7 of the Most Beautiful Historic Towns in Massachusetts
From the landing of the Mayflower to the first shots fired in the pursuit of liberty, the Bay State, as Massachusetts is often called, boasts a rich cultural and historical heritage. The state's cultural heritage travels the whole gamut, from cranberries to Civil Disobedience to fishing. From Provincetown, where the Mayflower Compact was signed — to Gloucester, where fishermen eked out a living amid the unfathomable perils of a rugged and hazardous shoreline, discover below seven towns in Massachusetts with a rich cultural heritage.
Provincetown
Fondly referred to as Ptown, Provincetown cannot be missed from any list of towns in Massachusetts with a rich cultural heritage. Few towns are as connected to American history as Provincetown. Of course, here is where the Pilgrims first landed. Here is where the first European child in New England was born. And here is where the Mayflower Compact, the first document to establish self-government in the New World, was penned and signed. Provincetown would soon be the site of American high culture and was boasting, as part of its artists' colony, such names as E.E. Cummings, Eugene O'Neill, and Harry Kemp, also known as the "Vagabond Poet." Today, Ptown is a world-famous gay mecca and is at the vanguard of America's cultural revolution. Sites and attractions such as the Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum (PMPM), the highly-ranked Race Point Beach, and Commercial Street, where art seems to pour out from every door, will pique the interest of a first-time visitor.
Concord
To a history buff, a visit to Concord is like a monk setting foot in some venerated shrine. This is where the first shots of the American Revolution were fired. In a sense, therefore, here is where the United States of America was born. Ralph Waldo Emmerson, one of Concord's most illustrious sons, later immortalized the incident in his enduring 1837 poem —"Concord Hymn." "Here once the embattled farmers stood," the celebrated transcendentalist would write, "And fired the shot heard round the world." But Concord — through Henry David Thoreau — has had perhaps a more enduring influence in the world. It was in Concord, specifically at Walden Pond, where Thoreau wrote Civil Disobedience, a masterpiece that inspired both Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr by the argument that conscience can be a higher authority than government. Today, one will enjoy a visit to the Walden Pond State Reservation, in addition to other sites such as Ralph Waldo Emerson House, Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House, and Minute Man National Historical Park, the exact precincts of shots that triggered the American Revolution.
Northampton
Called "The Paradise City" by Swedish crooner Jenny Lind — a name that has since stuck — Northampton is among the most significant towns in New England, both culturally and historically. Jonathan Edwards, widely credited with sparking the Great Awakening, served here as senior pastor of the First Congregational Church. Also, Alexander Graham Bell, credited with patenting the first practical telephone, is known to have taught here at the Clarke School for the Deaf, the first permanent oral school for the deaf in the entire country. But Northampton was also among the first sites to experience Shays' Rebellion, a violent insurrection spawned by debt distress that would result in persuasive arguments for a stronger national government. Today, an exhibition known as Making it on Main Street tells the story of the people who lived and toiled here —and shaped Main Street as we know it today. For an experience that will awaken every sense, check out Smith College Botanic Garden. Better still, spare some minutes to ride the impossibly scenic Norwottuck Rail Trail. Western Massachusetts is criminally underrated.
Salem
In 1692, an aged woman called Bridget Bishop was brought before a special court established by the Massachusetts governor to try and convict witches. Despite protesting that she was as "innocent as the child unborn," she was found guilty and hanged on what was to be called Gallows Hill. In less than two years, up to 19 residents, 14 of them women, had been executed. Salem today is still synonymous with the infamous witch trials and is an enduring monument of injustice, intolerance, and religious extremism. For any first-time visitor, the Salem Witch Trials Memorial is a must-visit. But there is more. At the Peabody Essex Museum, one can marvel at the 16-bedroom Yin Yu Tang, Chinese for "Hall of Plentiful Shelter," an 18th-century house reconstructed in a way that represents aspects of Qing Dynasty cultural heritage. Also, The House of the Seven Gables, made famous by Nathaniel Hawthorne's 1851 novel by the same name, is a 1668 colonial mansion that is as historic as it is architecturally impressive.
Hingham
Home to about 5,500 residents, Hingham is just about 15 miles southeast of The Hub and is among Massachusetts' most culturally significant towns. The town plays host to The Old Ship Church, which is reputed to be the oldest continuously used church in the United States — and the last surviving 17th-century Puritan meetinghouse in New England. Behind this historic church is a grass-strewn cemetery with tombs that date back to the 1600s. Old Ordinary, where residents would meet to sample the latest batch of cider, was built in 1680 and still stands today, albeit repurposed as the House Museum of the Hingham Historical Society. Hingham is also home to World's End, a lovely place to stroll, and from where one will enjoy beautiful views of the Boston skyline.
Wareham
Long before being canned to spice up roasted turkey — or other tasty and fleshly delicacies — Native Americans were known to use cranberries both as food and medicine, sometimes even as a dye. Today, cranberries are the Bay State's number one agricultural product and the state's official state berry. To honor the round, oblong, or pear-shaped berries, the edible symbol of regional pride, Wareham hosts the one-of-a-kind annual Cranberry Harvest Celebration. This event, often held in October, celebrates this aspect of New England's rich cultural heritage and is quite fun-filled and enjoyable. Participants indulge in several activities, including kayaking the scenic Tihonet Pond. Wareham also hosts the Tremont Nail Factory, which is the oldest nail manufacturer in the nation. Though it later relocated to Mansfield, the original site has been well preserved in Wareham. About 4 miles from town, the ghost village of Tyneham relives the painful story of emergency relocation in the heady days of the Second World War.
Gloucester
Home to about 29,500, Gloucester's cultural heritage is inextricably linked to fishing. Unfortunately, the rocky Massachusetts coastline is known to have grounded several ships and claimed numerous lives, mostly of fishermen. This aspect of the area's heritage is immortalized by the Fisherman's Memorial, an eye-catching bronze statue of a fisherman behind a ship's wheel. It is engraved with the words "They That Go Down To The Sea In Ships, 1623-1923." Also, looking every bit like a Gothic castle, Hammond Castle Museum is, however, the former home of John Hays Hammond, Jr., the Father of Radio Control. Now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this cathedral-like structure houses the inventor's long list of patents and other impressive accomplishments. Finally, Stage Fort Park and Beach marks the spot where the area was first settled in the early 1600s and is among the area's most sought-after attractions.
The Takehome
Boasting some of the finest beaches on the East Coast, a political history that is among the most consequential in the United States, and a natural beauty, including in the Berkshires, that is among the most spellbinding in the nation, Massachusetts packs a punch. The state's cultural heritage is rich, fascinating, and storied. While each town has something to speak of and an element of culture worth retracing and celebrating, towns such as Provincetown, Concord, and Salem, the site of the (in)famous witch trials, will appear in any list of Massachusetts' towns with a rich cultural heritage.
