Join Captain Bob Cronin as he presents an epic story of honor and heroism from our nation’s past. Also highlighted are the ties to Newburyport smuggling and a largely unknown historic cemetery in modern downtown Portland Maine. September 5, 1813 brought these random threads together and took the USS Enterprise and the HBMS Boxer into ship-to-ship combat just off the coast of Pemaquid Point (District of Maine) Massachusetts. This encounter will forever interweave these ships and their captains in the history of both the United States Navy and the Royal Navy.

Bob is a member of the London chartered “1805 Club” and the New York based “National Maritime Historical Society”. The 1805 Club charter puts focus on the age of sail of the Georgian Navy and the preservation of Trafalgar Way. The National Maritime Historical Society is a generous resource of the emerging sea power of the United States Navy. Bob currently serves as Chair of the CHMM.

The Custom House is very excited to take part in this year’s Trails and Sails event, hosted by the Essex National Heritage Area!

Stop by the Custom House from 10 am – 2 pm on September 14th for games, crafts, tours, and scavenger hunts. See the Discovery Center on the ground level, including a special display of whale bones. FREE ADMISSION to the museum.

Kick off the event with some local history! Our visitor center is stocked with plenty of guides to activities across the Essex National Heritage Area – a total 31 towns and cities!

Join us to celebrate the past 50 years and launch us into the next 50!

The Seafaring Soiree will kick off our Golden Jubilee year on September 19th, 2024 at the Blue Ocean in Salisbury with a fun evening of dining, dancing and exclusive auction.