May 4, 2022 – The Essex National Heritage Commission (Essex Heritage), in keeping with its long tradition of supporting the region’s unique cultural heritage, announced the 2022 Essex Heritage Partnership Grant Programrecipients at the Commission’s spring meeting in Beverly on April 28. Over the next year, the 12 grant recipients will be working to implement a diverse range of educational, interpretive, inclusionary, and preservation projects throughout Boston’s North Shore and the Merrimack Valley.

We recognize the importance of supporting local organizations and we are proud that we are able to award twelve partnership grants again this year. Over the life of the program we have provided grants to every community in Essex County – and we know that this seed money greatly impacts the region by leveraging more investments in the Essex National Heritage Area.

2022 Essex Heritage Partnership Grant Recipients:

Danvers:
Danvers Alarm List Company, Inc / Rebecca Nurse Homestead Museum will undertake the task of appropriately repairing the wooden roof and part of the wooden siding of the c.1681 Endicott Barn at the Rebecca Nurse Homestead.

Gloucester:
Gloucester Adventure, Inc will use their grant to preserve the Schooner Adventure beyond her regularly scheduled US Coast Guard mandated maintenance. This project addresses the rudder, propeller, and shaft, in order to improve maneuverability as well as replace planks and timbers that naturally decay over time due to exposure and salt water.

Wellspring House Inc. will develop a storytelling project to be shared through a redesigned website and other materials.

Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation, Inc. will conduct a structural engineer’s report to inform the design and engineering of the new exterior stairs and entrance platform for the 1806 Meetinghouse in keeping with the historic character of the property. The site is the only green space in the Historic District and a venue for ongoing community programming.

Lawrence:
Lawrence History Center will carry out the historic preservation of the exterior bulkhead and sole entrance to the basement of its warehouse, one of five buildings within the Essex Company Offices and Yard.

Lynn:
Raw Art Works will create their new “Land of Lynn: Looking Back, Looking Forward” mural, which will explore the significance of the “Land of Lynn” from the perspective of its original inhabitants and its diverse historical occupants.

Marblehead:
Town of Marblehead / Fort Sewall Oversight Committee will purchase and build appropriate furnishings for an interpretive display inside historic (c.1794-1801) masonry structures within the town’s 378-year-old coastal earthwork fort, as key visual elements for a new seasonal docent program that has been endowed through private and organizational donations.

Newbury:
First Parish Church of Newbury will preserve their historic Burying Grounds, which are in need of restoration in order to maintain the integrity of the landscape and the safety of visitors to the historic site.

Newburyport:
Appalachian Mountain Club will develop an Accessible Trail Hub in Newburyport that will enable people of all abilities and ages to enjoy the variety of trails and natural settings that already exist but are not yet connected.
Ipswich River Watershed Association will offer a series of place-based outdoor education programs for Salem Rec, giving Salem youth the chance to get outside multiple times during summer 2022 and benefit from nature-based enrichment programming.

Salem:
History Alive, Inc. will expand upon "Charlotte's Salem," which moves through 1850's Salem with abolitionist Charlotte Forten. Charlotte was the first graduate of African descent from Salem State College (Salem Normal School) and the first African-American to teach an integrated classroom in Salem. This portable adaptation brings "Charlotte's Salem" to audiences with ambulatory challenges and economic barriers.

Swampscott:
Swampscott Historical Commission / Town of Swampscott will enhance the exhibits featured in the Town Hall, which will include displays, videos, presentations and tours. The exhibits will depict various periods in the town history, individuals, landmarks and highlights from its 170 years as a town.


About Essex Heritage and the Essex National Heritage Area
Essex Heritage is the non-profit organization that manages the Essex National Heritage Area by developing programs that enhance, preserve, and encourage recreation, education, conservation and interpretation projects on Boston’s North Shore and the Lower Merrimack River Valley. The Essex National Heritage Area comprises the 34 cities and towns of Essex County, MA. For more information, visit www.EssexHeritage.org or call (978) 740-0444.  

About the Essex Heritage Partnership Grant Program
The Essex Heritage Partnership Grant Program is a matching grant program created to foster and support the stewardship activities of municipalities and organizations that share Essex Heritage’s mission to preserve and enhance the historic, cultural and natural resources of the Essex National Heritage Area (Essex County). Impacting many in the region, the program has invested more than $1.6 million in support of the region’s nationally significant heritage.

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