | John Cabot House, 117 Cabot Street, Beverly, 01915, United States
Are you fascinated by Beverly’s Revolutionary-era maritime history? Then this walking tour is for you! Join us as we explore historic Beverly, visiting the homes and former businesses of some of the city’s most famous privateers. Enjoy beautiful waterfront views as our knowledgeable guide brings the 18th century to life, describing how these locations looked and operated during the American Revolution. This 1.4-mile tour offers an engaging and educational look at Beverly’s pivotal role in shaping America’s maritime legacy.
Reservation Required. You can register HERE
This event is part of the FREE Trails & Sails event series by Essex Heritage

North Andover’s Revolutionary History Walking Tour
2025-09-13 12:00 - 14:00 | North Andover Historical Society, 800 Massachusetts Ave, North Andover, MA, 01845, United States
We will begin at the North Andover Historical Society’s headquarters with a guided tour of our newest revolutionary exhibit, The Aspirations of Ordinary People. We will then tour the original center of the Andovers, hearing tales of the revolution as we visit the two original cemeteries and see the graves and living spaces of our revolutionary soldiers.
Reservation Required. You can register HERE
This event is part of the FREE Trails & Sails event series by Essex Heritage

The Marblehead Fort in 1775
2025-09-13 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-09-27 13:00 - 14:00 | Fort Sewall, Front Street, Marblehead, MA, United States
Join Judy Anderson for a walking tour of Fort Sewall.
Marblehead’s Fort Sewall was enlarged to its current footprint in 1775, as the Revolutionary War’s eight long years began –– though it wasn’t called Fort Sewall (after Samuel Sewall of Marblehead) until about 1800. Established in 1644, Marblehead’s defensive fort was renovated six different times, during six different wars. Owned and funded by the English Parliament before 1775, and by the U. S. after 1776, each renovation was overseen by two professional military engineers.
Tour meets at Fort Beach on Front St., Marblehead
This event is part of the FREE Trails & Sails event series by Essex Heritage

Tour the home of Marblehead's Famous Loyalist, Robert ‘King’ Hooper
2025-09-14 12:00 - 13:00 | King Hooper Mansion, 8 Hooper Street, Marblehead, MA, United States
Rare opportunity ! A guided tour through the home of one of Marblehead’s few Loyalists, Robert “King” Hooper (1709 – 1790), explaining his Loyalist stance, and the tragedies of his long life and wealth. It will also focus on his extensive family: 4 wives (in sequence), 11 children (all by one wife ~ his second, married 28 years), and 4 step-children (brought to the household by his third wife, who was twice widowed, just as Hooper had been). Plus some interior architecture: Georgian period (c.1750) bedrooms, two early cellar kitchens, a Federal-period front parlor (early 1800s), and a 3rd -floor Federal era ballroom.
Meet outside the King Hooper Mansion, 8 Hooper Street., Marblehead
This event is part of the FREE Trails & Sails event series by Essex Heritage

Benedict Arnold in Danvers: Lecture
2025-09-14 13:00 - 13:45 | Tapley Memorial Hall, 13 Page Street, Danvers, MA, 01923, United States
Join us for a lecture at Tapley Memorial Hall by local historian Dan Gagnon from 1:00pm-1:30pm
This event will be followed immediately by another event. CLICK HERE to learn more
Did you know that when Arnold was still on the Patriots’ side of the Revolution, he and his troops camped in Danvers?
In September 1775, early in the American Revolutionary War, Colonel Benedict Arnold led a force of 1,100 Continental Army troops on an expedition from Cambridge in the Province of Massachusetts Bay to the gates of Quebec City.
One of the most strategic and daring exploits of the patriot cause during the revolution. Part of the troops encamped in the Town of Danvers on the night of September 14, 1775, on their way to Newburyport, where they embarked for the Kennebec River, and their famous march through the uncharted wilderness of Maine was accomplished despite formidable obstacles and excessive privations. Native Americans, specifically the Abenaki, played a role as scouts and guides, and there was also hope for broader support from the Indigenous and French Canadian populations against the British.
This event is part of the FREE Trails & Sails event series by Essex Heritage

