Here is the link to the map: Newburyport – Keeping the Story Alive, Mapping historic stories of Newburyport, MA houses and places, with photos, paintings, videos, old maps, history and anecdotes. Created by The Newburyport Blog, Mary Baker Eaton, editor.
There are so many Newburyport stories that are being lost or have been lost. People are forgetting Newburyport’s history, from Urban Renewal in the late 1960s early 1970s, to Bossy Gillis, Truman Nelson, Alice Hooper Fowle Cutler, painter Laura Coombs Hills, poet Hannah Flagg Gould, Rebecca Rawson, Mt. Rural, writer John P. Marquand, Curzon Mill, artist Ethel Reed, The Old Pillsbury House.
Go to the map to find out all about these stories and where the people lived or where the stories took place in Newburyport.
The historic/story map is an outgrowth of Newburyport’s “If This House Could Talk” and all the research that has been done on stories and history for the Newburyport Blog since 2006. The concept of This House Could Talk is to collect and present local history, and historical anecdotes, through a collaborative activity in which residents and businesses post hand made signs and graphics in front of their homes and businesses, telling stories and offering information from the recent or not-so-recent past. It does not matter if the house and/or story is old or new, ordinary or rare and important. The signs have a range of information from the architectural history, to personal experiences and stories of the current or historic residents of a particular house. If This House Could Talk offers neighborhood residents a way to present historical information with a personal voice. This type of free and accessible presentation of information in public places encourages walking and exploration of a neighborhood in order to discover and learn from the signs and artworks. The hope is that the sharing of local history might bring the community together through the engagement with the stories, and contribute to building a sense of place. An increased appreciation for historical preservation can also be a byproduct. The hope is that the interactive history/story map is an ongoing continuation of this objective.