The Historic Journey of Manchester’s Furniture Industry
Manchester has a long and storied history of making fine furniture, reaching its peak in the mid-19th century when 43 separate cabinet shops, factories, and mills were operating in town. Hundreds of local craftsmen were at work, making furniture that was both functional and of museum quality. Manchester’s national reputation as the maker of fine […]
Exploring the Opulence: America’s Gilded Age Summer Cottages
Grand Houses & Gracious Living The Gilded Age in America was an era when the riches amassed during the Industrial Revolution were being spent enjoying the “Good Life” … trips abroad, yachts and private railroad cars, lavish entertaining, servants at your beck and call, and grandiose “summer cottages!” No destination was more desirable than a […]
Manchester’s Historic Seaside No. 1 Firehouse
Constructed in 1885 to house Seaside No. 1, the town’s first horsedrawn fire engine, this handsome building on Central Street later became the headquarters for the Manchester Police Department. The Police vacated Seaside No. 1 in 1970, and the Historical Society stepped forward to preserve the building. It now serves as a museum and home […]
Trask House: Preserving History in Every Corner
Trask House Today, the original rooms of the Trask House contain an impressive collection of period furniture, artifacts, and fine art. Especially significant are the fine furniture made in Manchester during the mid-19th century. Other memorabilia on display reflect the town’s important maritime history and later prominence as a summer vacation destination for the wealthy […]
The Riveting Timeline of Manchester-by-the-Sea
Early History 1623: The first settlers on Cape Ann were with the Dorchester Company, which built a fishing settlement at Stage Fort Park in Gloucester. 1630: Arbella anchors offshore with John Winthrop and his Puritan followers as they arrive to found Massachusetts Bay Colony. 1636: A few families built homes at Jeffrey’s Creek, later to […]
Exploring the Historical Threads of Manchester-by-the-Sea
The Custodians of Time: The Manchester Historical Society Incepted in 1886, the Manchester Historical Society stands as a stalwart sentinel of Manchester-by-the-Sea’s vibrant past. It is an animated embodiment of the town’s commitment to preserving and elucidating its historical panorama. The Trask House, a cherished emblem of the Society, has been cradling irreplaceable records and […]