By Katie Farrell
Staff writer
May 06, 2008 03:52 am AMESBURY — Along with flowers, warm weather and Red Sox games, there's another sign that May has arrived. Many of the Amesbury Treasures are open for the season. The Treasures, 15 sites throughout Amesbury that feature different aspects of the town's history or culture, include the Macy-Colby House, Lowell's Boat Shop, the Bartlett Museum, the Hat Museum, the Whittier Home and the Mary Baker Eddy Historic House. The sites span more than four centuries of Amesbury's history. While some are better known, such as Lowell's, the Bartlett Museum and the Whittier Home, the other sites offer their own glimpse of times gone by. The Rocky Hill Meeting House, an original 18th century meetinghouse, was built in 1785 and was once visited by George Washington. The Hat Museum, in a corner of the Salisbury Point Railroad Historical Society display, offers a sampling of the hats produced by the Merrimac Hat Factory and includes memorabilia and novelties. Salisbury Point Station, originally located at the Rocky Hill crossing, closed to passengers in 1936 and was sold in 1938. It was purchased for $1 in 1980 and fully restored. Today it showcases artifacts, railroad memorabilia and historic photographs for visitors to browse through. All of the Treasures are open by or starting on Memorial Day. They typically stay open until Labor Day or the fall. While each site is maintained by its own organization and has a separate membership, their boards meet occasionally to discuss joint advertising, projects and programs. They combine on different activities to raise awareness for their sites and take part in community events. As nonprofits, the organizations are eligible for grants, which can be used to build programs or complete projects. Without one official historical society in town, the Amesbury Treasures umbrella group has made itself known through signs and brochures placed around town. The goal of Amesbury Treasures is to provide the public with information about the historic sites and access to them. "All the organizations welcome interest in new membership," said Peter Bryant, chairman of Amesbury Treasures and treasurer of the Salisbury Point Railroad Historical Society. "We welcome younger people." Bryant said the group will sponsor its annual Be a Tourist in Your Hometown again this summer. The Treasures will be open during the Amesbury Days summer celebration, Bryant said, and are also featured in the annual Trails and Sails program. At the Amesbury Cultural Center in the Upper Millyard, a kiosk with information on the Treasures has been set up for visitors to use and learn more about the various sites and their individual histories. With the limited hours of the center, Bryant said, the exhibit hasn't garnered as much attention as he would like. "It doesn't get seen as much as it should," he said. The Treasures include several outdoor locations that are maintained by the Amesbury Improvement Association. These sites include Alliance Park, The Captain's Well, Patten's Pond and the Training Field, which George Washington visited in 1789 to review the troops. The Amesbury Improvement Association was founded in 1851 to maintain historic sites and town beautification, such as tree planting. For more information on the Amesbury Treasures, visit online at http://www.amesburytreasures.org/
READER BOX
Amesbury Treasures
Macy-Colby House 259 Main St. Open Memorial Day to Sept. 30, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and by appointment. 978-388-1500 adults $3 Bartlett Museum 270 Main St. Open Memorial Day to Sept. 30 by appointment, Fridays, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. 978-388-4528 adults $3, children and seniors $1 Mary Baker Eddy Historic House 277 Main St. Open May to October, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. first Saturday of the month and by appointment. 800-277-8943 www.longyear.org Alliance Park * Main Street Lowell's Boat Shop 459 Main St. Open to visitors seasonally and by appointment 978-834-0050 www.lowellsboatshop.com Whittier Home 86 Friend St. Open May through October, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday by appointment; Friday and Saturday, guided tours, adults $6, seniors $5, youth $4, group discount available 978-388-1337 Salisbury Point Station 9 Water St. Open May through August on Saturday mornings 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Also open on civic "open days" and by appointment. Archive room open 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday. 978-388-8888 salisburypoint.tnsing.com Amesbury Hat Museum 9 Water St. Open by appointment 978-388-0091 Carriage Museum Under construction in the Lower Millyard for info: call 978-388-3178 or 978-388-2390 Rocky Hill Meeting House 4 Portsmouth Road Open by appointment, available for weddings and special events. 978-462-2634 www.historicnewengland.org And more ... Golgotha Burial Ground * The Captain's Well * Patten's Pond * The Powder House * Training Field * ><p>
Sources: Amesbury Treasures brochure, institutions' Web sites and signs * site belongs to the Amesbury Improvement Association, which is an Amesbury Treasure
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Photos
The Bartlett Museum in Amesbury. Staff photo