North Shore | |
|---|---|
Region ofMassachusetts | |
 The North Shore region ofMassachusetts | |
 Interactive map of North Shore | |
| Coordinates:42°36′N70°48′W / 42.6°N 70.8°W /42.6; -70.8 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Massachusetts |
| Metropolitan area | Greater Boston |
| Subregions | Merrimack Valley,Cape Ann |
| Population (2010) | |
• Total | 636,187 |
| Largest municipality (population) | Lynn (94,654) |
| Largest municipality (land) | Ipswich (42.51 square miles) |
TheNorth Shore is a region in theU.S. state ofMassachusetts, loosely defined as the sea coast betweenBoston andNew Hampshire. Its counterpart is theSouth Shore region extending south and east of Boston.
The North Shore is a significant historical, cultural, and economic region of Massachusetts. The southern North Shore includes historic towns that are now part of the Boston metropolis. TheSalem witch trials took place here. At the northern end, theMerrimack Valley was an important center of theIndustrial Revolution in the United States. The North Shore includes a number of places that are significant in the literary and cultural history of the United States.
The North Shore landscape includes seaports, fishing villages, and rocky coastline dotted with marshes and wetlands, as well as beaches and natural harbors.Cape Ann is the largest promontory.
The North Shore has no fixed definition as a region. It may include only those communities between Boston andCape Ann, as defined by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (whose purview does not go beyondGreater Boston);[1] or the larger part ofEssex County, including parts of theMerrimack Valley, as defined by the North Shore Chamber of Commerce.[2] The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, which defines regions in terms ofwatershed, refers to the North Shore as the coastal region of Massachusetts north of Boston stretching fromSalisbury toRevere, including the inland city ofAmesbury.[3]
North Shore of Massachusetts could be taken to mean the entire coast of Massachusetts from New Hampshire to Boston (listed in order, north-to-south):
The Boston Metropolitan Area Planning Council's North Shore Task Force,[4] a regional planning agency, defines the North Shore as also encompassingCape Ann and several inland communities. When combined with the North Shore Chamber of Commerce's definition of the region, the North Shore comprises the following cities and towns:
The North Shore has historically been viewed as a wealthy, exclusive collection of towns and fishing villages,[5] but also contains some working-class cities and suburbs of Boston.[6] In 1893,The New York Times described the region as a notable summer destination for the socialites, politicians, and businessmen of New York and New England, dotted with hotels, cottages, and burgeoning gentlemen's clubs.[7] Salem, known worldwide as the location of theSalem witch trials; the working-class fishing city of Gloucester;[8] and the region's many beaches make it a popular tourist destination.[9]
The North Shore communities have varied and rich histories:Gloucester was America's first fishing community;Salem was the location of the infamous witch trials as well as one of the largest centers of shipping and sixth largest city in early America. The hysteria that led to the witch trials began in the part of Salem that is nowDanvers.Lynn was once the center of the Americanshoe industry.Saugus is home to thefirst integrated ironworks in North America.Peabody had the largest concentration oftanneries in the world; andBeverly andMarblehead often dispute over which town was the birthplace of theAmerican Navy.Newburyport was well known for producing clipper ships and for a brief time in history was the richest city in the Union; it is also the birthplace of theUnited States Coast Guard. Newburyport maintains the largest collection of Federal period commercial and residential architecture in the nation.
