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THE ESSEX HISTORICAL SOCIETY &
SHIPBUILDING MUSEUM
The Essex Shipbuilding Museum tells
the extraordinary story of a small New England
village that built more two-masted wooden fishing
schooners than any other place in the world.
Managed
by the Essex Historical Society and Shipbuilding
Museum, Inc., a tax-exempt, nonprofit Massachusetts
corporation founded in 1937, the Museum was
established in 1976 as part of the town's
observation of the American Revolutionary
Bicentennial. Preserving the history of the
wooden shipbuilding industry, an integral part of
the economy and culture in New England and the
United States since the 1630s, the Museum maintains one of the best
maritime collections in the region.
Museum projects have built or interpreted schooners,
Chebacco boats, sailing lighters, dories and
privateers. One of the last intact American fishing
schooners, the EVELINA M. GOULART is currently being
preserved and documented. Innovative, experiential
educational programs teach concepts through a rich
mix of content knowledge and hands-on activities for
children, adults, seniors and educators from around
the world.
Located in the heart of Essex, Massachusetts, the
Museum is adjacent to an acre of land set aside in
1668 “for a yard to build vessels and employing
workmen for this end” and is integral to the town's
historic character, scenic vista and central river
basin. Features include antique shipbuilding tools,
photographs, documents, and exhibits portraying the
shipbuilding industry. Tours include video
presentations and hands-on activities. A gift shop
offers ship plans, maritime books, and other
nautical memorabilia.
The Central School House
Exhibits and archives of the Essex Shipbuilding Museum are housed in the old Essex Central School House which was built in 1835. The building was used as a two-room school house until it was turned over to the Grand Army of the Republic in 1890, and the American Legion in 1919.
The Old Burying Ground
Behind the museum is the Old
Burying Ground, originally laid out in 1680 and
enlarged several times until a new cemetery was
dedicated in 1852. More than 2,000 persons are
buried there including veterans of the French and
Indian Wars, the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812
and the Civil War. The first schoolmaster rests
there along with many of the town’s shipbuilders and
the first three pastors of the village church. The
first pastor, Rev. John Wise, is buried in the
center of the yard under the table-like stone. He
was a widely read author who protested taxation
without representation as early as 1687. When copies
of his essays were reprinted and distributed
throughout the colonies in 1772, his words set the
tone for the American Revolution. Gravestone
art shows examples of typical 18th and 19th century
styles.
The Hearse House
The pre-Civil War Hearse House was built around 1840 and is one of
only two known remaining in New England and contains
original Victorian hearses: an old sleigh hearse and a dome hearse that was purchased secondhand by the town on December 14, 1861, from a Mr. Lock of Braintree, MA. There are also two holding boxes that predate the practice of embalming and used block ice to preserve the body of the deceased. Window-glass permitted viewing of the face from the front and in profile.
The Orientation Center
This former Story residence contains
a diorama of the Story shipyard, admissions,
video theater, gift shop, and Museum offices.
The Shipyard
In 1993, The society purchased a section of riverfront where shipbuilding flourished for over 300 years. This historic site is where the Story family operated its shipyards from 1813 to the end of World War II.
The yard is still active and showcases machines,
tools, materials and boats.
The Waterline Center
This is the education hub for
visiting school and bus groups. Equipped
with historical artifacts, tools, displays, and
machinery exhibits, this large, multi-function
room is also used for meetings, lectures, and
concerts.
The EVELINA M. GOULART
Built in the shipyard in 1927 and
used until the 1980s for swordfishing and later
as a fishing dragger, the museum acquired the EVELINA M. GOULART
in 1990. She is one of only seven historic Essex-built schooners that survive.
Her construction and history tell a symbolic
story of the shipbuilding industry.
The LEWIS H. STORY
In 1998, the Museum commissioned the construction of
the LEWIS H. STORY. This recreation of the
Chebacco, a precursor to the grand fishing
schooners, serves as the museum's flagship and
roving "ambassador." .
The Essex River & Basin
Whether exploring diversity in the
marsh, interpreting the change in the river basin
over the centuries, or rowing one of the Museum's
small craft, the river is the historic focal point
for the town and key to its heritage.
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