History

Join living historian Maeve, an Irish immigrant who fled Ireland during the potato famine and settled in America for an afternoon of tales, history and myth! At the 1:00 p.m. performance Maeve will be entertaining the children with stories of life in Ireland and her immigration experience. She will be reading an Immigrants Tale- a storybook- for the younger members of her audience.

The Paine House (1694), a yellow clapboard saltbox, is a remarkable and rare example of First Period (1620-1725) architecture. Three generations of the Paine family made their home here, including Robert Paine, foreman of the Salem witch trial jury in 1692.

It’s Base Ball, 1861 style at Spencer Peirce Little Farm! Watch the teams of the new Essex Base Ball Association play for the Championship! The Newburyport Clamdiggers, Portsmouth Rockinghams, Lynn Live Oaks, and Lowell Base Ball Nine will play baseball using 1860s rules. These fun, historically accurate games feature underhand pitching and no gloves are allowed. A ball bounced once and caught is an out! Snacks, baseballs, and cards are available for purchase. Come and see for yourself how this game was played in the 1860's!

Spend a morning on Winter Island Maritime Park exploring the history, coast line, and the park itself. The Friends of Winter Island have a walking tour of Ft. Pickering and a slide presentation of the Winter Island's history. Nelson Dionne, historian for FoWI, will be speaking together with Dr.