Newburyport, Historic Assets Lost

I had seen these photographs before, but had never been able to find them again. And they were right under my nose, online, on the website of the City of Newburyport, under the Newburyport Public Library, photo archives.

The pictures I was looking for were those of Newburyport’s historic High Street that were taken right before Route 1 went in and all those houses on High Street were destroyed in (I believe) 1934.

Summer-HS-Winter .dest.jpg
High Street between Summer Street and Winter Street
Area destroyed for Route 1
Courtesy of the Newburyport Archival Center
at the Newburyport Public Library

This next photograph I believe was taken a little later. It is also the area of High Street between Winter and Summer Streets, historic assets that were lost and that can never be replaced.

SumWintHS.destroyed.jpg
High Street between Summer Street and Winter Street
Area destroyed for Route 1
Courtesy of the Newburyport Archival Center
at the Newburyport Public Library

And I also found this photograph in the Newburyport Public Library Archival Center of that neighborhood after the destruction. The photograph is of the bridge being build between Winter and Summer Street.

Summer.St.Bridge_n-LB.jpg
Bridge being built between Summer and Winter Street
For Route 1
Courtesy of the Newburyport Archival Center
at the Newburyport Public Library

For me that is a devastating photograph, especially knowing now what would have been there. And when one looks at the automobiles in the photograph above (although, yes, I know things have slightly changed, for goodness sakes) one wonders if the loss of all those neighborhoods, family homes, historic assets was worth it. It feels like part of the soul of Newburyport, MA was slashed away.

We are still losing our historic assets in Newburyport’s Historic District. It’s just not quite as obvious, dramatic or shocking.

And as a community, not just the 15% (maybe) ( and if you are reading the Newburyport Political Blog, you are probably part of that 15%) that pay attention, do we care? And how do we get the other 85% to look around and think about what is happening now in Newburyport, MA?

Unless something is happening in someone’s backyard, most people in Newburyport, MA are “asleep at the wheel,” so to speak. How do we wake up the rest of the residents of Newburyport, MA from their vapid stupor?

Mary Eaton
Newburyport