Benedict Arnold in Danvers: Gathering of Troops
2025-09-14 14:00 - 15:00 | Arnold’s Expedition to Quebec Marker, Conant & High Street, Danvers, MA, 01923, United States
On September 5, 1775, General Washington called for 786 volunteers from the Continental Army assembled at Cambridge. Their ambitious mission: march to the gates of Québec and capture the city. Led by Colonel Benedict Arnold, hero of Ticonderoga, and joined by approximately 250 Pennsylvania and Virginia riflemen, this expedition was ordered to march from Cambridge to Newburyport, sail to Fort Western (Augusta, Maine), and then traverse rivers and portage paths through the wilderness to reach the fortress of Québec. There they would join a second army from New York to assault the city.
On their way to Newburyport, a detachment of 1,100 troops camped in Danvers on the night of September 14, 1775. These Continental soldiers were welcomed into town by cheering crowds, who opened their homes to the weary troops. Historically, the encampment was located behind the modern-day Berry Tavern.
Join us on September 14th at 2:00 PM for a reenactment commemorating this historic gathering of troops. We will have reenactors in period clothing conduct military drills and musket firing demonstrations at the monument adjacent to the Berry Tavern, bringing this pivotal moment in Revolutionary War history to life.
This event is part of the FREE Trails & Sails event series by Essex Heritage

Spirit of ’76 Painting & WPA Murals
2025-09-14 14:00 - 15:00 | Abbot Hall, 188 Washington Street, Marblehead, MA, 01970, United States
Guided tour of Abbot Hall, Marblehead’s 4th town meeting hall, whose corner stone was laid in 1876, the nation’s Centennial year. Be inspired by the giant life-size “Spirit of ’76” painting, explore Revolutionary & historical murals painted in 1934 during the nation’s WPA (Works Progress Administration) program, and more. A different program in Abbot Hall is offered the following weekend.

Meet outside the main front door of Abbot Hall. (If raining, meet just inside the glass doors.)

This event is part of the FREE Trails & Sails event series by Essex Heritage

Marblehead on the Eve of Revolution
2025-09-14 15:30 - 17:30, 2025-09-26 17:00 - 19:00 | Abbot Hall, 188 Washington Street, Marblehead, MA, 01970, United States
A walking tour of downtown Marblehead focusing on the mid-1700s, on the eve of Revolution, when the gritty but thriving and prosperous international Atlantic seaport was the sixth most populous metropolis in British North America. The town’s zealous and nearly fully rebel (Patriot) service in the 8-year war, first on land and then at sea, caused an economic crash that preserved much of the 18th c townscape seen today, including about 300 houses from before 1775 and a significant wooden high-style Georgian municipal building constructed 1727-29.
Meet outside the main entrance to Abbot Hall, 188 Washington St. (restrooms in the lowest level of that building, in the midst of the sign museum, before the tour starts).
This event is part of the FREE Trails & Sails event series by Essex Heritage

Battle of Menotomy: Myth, Lore, & History
2025-09-16 18:00 - 19:00 | Rebecca Nurse Homestead, 149 Pine Street, Danvers, 01923, United States
Professor Donald Hayes will be presenting on his recent research and discovery of the role Danvers militias played in the Battle of Menotomy at the time of the Battle of Lexington and Concord. Danvers lost seven men that day, second only to Lexington itself. He will highlight what is myth about the events vs what is a documented fact. Hayes is a longtime member of the Danvers Alarm List Company, re-enacting the Danvers Militia unit of 1775.
Seated capacity will be limited, and attendees will be seated on a first-come, first-served basis. Attendees may arrive up to 30 minutes before the start of the lecture
This event is part of the FREE Trails & Sails event series by Essex Heritage

