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TOWN OF NEWBURYPORT’S EARLY HISTORY

Marquand Gallery

Tue-Sat: 10-5, Sun: 12-5

NEWBURYPORT’S FOUNDING & REVOLUTIONARY WAR

Curator Kevin’s Video Tour

Curator Kevin's Video Tour

Curator Kevin Says: The Custom House Maritime Museum’s Marquand Gallery details Newburyport’s golden age—the first 50 years after its founding. The people who lived along the Merrimack River in the town of Newbury decided that their work (i.e. fishing and shipbuilding) was quite different than the farmers in the rest of the town. They petitioned the Massachusetts General Court to be able to break off and form their own town, which became Newburyport in January of 1764.

Gallery Highlights

American Revolution Vignette

The first 25 years of Newburyport’s history were dominated by the American Revolution. Curator Kevin shows you a ship model of a British vessel and an acrylic sea battle painting.

Privateers & Capt. Moses Brown

The Colonial government relied on Newburyport “privateers” like Capt. Moses Brown to harass British ships. Curator Kevin also shows you a rare letter of mark.

Nathaniel Tracey’s Fleet

Curator Kevin discusses the story of Nathaniel Tracey. Worth about $6 million in 1780, he lost most of his fleet during the war—pledging his fortune and sacred honor to the cause.

The Marquands

Capt. Daniel Marquand and his wife Mary moved from England—helping mold a new town, engage in the revolution and welcome a new president to Newburyport in just a 25 year span.

What Will You Learn?

The Marquand Gallery contains many artifacts and exhibits highlighting the glory days of Newburyport, before and during the Revolutionary War.

The Marquands arrived in the port of Newbury in the early 1700s along with a wave of entrepreneurs. They saw the potential of tapping into local virgin forests and an abundant supply of fish to be exported to ports beyond. Access to the Atlantic Ocean also provided an easy way to international trade. As a result, wharfs, ships and commercial buildings developed rapidly.

Families like the Marquands became incredibly wealthy. Nathaniel Tracey, for example, became the wealthiest man in the United States by the time of the Revolutionary War. He and others had large fleets of ships engaged in international trade. These wealthy merchants also built grand homes.

In this gallery, enjoy seeing original documents of the colonial time period, as well a tea brick simliar to those burned at the Newburyport Tea Party (and thrown overboard during the Boston Tea Party.) You’ll also meet Newburyport’s most eccentric citizen Lord Timothy Dexter, who had two books written about him by Pulitzer Prize author J.P. Marquand.

View Additional Custom House Galleries

Moseley Gallery

The Moseley Gallery is our largest gallery, providing many highlights of what made Newburyport a rich maritime town. This includes the Newburyport Marine Society and cutting-edge ships like the Dreadnought.

Marquand Gallery

The Custom House’s Marquand Gallery details Newburyport’s golden age—the first 50 years after its founding before and during the Revolutionary War.

Coast Guard Gallery

This gallery shows off many aspects of the U.S. Coast Guard. Founded in 1791 as the United States Revenue Service in Newburyport, the Coast Guard got its name change from President Woodrow Wilson in 1915.

Collector of Customs Gallery

The Collector of Customs Gallery talks about what our museum building was used for. Ship captains coming to or from other parts of the globe would need to stop at the Customs House and pay taxes on the goods being imported or exported.

Baker Gallery

The Baker Gallery highlights the museum’s largest artifact—our museum building. It was built in 1835 by federal architect Robert Mills. Mills also designed the Treasury building and the Washington Monument.

Timeline Gallery

The first gallery across from our visitor’s center welcomes you to explore a historic timeline from pre-historic times to the present. People inhabited the area around the mouth of the Merrimack River for thousands of years. Colonialists from Europe settled it in 1635.

Plan Your Visit

  • Museum Hours

Tue-Sat: 10AM-5PM
Sun: 12PM-5PM

  • Tickets

Admission is free with any membership level. For non-members, tickets can be purchased at the museum. Tickets are $10 for adults and free for Newburyport residents.