Essex National Heritage Area
Whittier Family Homestead
Haverhill, Massachusetts
  • Address: 305 Whittier Road, Haverhill, Massachusetts
    Telephone Number: 978-373-3979
  • Hours: The Museum will be closed the month of January 2008. It will reopen on Friday, February 1.
    May 1 – October 31:
    • Wednesday, Friday, Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
    • Thursday: 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
    • Sunday: 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
    November 1 – April 30
    • Wednesday, Friday & Sunday: 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
    • Thursday: 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
    • Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
    Or by prior arrangements; Closed major holidays; Last tour begins one hour before closing.
  • Admission: Adults - $5.00; 62 & over - $3.00; Students over 18 - $3.00; Students under 18 - $2.00; Family maximum - $10.00
  • Map: Map
  • Trail: The Early Settlement Trail

Thomas Whittier, the pioneer, chose wisely in selecting the site of the homestead when he acquired 148 acres of land beside a brook which could furnish sufficient water for his farm needs and turn the wheel of his grist mill as well. Here, in 1688, in a small pleasant valley under the shoulder of Job's Hill, he built the house which was to be the Whittier family homestead for five generations and the birthplace of the Quaker Poet and Abolitionist John Greenleaf Whittier on December 17, 1807.

John Greenleaf Whittier was born in the southwest parlor of the Whittier Homestead. In 1831, he brought out a book of prose works, Legends of New England, and in 1866, the publication of Snow-Bound brought him financial comfort. Whittier's popularity continued into the next century, and he was considered one of the 19th century's "Fireside Poets."

The Whittier Homestead is an outstanding example of the old New England farm and has been operated as such, without interruption, since the beginning. Its charm lies in the simple and homely atmosphere which has surrounded it since colonial days. The house itself, located on its original site, is substantially the same as when the poet lived here from 1807 until 1836, and is the setting of his most famous and beloved poem, Snow-Bound.




Nearby Area Sites

Haverhill History

Haverhill's distinctive landscape features – the Merrimack River, the many ponds, wetlands and varied topography – were instrumental in shaping the history of the community from the earliest use of the area by Native Americans through the long tradition of shoe manufacturing to land uses that continue today.

Native American activity along the Merrimack River prior to European settlement was intense with several tribes known to have been in the Haverhill area, including the Pentuckets, Pawtuckets and Agawams, all sub-tribes of the Penacook group. The first European settlement took its name from one of the Native American tribes, when Pentucket was established in 1640 and one of the four shires of the plantation was called Haverhill, named after the birthplace in England of Haverhill’s first minister, John Ward. The area was not incorporated as a city until 1870, the same year in which Bradford was annexed to Haverhill.

Agriculture, fishing and shipbuilding were the economic base well into the 19th century. In the early 1800s there was a strong cattle market which gave rise to the shoe industry. By the 1830s and into the early 20th century Haverhill became a leader in shoe manufacturing. Known as the “Queen Slipper City” Haverhill was noted for its shoe designers and makers. After World War I the shoe industry began its decline in Haverhill. In the 1950s the arrival of Western Electric was a boost to the local economy; however the large plant moved out of Haverhill in the late 20th century.

The Merrimack River served as a key mode of transportation from prehistoric times into the early 19th century. Once the railroad opened in 1839 there was a shift in transportation which also fostered the shift in the economy to the shoe industry. Mid 20th century interstate highway development resulted in the city’s strategic location between Rt. 93 and Rt. 95 on Rt. 495.

One of the larger municipalities in Essex County, Haverhill’s population by 1850 had risen to 5,754 and continued to increase substantially throughout the 19th century. Between 1880 and 1920 the population more than tripled to 53,884. However, as the shoe industry declined, the population decreased slowly but steadily throughout much of the 20th century until the 1990s when it recovered and exceeded the 1920 level. In 2000 the population was nearly 59,000.

From Haverhill Reconnaisance Report, Essex County Landscape Inventory, Massachusetts Heritage Landscape Inventory Program (pdf document)

See also:

1985 Massachusetts Historical Commission Reconnaissance Survey Town Report

[Top]