Page 158 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - USA

156  NE W ENGLAND

Massachusetts

Of all the New England states, Massachusetts may have the
most diverse mix of natural and man-made attractions. Scenic
seascapes and picturesque villages beckon along the eastern
seaboard and Cape Cod. Venturing inland, visitors will find
historic towns where America’s early architecture has been
well preserved. In the west, green mountains and valleys, and
rich culture, characterize the Berkshire Hills.

2 Salem E Peabody Essex Museum
East India Sq. Tel (978) 745-9500, (866)
* 38,000. k 4 From Boston’s Long 745-1876. Open 10am–5pm Tue–Sun.
Wharf. n 2 New Liberty St, (978) 740- & 8 7 - ∑ pem.org Concord’s Old Manse, home to 19th-century
1650. _ Haunted Halloween (Oct). literary giants
∑ salem.org
Environs 4 Concord
This coastal town, founded in Marblehead, just 4 miles (6 km) * 17,750. k n 58 Main St, (978)
1626, is best known for the from Salem, is a picturesque 369-3120. _ Battle of Concord
infamous witch trials of 1692, and historic seaport village, with Re-enactment (Apr). ∑ concord
which resulted in the execution historic buildings, mansions, chamberofcommerce.org
of 20 innocent people. The and cottages, most notable of
Salem Witch Museum traces which are Abbot Hall and the This peaceful, prosperous town
the history of witchcraft and Jeremiah Lee Mansion. has an eventful past. It was here
evolving perceptions of that the Battle of Concord took
witches to the present day. place on April 19, 1775 which,
In the 18th and 19th 3 Lowell together with the battle at
centuries, Salem was one of * 103,000. k @ n 40 French St, nearby Lexington (see p155),
New England’s busiest ports, 2nd Floor (978) 459-6150. signaled the beginning of the
its harbor filled with ships Revolutionary War. The 900-acre
carrying treasures from around Lowell has the distinction of (400-ha) Minute Man National
the globe. The Peabody Essex being the country’s first industrial Historical Park preserves the
Museum contains some of the city. In the early 19th century, site of the battle, where a group
world’s deepest holdings of the first cloth mill equipped of ordinary citizens and colonist
Asian art and artifacts. Many with a power loom opened here, farmers, known as Minutemen
of the museum’s exhibits, and the town soon had a number (see p54), fought against British
such as jewelry, porcelain of giant mill complexes. But after troops, driving them back from
figures, costumes, and the Great Depression (see p59) the park’s North Bridge and
scrimshaw objects, were the mills closed down, leaving chasing them back to Boston.
brought back from distant Lowell a ghost town. Since 1978, In the 19th century, Concord
shores by Salem’s sea captains. many downtown buildings blossomed into the literary
The town’s historic waterfront have been restored and the heart and soul of the country,
has been preserved as the Lowell National Historical Park with many writers establishing
Salem Maritime National traces the history of the town’s homes here. Both Ralph Waldo
Historic Site. It offers tours and textile industry. Lowell is also Emerson and Nathaniel
maintains the 1819 Custom home to the New England Hawthorne lived briefly in The
House and a re-created 1797 Quilt Museum, which has a Old Manse; Emerson lived for
East Indiaman sailing ship, the varied collection of displays of nearly 50 years, until his death
Friendship, which is moored beautiful antique, as well as in 1882, at Emerson House,
at a historic wharf. contemporary, quilts. where his furniture, books, and
memorabilia are on display.
Also in Concord is Walden
Salem Witch Trials
Pond, immortalized in the
In 1692, Salem was swept by a wave of hysteria in writings of the essayist Henry
which 200 citizens were accused of practicing David Thoreau (1817–62). In
witchcraft. In all, 150 people were jailed and 19 were his influential work Walden;
hanged as witches, while another man was crushed or Life in the Woods, Thoreau
to death with stones. No one was safe: two dogs called for a return to simplicity
were executed on the gallows for being witches. Not in everyday life and a respect
surprisingly, when the governor’s wife became a for nature. Walden is widely
Early accused: suspect, the trials came to an abrupt and officially considered to be the birthplace
Rebecca Nurse sanctioned end. of the conservationist move-
ment. The pond and its
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp184–6 and pp187–9

156-157_EW_USA.indd 156 21/12/2016 16:08
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