Beverly, Massachusetts
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Beverly is a city in Essex County. The population was 39,862 at the 2000 census. A resort, residential and manufacturing community, Beverly includes Beverly Farms and Prides Crossing. Home to Endicott College and Montserrat College of Art, the city is located on the North Shore.
History
Originally part of Salem and the Naumkeag Territory, the area was first settled in 1626 by Roger Conant. But because of religious differences with Governor John Endicott, Beverly would be set off and officially incorporated in 1668, when it was named after an English bishop. Surviving from the settlement's early history is the Balch House, built about 1636, one of the two oldest wood-frame houses in the United States.
The first ship commissioned by the United States military (actually the US Army, as the US Navy did not yet exist), was the armed schooner Hannah. It was outfitted at Glover's Wharf, and first sailed from Beverly Harbor on September 2, 1775. For this reason Beverly describes itself as the "Birthplace of America's Navy" -- a claim disputed by other towns, including nearby Marblehead. The "Hannah" can be found on the patch of the city's police department. It is also the site of the first cotton mill in 1787, as well as one of the first Sunday schools in the country in 1810. Beverly would be incorporated as a city in 1894.
In 1902, the United Shoe Machinery Corporation built at Beverly a quarter-mile stretch of factory buildings, which in 1906 went into production. Closed in 1987, the complex was bought by Cummings Properties in 1996, and developed into a campus of hi-tech companies and medical offices. Cherry Hill Industrial Park, straddling the boundary with Danvers, is home to many businesses and offices. Parker Brothers, makers of Monopoly and other games, has offices in Beverly.
Notable Inhabitants:
- Henry Clay Frick, industrialist (summer resident)
- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., (summer resident)
- Mary Lou Lord, musician
- William Howard Taft, president (summer resident)
- John Updike, author
Historic Sites & Museums:
- John Balch House (c. 1636)
- John Cabot House (1781)
- John Hale House (c. 1694)
Attractions
- The North Shore Music Theatre offers a program of musicals and celebrity concerts. The North Shore Music Theatre is also the home of one of New Englands largest music theater education departments.
- The Cabot Street Theater boasts the world longest running magician's show. Marco the Magi and Le Grand David are two characters prominent in the show.
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It Uses material from the Wikipedia article Beverly, Massachusetts
