A Note to Visitors:
Although this site focuses on Newbury proper, the histories of both Newburyport and West Newbury both begin in Newbury, before they became separate towns.  As we come across interesting photos and images of our 'sister' towns, we will post them here.

Click on a photo to see the full-size image.

Sources:
NPLA - Newburyport Public Library Archives
CD - Chris Drelich, private collection
DM - Dave Mountain, private collection
SF - Sue Follansbee, private collection
Gov's - The Archives of The Governor's Academy, Byfield

"The Heart of Newburyport"
This rare postcard features a small red heart, under which is a fold-out section filled with tiny images of the city.  -CD
In its "closed" state
 
With the heart opened,
before pulling out the
fold-out photos
 The strip of photos contains 16 tiny images, which have been broken up at right in groups of four for ease of viewing.		       
         
WATERFRONT & SHIPBUILDING

Along the Waterfront
early 20th c. postcard
-DM

 
Northern View of Newburyport
1841 woodcut from Massachusetts Historical Collections  -CD
Shipyard
Early 20th c. postcard
-CD
Rings Island &
Newburyport Harbor
Early 20th c. postcard
-CD
Newburyport Waterfront
early 20th c. photo
-DM

 

Fisherman's Landing
at Joppa
early 20th c. postcard
-DM 
"Coal Schooner Entering Newburyport Harbor"
early 20th c. postcard
-DM 
Clam Shanties
hand-colored postcard
-DM

 
"The Clam Shuckers"
early 20th c. postcard
-SF

 
J. Currier Jr. Shipyard,
Belleville
Early 20th c. postcard
of an earlier lithograph
-DM 

Newburyport Bridge
Mid-late 19th century
as a covered bridge
-SF
"Old Newburyport Bridge"
Early 20th c. postcard
-SF
"Old Newburyport Bridge"
Early 20th c. postcard
-DM
"Bridge on the Merrimack River"
Built in 1902
-CD
 
Former Newburyport
Bridge
1964 postcard
-priv

Janvrin's Landing
The waterfront used to feature short "fingers" that reached out into the river.  Janvrin's Landing was one such spot.  -SF
Shipbuilding
Late 19th century
Macintosh photo
-Priv
The Shipyards
along the waterfront
-Priv
The Shipyards
along the waterfront
-Priv
The Shipyards
along the waterfront
-Priv

"Joppa Clam Shanties"
Early 20th c. postcard
-CD
"Harbor View"
Early 20th c. postcard
-DM		      
         
PUBLIC BUILDINGS

Newburyport City Hall
from Gleason's Pictorial Drawing-Room Companion
-CD
Newburyport City Hall
early 20th c. postcard.
The lights out front are
now located at the Mass.
College of Pharmacy
-DM
B&M Railroad Station
Early 20th c. postcard
-CD 
Boston & Maine Railroad Station
Early 20th c. postcard
-DM
Custom House
early 20th c. postcard
-DM 

Public Library
It's somewhere behind all of the ivy... we think!
-priv
Y.M.C.A.
The iron fence of the library can be seen in the lower right of the image.
A fire destroyed this building in 1987, and today the expansion of the library fills the spot.
-DM
Female High School
Established 1843 in an Engine House on Pleasant Street, while this building was being built on the corner of Court Street
and Washington Street.
-priv
Old High School
Corner of Green & High Street.  Now owned by
Immaculate Conception Church.
-priv
Newburyport High School Circa 1940 postcard
-DM

Homeopathic Hospital
Hand-colored postcard
-DM
Superior Courthouse
with a wonderful fence surrounding the property
-Priv
"Pond and Court House"
Early 20th c. postcard
-DM		    
         
SHOPS & BUSINESSES

Market Square, circa 1860
The "bullnose" is out of view to the right.  The shop with the rounded windows in the center of the photo is now "Patridge in a Bear Tree."  -SF
Market Square
with a great view of the firehouse and a trolley headed for Plum Island
-SF
Market Square
 The firehouse is located off-center-right in the background
-CD
Market Square
Slightly different view from the image at left
-DM
Moving a house through Market Square
The store at left now houses Starbucks Coffee
-SF

Ordway Oven cart
in front of the old
YMCA building
State Street.  The library can be seen at right.
Ordway Ovens are referenced in publications of the late 19th and early 20th c.  -priv

 
"Looking Up State Street"
The church visible off-center left is the Universalist Church, currently the site of the parking lot for the Institution for Savings
-DM 
"State Street from
Market Square"
The Bank of America ATM is now located in the building at the far right  -CD
Corner of State & Pleasant Street
The Book Rack now resides in the building in the center of the photo.  Richdale's is in the corner building, sans the upper floors.  In the background is the 2nd Presbyterian Church, built 1796, which later became the Greek Orthodox Church.  That building burned in 1983.
-SF
Threadneedle Alley
and State Street
Gram's Ice Cream and The Rockfish restaurant now occupy the building.
-SF

