Check Out These Libraries that Keep History Alive 

You’re bound to find more than books at these community hubs.

First Chapter: Lynn

Like many libraries back in the day, the Lynn Public Library debuted as a social library in 1815 (translation: a private club exclusively for paying patrons). Many sequels later it became a free public library in 1862 and in 1900 relocated to its current North Common Street home. Visitors can check out the reference collection, and staffers happily help with genealogical and Lynn-history searches.

Second Chapter: Salem

Before there was the bewitching Salem Athenæum, there were two libraries whose tales were influenced by colonial rebellion. The Social Library, founded in 1760, was headed for a sad ending post Revolution, as many of its Loyalist members fled Salem. The Philosophical Library, on the other hand, was established in 1781 from a stash of books captured from a British ship. Plots thickened in 1810 when the two entities merged to form the Salem Athenæum, which opened the handsome, cozy building it now occupies in 1907. If you’re craving intellectual conversation, it’s the place to be during summer salons on Friday evenings.

Third Chapter: Beverly

Find the Historic Beverly Research Library and Archives in the stately Cabot House, once home to John Cabot, who owned privateer vessels during the Revolution. The space is now home to a wealth of historical matter with a strong focus on the American Revolution, including maps, photos, diaries, letters, and postcards. Visitors can also research their family trees (if your name is Cabot, you’re especially in luck).

Fourth Chapter: West Newbury

G.A.R. Memorial Library began as the clubby First Social Library in 1819, with locations in a schoolhouse, a barber shop, and the First Parish Meeting House. In the late 1930s, the library found its present-day home, which has since tripled in size. Make an appointment to view enlightening documents from the Local History Collection.

Fifth Chapter: Newburyport

Founded in 1854, the Newburyport Public Library has a plum downtown location in the historic Tracy Mansion, former home of Nathaniel Tracy, a ship owner and patriot who entertained George Washington and Thomas Jefferson here. An appointment will put an abundance of genealogy and local-history material at your fingertips in the Archival Center. Imagine paging through the Atkinson papers, for example, spanning generations of one family’s deeds and doings from 1764 to 1943.

Photo Credit: Salem Athenaeum by NBCVB

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This blog is an excerpt from our digital guide “250 Ways to Explore, Discover, and Celebrate North of Boston”. To view the full guide, click here.