17th Century Saturdays on the North Shore

Learn about 17th century life on the North Shore & Essex County north of Boston

Essex county is home to an extraordinary collection of homes, buildings and artifacts from America's First Period (1625-1725) of European settlement. Explore these architectural treasures and discover what is was like to live in Essex County during America's first century.

Various properties are open to the public on the first Saturday of each month, June - October, from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

The North of Boston region has more historic houses and structures built during America’s “First Period” of architecture (1625-1725) than any other region in the U.S. Easily recognized by such features as a steeply-pitched roof line, prominent central chimney and asymmetrical casement windows, First Period homes were built by early settlers who made their way north to expand the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Nearly 200 examples of these architecturally significant treasures, many of which are still privately owned, exist in Essex County.

17th Century Saturdays will highlight 29 of these buildings.

Amesbury
Macy-Colby House, c. 1654
257 Main Street
978-388-1500
June, July, August, Sept, Oct

Beverly
The Balch House, c. 1636
448 Cabot Street
978-922-1186
beverlyhistory.org
June, July, August, Sept, Oct

The Hale Farm, c. 1694
39 Hale Street
978-922-1186
beverlyhistory.org
June, July, August, Sept, Oct

Danvers
Judge Samuel Holten House, c. 1670
171 Holten Street
generalisraelputnamchapter.org
June, July, August, Sept, Oct

Gloucester
Cape Ann Museum - The White-Ellery House, c. 1710
245 Washington Street
978-283-0455
capeannmuseum.org
June, July, August, Sept, Oct

Haverhill
John Greenleaf Whittier Birthplace, c. 1688
305 Whittier Road
978-373-3979
johngreenleafwhittier.com
June, July, August, Sept

Ipswich
Paine House at Greenwood Farm, c. 1694
Jeffrey's Neck Road
978-356-4351
thetrustees.org
June, July, August, Sept, Oct

Whipple House, c. 1677
1 South Village Green
978-356-2811
ipswichmuseum.org
June, July, August, Sept, Oct

Marblehead
17th Century Walking Tour 1629-1720
Beacon Street at Norman Street
781-631-1762
marbleheadtours.com
10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
June, July, Sept, Oct

Newbury
Coffin House, c. 1678
14 High Road
978-462-2634
historicnewengland.org
June, July, August, Sept, Oct

Dole-Little House, c. 1715
289 High Road
978-462-2634
historicnewengland.org
June, Oct

Spencer-Pierce-Little Farm, c. 1690
5 Little's Lane
978-462-2634
historicnewengland.org
June, July, August, Sept, Oct

Swett-Ilsley House, c. 1670
4 High Road
978-462-2634
historicnewengland.org
June, July, August, Sept, Oct

Newburyport
Old South Church, c. 1756
29 Federal Street
978-465-9666
oldsouthnbpt.org
June

North Andover
North Andover Historical Society - Parson Barnard House, c. 1715
179 Osgood Street
978-686-4035
northandoverhistoricalsociety.org
June, July, August, Sept, Oct

Peabody
Nathaniel Felton Jr. House, c. 1700
43 Felton Street
978-977-0514
peabodyhistorical.org
tours at 12 p.m. & 1 p.m. - August & September

Salem
Gedney House, c. 1692
21 High Street
978-744-0440
historicnewengland.org
June, July, August, Sept, Oct

The House of Seven Gables, c. 1668
115 Derby Street
978-744-0991
7gables.org
June, July, August, Sept

Narbonne House, c. 1675
71 Essex Street
978-740-1652
nps.gov/sama
June, July, August, Sept, Oct

Peabody Essex Museum
161 Essex Street/East India Square
978-745-9500
pem.org
A Point in Time - June, 1 p.m. only
John Ward House, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., tours at 11:30 a.m.

Salem in 1630 (Pioneer Village)
Forest River Park
salempreservation.org
July, August, Sept

The Witch House (Jonathan Corwin House)
310 Essex Street
978-744-8815
corwinhouse.org
June, July, August, Sept, Oct

Saugus
Boardman House, c. 1692
17 Howard Street
978-768-3632
historicnewengland.org
June, July, August, Sept, Oct

Saugus Iron Works, c. 1646
244 Central Street
781-233-0050
nps.gov/sair
June, July, August, Sept, Oct

Wenham
Claflin-Richards House (Wenham Museum), c. 1660
132 Main Street
978-468-2377 ext. 105
wenhammuseum.org
June, July, August, Sept, Oct

When: 
First Saturday of the month June - October 2014
Appleton Farms in Ipswich Massachusetts offers farm-based Summer Programs for kids ages 5-15

Maudslay in Bloom Self-Guided Walk

 Maudslay in Bloom self guided walk at Maudslay State Park in Newburyport Massachusetts.
Maudslay State Park in Newburyport, Massachusetts, offers a delightful self-guided walk that is perfect for families with children. The park's 480-acre expanse, once the Moseley Estate, is rich with historical charm and natural beauty. Families can embark on a self-guided tour through lush...
7:00 am to 7:00 pm

