Beverly, Massachusetts


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Coordinates: 42°33′30″N 70°52′48″W / 42.5584284, -70.8800491

Beverly, Massachusetts
Location in Essex County in Massachusetts
Location in Essex County in Massachusetts
Coordinates: 42°33′30″N 70°52′48″W / 42.55833, -70.88
Country United States
State Massachusetts
County Essex
Settled 1626
Incorporated 1626
Government
 - Type Mayor-council city
 - Mayor William Scanlon, Jr.
Area
 - Total 22.7 sq mi (58.9 km²)
 - Land 16.6 sq mi (43.0 km²)
 - Water 6.1 sq mi (15.9 km²)
Elevation 9 ft (3 m)
Population (2007)
 - Total 39,198
 - Density 2,361.3/sq mi (911.6/km²)
Time zone Eastern (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code 01915
Area code(s) 978 / 351
FIPS code 25-05595
GNIS feature ID 0614200[1]
Website: www.beverlyma.gov

Beverly is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 39,862 at the 2000 census. A resort, residential and manufacturing community, Beverly includes Beverly Farms and Prides Crossing.

Beverly is located on the North Shore, 17 miles northeast of Boston, and is home to Endicott College and Montserrat College of Art.

Contents

History

Originally part of Salem and the Naumkeag Territory, the area was first settled in 1626 by Roger Conant. Because of religious differences with Governor John Endicott, Beverly would be set off and officially incorporated in 1668, when it was named after Beverley in Yorkshire, England. Surviving from the settlement's early history is the Balch House, built (according to recent testing) about 1679.

The first ship commissioned by the United States military (actually the US Army, as the US Navy did not yet exist), was the armed schooner Hannah. It was outfitted at Glover's Wharf, and first sailed from Beverly Harbor on September 5, 1775. For this reason Beverly calls itself the "Birthplace of America's Navy" -- a claim disputed by other towns, including nearby Marblehead. The Hannah can be found on the patch of the city's police department. Beverly is also the site of the first cotton mill in 1787,[2] as well as one of the first Sunday schools in the country in 1810. Beverly would be incorporated as a city in 1894.

In 1902, the United Shoe Machinery Corporation built at Beverly a quarter-mile stretch of factory buildings, which in 1906 went into production. Closed in 1987, the complex was bought by Cummings Properties in 1996, and developed into a campus of hi-tech companies and medical offices. Cherry Hill Industrial Park, straddling the boundary with Danvers, is home to many businesses and offices. Parker Brothers, makers of Monopoly and other games, has offices in Beverly. The city is also home to the Landmark School, known world-wide for the education it provides to learning disabled students.

President William Howard Taft maintained a summer home in Beverly; in the summers of 1909 and 1910, he lived in a house located at what is now the site of the Rose Garden in Lynch Park, the city's principal public park.

Beverly has a former Nike missile site on L. P. Henderson Road, right near the Beverly Municipal Airport. This site was in operation from March of 1957 until August 1959, when the Army handed it over to the National Guard. It is now used by Beverly as a storage site and is under the scrutiny of many environmental organizations, as it and the surrounding areas -- such as Casco Chemical -- have polluted the ground water, which could be potentially hazardous to the nearby Wenham Lake water supply.

Cabot Street in c. 1906

Beverly Harbor in c. 1912

Taft Residence in 1909

Geography

Beverly is located less than twenty miles northeast of Boston.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 22.7 square miles (58.9 km²), of which, 16.6 square miles (43.0 km²) of it is land and 6.1 square miles (15.9 km²) of it (27.00%) is water. Beverly is located on the north shore of the outer part of Massachusetts Bay south of downtown Beverly is the Danvers River, a tidal inlet of the Bay. Just east of Beverly is Cape Ann.

Beverly is bordered on the east by Manchester-by-the-Sea, on the north by Wenham, and on the west by Danvers. To the south, on the other side of the Danvers River, is Salem.

Transportation

Mass transit

Beverly is served by five stations on the MBTA Commuter Rail's Newburyport/Rockport Line. Beverly Depot, in downtown Beverly, is located at the junction of the Newburyport and Rockport branches of the line. The Rockport branch's further stops in Beverly are located at Montserrat, Prides Crossing, and Beverly Farms; the Newburyport branch has an additional stop in North Beverly.

The North Beverly station is served by MBTA Bus route 451 with service to downtown Beverly and Salem. Additionally, a local bus route called the Beverly Shoppers Shuttle serves downtown and western Beverly. The city currently contracts the Cape Ann Transportation Authority to provide bus service on the shuttle.