Revolutionary Tea on a Gambrel Roof
2025-09-17 19:00 - 20:00 | Tapley Memorial Hall, 13 Page Street, Danvers, MA, 01923, United States
A creative theatrical presentation based on a circa 1875 local poem by Lucy Larcom about the historic Danvers Jeremiah Page House. Period music, and an art installation add to the illustration of the story: When the British monarchy started taxing tea in the colonies, Jeremiah told Sarah that “no tea shall be drunk in this house”. However, in Sarah’s words, “Upon a house is not within it”. There will be a Q&A session after the production.
Please arrive 10 minutes before the start time; the program will start promptly at 7:00pm.
This event is part of the FREE Trails & Sails event series by Essex Heritage

John Glover’s Marblehead Schooner, Hannah (1765-1775)
2025-09-18 19:00 - 20:00
Six years ago, vessel biographer Randy Biddle decided to investigate the origin story and likely appearance of a small, schooner named Hannah, owned in Marblehead by John Glover. On October 10, 1775. she became famous for her harrowing engagement with, and narrow escape from the much larger British naval vessel, Nautilus, near the entrance to Beverly Harbor. This illustrated presentation will challenge the conventional wisdom about Hannah.

This presentation is fully virtual and will take place on Zoom, registration is required to receive Zoom link for access. Click HERE to register

This event is part of the FREE Trails & Sails event series by Essex Heritage

Newburyport Commemorates 250th Anniversary of the 1775 Quebec Expedition (Friday)
2025-09-19
Newburyport Commemorates 250th Anniversary of the 1775 Quebec Expedition with Multi-Day Celebration
Newburyport’s Road to Revolution—a collaboration with community partners including the Museum of Old Newbury, the Custom House Maritime Museum, First Parish Church, Newbury, Old South Church, and the Brigadier General James Brickett–Old Newbury Chapter, NSDAR—proudly presents a special three-day commemoration of the 250th anniversary of Benedict Arnold’s 1775 Quebec Expedition.
Details for all events are found at HERE.
Friday, September 19th – Echoes of Departure

Road to Revolution Exhibit: Discover artifacts and stories of Newburyport’s role in the Revolution at the Custom House Maritime Museum, open 10 am – 5 pm.
Revolutionary Tidings: Bells ring across town to announce Arnold’s departure at 12 pm.
Through a Howling Wilderness: lecture by historian Thomas Desjardins recounts the march through Maine. Lecture at Saint Paul’s Church, 7 pm – 8:30 pm. Presented by the Museum of Old Newbury.

Newburyport Commemorates 250th Anniversary of the 1775 Quebec Expedition (Saturday)
2025-09-20 08:00 - 17:00
Newburyport’s Road to Revolution—a collaboration with community partners including the Museum of Old Newbury, the Custom House Maritime Museum, First Parish Church, Newbury, Old South Church, and the Brigadier General James Brickett–Old Newbury Chapter, NSDAR—proudly presents a special three-day commemoration of the 250th anniversary of Benedict Arnold’s 1775 Quebec Expedition.
Details for all events are found at HERE.
Saturday, September 20th – Living History and Community

Revolutionary Living History: Reenactors stage Revolutionary camp life at the Custom House Maritime Museum and around the downtown area. 10 am – 4 pm.
“A Moment of Resolve” Reenactment: Recreation of Reverend Samuel Spring’s dramatic send-off sermon with Theater in the Open’s Edward Speck. First Religious Society, 10:30 am.
Revolutionary Newburyport: Tours of the Museum of Old Newbury. 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
DAR Patriot Marker Dedication: Old South Presbyterian Church, 1:30 pm
Walk to the River: Ceremonial procession to the waterfront, 1:30 pm
Genealogy Drop-in Clinic: Museum of Old Newbury, 2 pm – 4 pm

Revolutionary Summer Saturdays
2025-09-20 10:00 - 13:00, 2025-09-27 10:00 - 13:00 | Custom House Maritime Museum, 25 Water Street, Newburyport, MA, 01950, United States
Join us every Saturday through September for FREE outdoor and indoor activities for kids of all ages!
10 am – 1 pm, rain or shine | Free admission to the museum and the interactive Discovery Center during the event.
⚓ Jump all day in the bouncy castle
⚓ Sail the seas in a pirate ship
⚓ Get creative with nautical crafts
⚓ Explore in the sensory water tank
⚓ Steer a boat into port with a wheel from a real pirate ship
⚓ Dress up as a sailor in a kid-sized Custom House
⚓ Test your skills at a scavenger hunt
⚓ Play games and win prizes
⚓ Guide ships home with a working lighthouse
Sponsored by The Institution for Savings and Newburyport Cultural Council
This event is part of the FREE Trails & Sails event series by Essex Heritage