Saugus Iron Works Park Grounds & Estuary Walk

Take a hike along the Saugus River Estuary ande explore the Saugus Iron Works Park grounds in Massachusetts
Learn about the natural world in Saugus while ecploring the park ground ast the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site in Massachusetts.
7:00 am to 7:00 pm

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Salem Arts Festival 2025

The Salem Arts Festival is a joint project of Salem Main Streets and Creative Collective in Salem Massachusetts
For three days, this annual family friendly art festival transforms downtown Salem into an opportunity for the arts community to showcase their talents. The popular free event will feature many artists and performers, and includes a variety of art, music, dance, and theatre performances. The family...
9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Swan Boat Rides in Boston Public Garden

Swan Boat Boston North Shore Parent, North Shore Parents Summer Activities Guide
The Public Garden may be one of the most ideal picnicking locations in Boston. Well-groomed and overflowing with tulips, cherry-trees, with willows cascading over the duck pond, the Boston Public Garden is a great place to relax during Boston's most beautiful season.
10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Music Together - Friday

Marblehead, Beverly Farms, Hamilton, Salem, Peabody Music Together
Music Together® is a research-based music & movement program for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and the grown-ups who love them. Music Together® classes make it easy for parents/primary caregivers to play a crucial role in activating their child's music development. Classes are 45 minutes...
10:30 am to 11:15 am

Saugus Iron Works House Tours

Free Ranger guided tours of the Saugus Iron Works House in Massachusetts
Join National Park staff at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site for a 30-minute tour of The Iron Works House.
11:00 am

Saugus Iron Works Tours

Free Ranger guided tours at Saugus Iron Works Colonial Industrial Site in Massachusetts
Join the National Park staff at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site for a tour of the colonial industrial site. On select days, you may be able to stick around and witness pop-up molten iron pour, blacksmithing, waterwheel demonstrations, and take part in hands-on river stewardship activities.
2:00 pm

Saturday, June 7

Saugus Iron Works Park Grounds & Estuary Walk

Take a hike along the Saugus River Estuary ande explore the Saugus Iron Works Park grounds in Massachusetts
Learn about the natural world in Saugus while ecploring the park ground ast the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site in Massachusetts.
7:00 am to 7:00 pm

Maudslay in Bloom Self-Guided Walk

 Maudslay in Bloom self guided walk at Maudslay State Park in Newburyport Massachusetts.
Maudslay State Park in Newburyport, Massachusetts, offers a delightful self-guided walk that is perfect for families with children. The park's 480-acre expanse, once the Moseley Estate, is rich with historical charm and natural beauty. Families can embark on a self-guided tour through lush...
7:00 am to 7:00 pm

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Teen Naturalist Club at IRWS: Spring/Summer Series

Join Mass Audubon for their Teen Naturalist Club at Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary in Topsfield Massachusetts!
Explore a variety of local ecosystems, learn more about a wide range of natural history topics, and do real wildlife data collection and conservation projects in this exciting club for teens!
8:00 am to 5:00 pm

Marblehead Farmers' Market

Find fresh local produce and other foods at the Marblehead Farmer's Market!
The Marblehead Farmer's Market boasts 15+ local farms, and booths with an educational spin nutrition, vendors and farms selling homemade prepared goods and craft vendors that are switched up in a rotation basis week to week. Additionally there are entertainers and exhibits by environmentally...
9:00 am to 12:00 pm

Salem Arts Festival 2025

The Salem Arts Festival is a joint project of Salem Main Streets and Creative Collective in Salem Massachusetts
For three days, this annual family friendly art festival transforms downtown Salem into an opportunity for the arts community to showcase their talents. The popular free event will feature many artists and performers, and includes a variety of art, music, dance, and theatre performances. The family...
9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Crane Outdoors: Kayak Adventure on the Castle Neck River

Take a guided kayak paddle adventure on the Castle Neck River with the Trustees of Reservations!
One of the best was to enjoy the natural beauty of the Massachusetts North Shore is kayaking the placid waters of the Great Marsh—the largest continuous stretch of salt marsh in New England, extending from Cape Ann to New Hampshire. The Castle Neck peninsula on the Crane Estate is a vast barrier...
9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Music Together - Saturday

Marblehead, Beverly Farms, Hamilton, Salem, Peabody Music Together
Music Together® is a research-based music & movement program for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and the grown-ups who love them. Music Together® classes make it easy for parents/primary caregivers to play a crucial role in activating their child's music development. Classes are 45 minutes...
9:15 am to 11:15 am

Swan Boat Rides in Boston Public Garden

Swan Boat Boston North Shore Parent, North Shore Parents Summer Activities Guide
The Public Garden may be one of the most ideal picnicking locations in Boston. Well-groomed and overflowing with tulips, cherry-trees, with willows cascading over the duck pond, the Boston Public Garden is a great place to relax during Boston's most beautiful season.
10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Explore! North Shore – Trails Day Hike at Ravenswood

Giant boulders can be found all over Ravenswood Park. How'd they get there?
Join the Trustees to celebrate National Trails Day with a guided hike of Ravenswood Park in Gloucester. On this intermediate hike, you will enjoy a ~3 mile loop with moderate elevation gain, as you are guided up the rocky and narrow Ledge Trail up to a scenic overlook of the harbor and then descend...
10:00 am to 1:00 pm