Road

Route 128, the chief circumferential highway of the Boston area, crosses Beverly from east to west and connects the city to Interstate 95 and U.S. 1. Route 1A passes through Beverly from south to north, along main streets in downtown Beverly. Numbered state highways that terminate in Beverly include Route 22, which leaves Beverly to the northeast; Route 62, to the west; Route 97, to the northwest; and Route 127, to the east.

The Danvers River, south of the city, is spanned by two road bridges connecting Beverly to Salem.

Demographics

Thorndike Street in 1908

As of the census[3] of 2000, there are 39,862 people, 15,750 households, and 9,906 families residing in the city. The population density is 2,401.4 people per square mile (927.2/km²). There are 16,275 housing units at an average density of 980.5/sq mi (378.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city is 85.97% White, 5.04% African American, 0.18% Native American, 1.28% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.52% from other races, and 0.98% from two or more races. 6.81% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 15,750 households out of which 28.8% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.1% are married couples living together, 9.7% have a female householder with no husband present, and 37.1% are non-families. 29.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.39 and the average family size is 3.02.

Post Office in 1919

In the city the population is spread out with 21.7% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 38 years. For every 100 females there are 89.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 85.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $53,984, and the median income for a family is $66,486. Males have a median income of $45,348 versus $35,659 for females. The per capita income for the city is $28,626. 5.7% of the population and 4.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 6.5% of those under the age of 18 and 5.2% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Points of interest

Balch House in c. 1906
  • John Balch House (c. 1679)
  • John Cabot House (1781)
  • John Hale House (c. 1694)
  • The North Shore Music Theatre offers a program of musicals and celebrity concerts. The North Shore Music Theatre is also the home of one of New England's largest non-profit music theater education departments.
  • The Cabot Street Cinema Theatre boasts the world's longest running magician's show. Marco the Magi and Le Grand David are two characters prominent in the show. The theater itself is early 20th century style, and also shows films on a regular basis.
  • Lynch Park & Beaches, located in the city's Cove section, is a popular summer spot for swimming, kayaking, sun bathing, and picnics.
  • Hurd Stadium (Home of the Beverly Panthers)
  • Harry Ball Field -- Home of the Beverly Little League -- first and oldest little league in Massachusetts

Major Employers

Notable residents

Soldiers' Monument in 1907

Film appearances

  • The Thomas Crown Affair (1968) A bank robbery scene was filmed at Beverly National Bank, North Beverly Plaza. A car theft scene was filmed in front of Woolworth's (no longer there).[4]
  • Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon (1970) A night time driving scene was filmed on Cabot St. from Washington St. to Bow St. Webber's Department Store, Landers Pharmacy, Delaney's Drug Store and Elm Farm market are all shown in the scene.[5]
  • The Good Son (1993) Scenes were filmed in a house constructed for the movie at Lynch park.[6]
  • Mrs. Winterbourne (1996) An exterior scene was filmed on Mechanic Street. Some scenes were also shot at the Beverly Farms train station.[7]
  • The Crucible (1996) Parts of the United Shoe Building (now Cummings Center) were used as a sound stage for interior scenes.[8]
  • State and Main (2000) A house on Abbott St. at Monument Square was used as the home of the Mayor (Charles Durning) and his wife (Patti Lupone.) A parked Beverly Police cruiser appears in scenes shot through the front door. Additional scenes were shot at the Beverly Farms train station and at the Edwards School building on Rantoul St.[9]
  • The Perfect Storm (2000) A helicopter scene was shot at Beverly Airport.[10]
  • The Proposal (2009) Scenes with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds were filmed at Beverly Airport in May 2008. The airport was a stand-in for the Sitka, Alaska, airport. Beverly City Councilor John Burke makes a cameo appearance as an airline passenger who cuts in front of Bullock's character as she descends the staircase of a small plane.

References

  1. ^ "Beverly – Populated Place". Geographic Names Information System. USGS. Retrieved on 2008-05-09.
  2. ^ Beverly Community History Cotton Mill, www.globalindex.com. URL accessed January 14, 2007.
  3. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  4. ^ Beverly goes Beverly Hills - Beverly, MA - Beverly Citizen
  5. ^ Beverly goes Beverly Hills - Beverly, MA - Beverly Citizen
  6. ^ Beverly goes Beverly Hills - Beverly, MA - Beverly Citizen
  7. ^ Beverly goes Beverly Hills - Beverly, MA - Beverly Citizen
  8. ^ Beverly goes Beverly Hills - Beverly, MA - Beverly Citizen
  9. ^ Beverly goes Beverly Hills - Beverly, MA - Beverly Citizen
  10. ^ Beverly goes Beverly Hills - Beverly, MA - Beverly Citizen

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