Headers in the Revolution
2025-09-20 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-09-21 10:00 - 16:00
Learn about Marbleheaders during the Revolutionary War and visit various historic sites in town during this weekend-long event. On September 20th and 21st, pick up a program book at the Jeremiah Lee Mansion and experience Revolutionary War-era Marblehead at various sites in the Historic District.
Meet the wife of war hero, James Mugford; explore Fort Sewall with Glover’s Regiment; meet diarist Ashley Bowen portrayed by Donald Friary and experience a colonial Anglican service at St. Michael’s church; walk onboard the Hannah at the State Street Landing; participate in a recreated town meeting and decide whether or not to support the Patriot cause at the Old Town House; tour the Jeremiah Lee Mansion; and learn about the town’s loyalist population at the “King” Hooper Mansion; among other opportunities.
This event is Rain or Shine. CLICK HERE to see the program booklet or print at home
This event is part of the FREE Trails & Sails event series by Essex Heritage

FAME Sails from Marblehead!
2025-09-20 10:15 - 11:45, 2025-09-21 10:15 - 11:45 | Marblehead’s State Street Landing, 75 Front Street, Marblehead, MA, 01945, United States
The Hannah, the first ship in Washington’s fleet was launched in September 1775. To commemorate that important part of Marblehead’s history, the Fame – very similar in size and appearance to the Hannah – will be docked at Marblehead’s State Street Landing, 75 Front Street, from 9:00am to 10:15am on Saturday, September 20th, and Sunday, September 21st. Visitors may board the ship for free and experience an 18th century schooner. Crew and members of Glover’s Regiment will be on hand to tell the story of Hannah and answer questions.

On BOTH mornings we will offer a 90-minute sail from 10:15am-11:45am. All tickets are $50, with proceeds to benefit the Marblehead 250 events for 2025 and 2026. CLICK HERE to purchase tickets
Please Note: This is a SAIL, so the route is subject to wind and weather. We sail as far and as fast as we can based on conditions, and our goal is always to shut off the engine and give our guests an authentic schooner experience, but every trip is different.
Guests have the opportunity to raise sails, take the tiller, learn knots, and engage with our knowledgeable crew about Hannah’s and Fame’s interesting histories, and learn about the many islands, lighthouses, forts, and other sights of Salem Sound. If you’re interested in history, ask questions!

Cape Ann at the Center of the Revolution
2025-09-20 13:00 - 16:00 | CAM Green, 13 Poplar Street, Gloucester, MA, 01930, United States
Join us on the CAM Green for hands-on activities focusing on five key events leading up to the American Revolutionary War through the lens of local history. Activities include creating broadsides, trying out 18th-century calligraphy flourishes, making mini-ships to navigate a map of the harbor, learning a Colonial dice game, and more.
This event is part of the FREE Trails & Sails event series by Essex Heritage

Newburyport Commemorates 250th Anniversary of the 1775 Quebec Expedition (Sunday)
2025-09-21 08:00 - 17:00
Newburyport’s Road to Revolution—a collaboration with community partners including the Museum of Old Newbury, the Custom House Maritime Museum, First Parish Church, Newbury, Old South Church, and the Brigadier General James Brickett–Old Newbury Chapter, NSDAR—proudly presents a special three-day commemoration of the 250th anniversary of Benedict Arnold’s 1775 Quebec Expedition.
Details for all events are found at HERE.
Sunday, September 21st – Reflection and Legacy

Old Hill Burying Ground Tour with Ghlee Woodworth. 10 am – 12 pm.
Revolutionary Newburyport: Tours of the Museum of Old Newbury. 11 am – 5 pm.
Guided Old South Church Tour, 1 pm – 2pm.
Following the Footsteps of Benedict Arnold: lecture presented by Jack Santos, following Newburyport troops along the expedition route. Central Congregational Church, 3 pm – 4 pm.

