| Essex National Heritage Area | |
|---|---|
 Aerial view of Salem Willows inSalem, Massachusetts. Also pictured areMarblehead, Massachusetts and its harbor. | |
| Type | Historical |
| Location | Essex County, Massachusetts |
| Coordinates | 42°39′47.8″N70°57′30.2″W / 42.663278°N 70.958389°W /42.663278; -70.958389 |
| Area | 828 square miles (2,140 km2) |
| Founded | 1996 |
| Visitors | 2.7 million (yearly) |
| Governing body | Essex National Heritage Commission |
  Location of Essex National Heritage Area in Massachusetts Show map of Massachusetts Essex National Heritage Area (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
TheEssex National Heritage Area is aNational Heritage Area composed of all ofEssex County, Massachusetts. It is overseen by the Essex National Heritage Commission (ENHC), anon-profit organization based inSalem, Massachusetts.[1] The commission promotes the cultural heritage with public and private partnerships and with theNational Park Service by developing programs that enhance, preserve and encourage regional awareness of the area's unique historic, cultural and natural resources.
The heritage area covers all of Essex County, including 34 cities and towns, 9,968 sites listed on theNational Register of Historic Places, 26National Historic Landmarks, 9 state parks, and 2National Park Service units.[1]
Along with 2.7 million annual visitors, roughly 743,159 residents live in the region, which is in theGreater Boston metropolitan area.[1]
The heritage area includes theMerrimack Valley cities ofLawrence,Haverhill, andAmesbury, Massachusetts, which were important industrial and trade centers in the 18th and 19th centuries and the birthplace of theIndustrial Revolution inNorth America (along with nearbyLowell, Massachusetts), as well as the coastal cities ofNewburyport,Gloucester,Marblehead andSalem, Massachusetts, also important locations in early American trade and history.
The Essex National Heritage Commission has sponsored a number of events and programs that celebrate the region’s history, character and cultural heritage. These include: