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 Antiquities The Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities maintains two properties on Cape Ann: Beauport Museum, a 45-room mansion furnished with Henry Davis Sleeper's hand-picked collection of European antiques and Early American decorative arts; and Cogswell's Grant, a historic house on a farm overlooking the Essex River featuring the folk art collection of Bertram and Nina Little. Some of the other historic spots on the Cape include Dogtown, the site of the earliest settlement in 1623; the 18th century homes of the sea merchants; the medieval-style Hammond Castle; Adventure, the last of the -masted fishing schooners, now a national landmark; and the Cape Ann Historical Museum, containing the nation's largest collection of paintings by Fitz Hugh Lane, fisheries and quarry exhibits, and the home of Captain Elias Davis, built in 1804. Welcome The beauty of Cape Ann continues to draw and inspire people from around the world. Whether you're coming to Cape Ann to get away from it all or to take in all in, our scenic coastline will captivate you. Thomas Riggs purchased the squared-log house (one of only three surviving in Massachusetts) for his bride Mary Millett in 1661. Three adventurers, the Wakley brothers and Mathew Coe, built it sometime during the 1630's or early 1650's. On the southern peninsula of Annisquam Harbor, the house looks across to Gloucester's earliest successful settlement. It was an ideal site for ship chandlery (repairing and provisioning vessels) in the protected harbor and for farming. Amazingly, the pasture between Thomas Sr.'s house and that of his son Thomas Jr. (1960) survives to this day. Thomas Sr. was town clerk for 51 years, selectman for 20, a representative to the Great and General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and Gloucester's first schoolmaster. Much of Gloucester's early records are in Thomas Sr.'s hand. When Thomas Sr's youngest son Andrew married Mary Richardson in 1704, a single-story cape was added to the log house. In 1753 Andrew's youngest son George built the gambrel roof, accommodating three upstairs bedchambers. The house remained to the Riggs family nearly untouched until the current owner designed a timber-frame wing of 18th-c. handhewn beams that provides a great room and loft as well as the house's first permanent electricity, running water, and heat (save for the six working fireplaces).
One of many historic homes of Cape Ann |
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The Essex River, home to some of the best clam flats in the world, forms
the contours of the Town of Essex. The River has also played a
significant role in shaping the history of Essex. Shipbuilding was the
primary industry in Essex, as attested to by the construction of over
4,000 schooners. Many of the schooners built in Essex were constructed
for its neighbor, Gloucester. Today, Essex attracts thousands of
visitors to its many antique and specialty shops, fine dining
establishments, and beautiful scenery. Tours of the river-by boat and
kayak-continue to ensure its continuing prominence in the life of the
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| Burnham shipyard when Essex
yards built 20 schooners a year. Land Whether Cape Ann is your romantic getaway or your family vacation, don't miss some of the best beaches in New England. The coastline varies from sandy to wild and rocky, with vast areas of marshland that are home to many species of birds and other wildlife. Cape Ann's secluded woodland areas and parks are attractive sites for walking or hiking. Your journey would be incomplete without discovering Cape Ann's quarries. Quarries Ever wonder how Rockport got its name? The "rock" refers to granite, which many of its early settlers, mostly from Scandinavia, worked at cutting out of quarries in the center of Cape Ann beginning in the early 1800's. Although the granite industry is no longer active, the quarries remain. At Halibut Point State Park in Rockport, you can watch a demonstration of granite cutting and visit one of the remaining quarries. Gloucester's historic seaport, still one of the busiest in America today, has been home to many fishing fleets. Historic tours will show you the coastline plied by those vessels and the lighthouses that guided them safely back. The city's most famous landmark is the Fishman's Memorial, otherwise known as "The Man at the Wheel", which overlooks Gloucester Harbor. A newly constructed "Wall of Remembrance" commemorates the more than 5,000 men who lost their lives at sea. Small fishing communities can also be found in Rockport and Manchester, as well as in Essex, where the clamming industry has its historic roots. Cape Ann is well known for its spectacular coastline and ocean views. Let out world famous beaches charm you. Explore Cape Ann's winding rivers and vast marshlands leading through islands to its famous beaches. There are many to choose from to surf, swim, boat, sun and where you can also cast for stripers.
Two views of the great Essex marshes .jpg)
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