Pleasant Street
Note the spire of the First Religious Society in the background.
-SF
Pleasant Street
Oregano restaurant & pizzeria now occupies the corner spot of the building with the awning.
-SF
Looking Down State Street
Early 20th c. postcard
-CD
Newburyport and Amesbury Horse Railroad Company
In 1864 the company "was authorized to construct, within two years, a railroad to be operated in the streets of Newburyport, Salisbury, and Amesbury, with horse power only."  The time expired before the company could build the roads, but the act of incorporation was revived in 1871.  For more information, see Currier's History of Newburyport, Mass., page 405.  -priv

57 State Street
Today this is the Arthur Page Insurance Agency
 -SF
The Phoenix Building
c. 1870s photo
Today, the Phoenix Room (on the third floor) is one of the most elegant function facilities in the area.  "The Best of British" and "French Lessons" are housed on the street level.  -SF
Middle Street
The building on the left currently houses The Grog restaurant  -SF		    

Merrimac House
One of the iterations of the Wolfe Tavern, corner of State & Harris Streets.
  -SF
Merrimac House
One half of a stereo view
  -CD
The Wolfe Tavern
Note the yellow porch shades apparanently blowing in the breeze
-SF		    

Bartlett Mill Fire
During the decline of profitability in maritime-related industries, steam-powered manufacturing was established in the city.  The Bartlett Mill was built in 1837.
-SF
The Bartlett Mill stood
at the corner of Pleasant
and Inn Street, and burned March 1881.
-SF
Dodge's Shoe Factory
Explosion
Note the steeple of the First Religious Society at the left edge of the photo
-SF		    
 
CHURCHES


Catholic Church
Immaculate Conception Church on Green Street
-Priv

  
North Church ruins
The North (Central) Congregational Church, corner of Titcomb & Pleasant Streets, burned March 22, 1861.
-SF
Central Congregational Church in the Snow
One half of a
stereo view card
-CD
"State Street Church"
Established in 1849, the building of the Whitefield Congregational Society was erected on the corner of State and Prospect Streets in 1851.  -CD

Old South Church
Hand-colored postcard
-CD
Old South Church
Built in 1756
-DM		    
Old South Church Interior
The curtains behind the pulpit are actually a trompe l'oeil painting
-CD
   
Universalist Church
Stood at the corner of Middle St. and Fair St. from 1830 until services ceased in 1879.  Converted into a shoe shop, but then burned in 1899. -Priv
St. Paul's Church
This church was built in 1800, replacing an earlier building from 1741.  The building was destroyed by fire April 1920.
-SF
Interior, St. Paul's Church
Prior to the fire and subsequent rebuild of 1920.  -CD
         
HOMES

Lord Timothy Dexter Place
"Erected 1759"
-DM
Home of 'Lord' Timothy Dexter
Early 20th c. postcard
of an earlier lithograph
-DM
High Street
Early 20th c. postcard
-DM
Doorway, Cushing House
Current home of the Historical Society of Old Newbury   -DM		  
         
LANDMARKS & SCENIC VIEWS

"Atkinson Park Soldiers' Memorial"
Early 20th c. postcard
-DM
Bird's-Eye View of
Atkinson Park
postcard circa 1940s
-DM
Bird's-Eye View of
Atkinson Park
early 20th c. postcard
-DM
"In Atkinson Park"
Early 20th c. postcard
-DM
Observatory Tower
Atkinson Park
-DM

"New Old Chain Bridge" "Built 1792"
-DM
"New Old Chain Bridge"
and Deer Island
-DM
"Oldest Suspension Bridge in the U.S."
Early 20th c. postcard
-DM
"Approach to Chain Bridge"
and the home of Harriet Prescott Spofford
-CD
"Steamer Merrimack
at Chain Bridge"
Early 20th c. postcard
-priv

"Horse Railroad"
at Chain Bridge
c. 1880 photo - see photo below for information on the Newburyport and Amesbury Horse Railroad Company  -SF
Harriet Prescott Spofford House
on Deer Island, between the Chain Bridge and the Essex-Merrimack Bridge  -CD
"Harriet Prescott Spofford's Residence and Chain Bridge in Winter"
Postcard
-priv
Essex-Merrimac Bridge
One-half of a stereo view.
The chain bridge is out of view at the far right of this photo.  If you look closely, you can see the small bridgekeeper's house, still in existence today.
-CD
Chain Bridge

-John White Winder
c. 1895 (Gov's)

Brown Square
with the former Baptist Church at left, now the Mission Oak Grill restaurant.  -CD
"Brown Square"
Early 20th c. postcard
  -DM
Charles Street
with on-street parking
for carriages  -SF
Newburyport Turnpike
Looking toward Salisbury.  This road was built in 1934, rerouting Route 1 away from the center of downtown.
-DM
Enoch Flanders,
Town Crier
early 20th c. postcard
-DM

"Washington Mall"
Early 20th c. postcard
-CD
Washington Statue
One half of a stereo view card.  The white gambrel-roofed house to the left of the statue still stands next to the parking lot of CVS/White Hen Pantry. -CD
"Washington Monument"
Early 20th c. postcard
-DM
Oak Hill Cemetery
Main entrance off of Brown Street; half of a stereo view
-priv
Bird's-eye view of
Newburyport
probably taken from
the steeple of the
First Religious Society,
Pleasant Street
-DM