Thousands of visitors tour the birthplace of poet and abolitionist John Greenleaf Whittier each year. Built by Whittier's great-great grandfather in 1688, the home surrounding property have changed very little since the poet lived there in the early 19th century. See the "Haunted Bridge," Whittier's boyhood school, and the home and burial place of sweetheart Lydia Ayer.

Retrace the life and dangerous times of Indian captive Hannah Duston - the spot from where she was taken in 1697, the Merrimack River bank where she landed after her escape, the garrison house built by her husband Thomas Duston, and her statue in GAR Park.

Discover how Haverhill became the "Queen Slipper City" at the Buttonwoods Museum. Haverhill produced one-tenth of America's shoes in 1913 - just three decades after the shoe district burned to the ground in 1882. Native American artifacts and over 10,000 collectibles and objects, including historic furniture, ceramics, quilts, dolls, and toys are just a few of the items that fascinate history buffs of all ages.

A part of the Essex National Heritage Area, Haverhill is a great way to begin your exploration of the rich, historic, northeast corner of Massachusetts.

• Washington Square, at the heart of downtown, is named for the first U.S. president, who, during his visit in 1789, commented that Haverhill was the most pleasant village he had passed through.
• Movie mogul Louis B. Mayer began his career in Haverhill managing a theater in Washington Square. Before making it big in New York, department store magnate R. H. Macy opened his first store on Merrimack Street.
• Haverhill is the home of Archie comic strip creator Bob Montana, who based many of his characters on friends from Haverhill High School.
• The first business telephone call was placed in Haverhill. Alexander Graham Bell often visited Haverhill leather merchant Thomas Sanders in the 1870s.Sanders, whose deaf son was one of Bell's students, supplied Bell with most of the money that enabled him to develop the telephone.
• In the late 1960's national television personality Tom Bergeron began his career on Haverhill's WHAV radio station. The Haverhill High graduate is now host of the Hollywood Squares game show.
  

Hannah Duston
Statue
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larger image)

John Greenleaf Whittier Birthplace
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larger image)