Celebrating the 250th Anniversary Looking Back at the 1976 Bicentennial
2025-09-22 14:30 - 15:30 | Lawrence Heritage State Park, 1 Jackson Street, Lawrence, MA, 01840, United States
Meet the exhibitor on Monday, September 22, from 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm.
As we prepare for the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution, take a step back to the 1976 Bicentennial. This exhibit, located at Lawrence Heritage State Park, is one of the largest collections of Bicentennial Memorabilia in the state. The exhibit has plates, cantors, records, flags, books, and other memorabilia from the 1976 Bicentennial Celebration.

This exhibit is open seven days a week, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, when the park is open.
This event is part of the FREE Trails & Sails event series by Essex Heritage

Loyalists in Marblehead
2025-09-26 14:00 - 15:15 | King Hooper Mansion, 8 Hooper Street, Marblehead, MA, United States
In Marblehead in 1775, as rebellion against the British government mounted, only about a dozen heads of households stayed loyal to the English Crown, in a town of about 950 families — the sixth most populous metropolis in British North America. Why were there so few, and what happened to them? This illustrated (PowerPoint) talk will be presented in the home of Marblehead’s most famous Loyalist, Robert “King” Hooper — who was actually only a moderate Tory. The program will tell his and also several other Loyalists’ compelling stories.
This illustrated talk will be held on the third floor of the home of Marblehead’s most famous Loyalist, Robert “King” Hooper. Stairs to the third floor are very gradual, with good railings.
A Marblehead Arts Association exhibit opening will be held in the King Hooper Mansion earlier that day until 4:00 pm. Please consider allowing extra time before the talk to see the exhibits.
This event is part of the FREE Trails & Sails event series by Essex Heritage

Hands on History Day: The American Revolution
2025-09-27 09:30 - 16:00 | John Cabot House, 117 Cabot Street, Beverly, 01915, United States
Explore the American Revolution through immersive, hands-on stations highlighting the era’s diverse people and experiences. In the “Molly Pitcher Room,” learn about women’s roles by crafting toilet roll cannons and herbal tea sachets. The “Black Soldiers & Spies Room” features spy ciphers and artifacts tied to Black patriots. In “The Armory,” students handle replica muskets and explore 18th-century weapons. At the “Colonial Treasury,” they’ll learn about colonial economics and design their own currency.
This event is part of the FREE Trails & Sails event series by Essex Heritage

How Many Revolutionary War Veterans Are Buried in Broad Street Cemetery?
2025-09-27 13:00 - 14:00 | Broad Street Cemetery, 3-5 Broad Street, Salem, MA, 01970, United States
Kenneth Dyke-Glover, VP of the Friends of Broad St. Cemetery, will highlight the recently discovered names and locations of 107 veterans (70 from the Revolutionary War). These burial sites were discovered using an old 1936 Works Progress Administration (WPA) map and have not been marked for decades.
This is a one-hour walking tour starting promptly at 1:00 pm. Limited Parking is available at 5 Broad Street.
If rainy, the rain date is Sunday, Sept 28
This vent is part of the FREE Trails & Sails event series by Essex Heritage

Hannah vs HMS Nautilus — 250th Anniversary
2025-10-09 15:00 - 16:40, 2025-10-10 13:00 - 14:40, 2025-10-10 15:00 - 16:40 | Pickering Wharf Marina, 86 Wharf Street, Salem, MA, 01970, United States
October 10 marks the 250th anniversary of the battle between George Washington’s hired vessel HANNAH and HMS NAUTILUS.
This October 9 and 10, Capt. Mike Rutstein will sail FAME into the waters where the battle was fought and talk us through every step of the historic encounter. He’ll also cover the aftermath of the battle, the widely differing historical accounts, and the efforts to replicate HANNAH which led, indirectly, to the building of FAME in 2003.
October 9 at 3 pm
October 10 at 1 pm
October 10 at 3 pm
All tickets $75

Please be aware shots will be fired from the ship
