marblehead museum & historical society

There were two impressive exhibits on when I visited; one featured antique toys and a fairly extensive collection of the folk art of J.O.J. Frost.Both the docent and one of the administrative employees were exceedingly friendly and more than happy to give a tour / answer questions. There is no fee to enter this museum (no photos allowed). Visit the website for more information about ongoing exhibits.

Great little museum with a very friendly docent! The spirit of '76 painting is a "must see"; but don't miss the many paintings of historic sailboats, including photos of the ships dedicated to Marblehead, and very rare photos of the first flight in the US Marine Corp in Marblehead harbor.

Inside Abbott Hall. The original 'Spirit of 1776' painting is here. A great museum for those interested in American History, especially the U.S.Navy. The ladies in the gift shop are a treasure trove of information-and the nicest, funniest women!

Old Town in Marblehead is the area of Washington Street, down the hill from Abbot Hall. It has narrow walkways, little shops (gifts/clothing/furniture/ beach&nautical items), historic homes and buildings.

Coming from Sydney, Australia on our first visit to Boston, we decided to stay at the Boston Yacht Club as a reciprocal 'sister" club to the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron (which also has nice accomodation available) even though Marblehead is some 45 minutes by bus to Wonderland and then Metro to the Boston city center. What a great choice that turned out to be ! Marblehead is the most delightful, old,character restored wooden weatherboard houses at every street corner.: Signs on most of the dwellings inform you who was the original owner like "Captain James Smith,Whaler,1735" and so on. Its charm is everywhere and a stroll along the waterfront which hosts many seafood establishments, all with great character like The Landings or Buccaneers abound.My wife was so taken with this remarkable and beautiful area that she now wants to come back again for a further stay and for at least a week...apart from the fact that Boston reeks with British and early American history,, we found Bostonians and Americans everywhere just seem to 'love" us Aussies!I have to add that the Boston YC with its recently renovated bedrooms and en suites was a wonderful place to rest ourselves and made us most welcome. That's the advantage of being a member of some club which has affiliations abroad...But if you are in this State sometime, do not miss seeing Marblehead and some of the other lovely areas like Salem and Providence too.

The Marblehead Museum always has a great rotating exhibit regarding an aspect of Marblehead history in its front gallery on the first floor. Upstairs is the fantastic gallery of JOJ Frost paintings that are well worth the visit for children and adults alike. Across the street from the museum is the Jeremiah Lee Mansion, also run by the museum. The museum's website is www.marbleheadmuseum.orgFYI, Abbot Hall (with the Spirit of '76 painting) is up the street at 188 Washington Street--also well worth the visit while you're in the area.

its a very small museum , but a lot of stuff on marblehead history in here and the original painting of the spirit of 76 painting is here.

Abbott Hall serves as Marblehead's Town Hall. The Spirit of 76 painting hangs in the Selectman's Room, and there is no admission charge. While you will not spend a lot of time in the building, Marblehead is a very good walking town, and seeing the Spirit of 76 enhances a day of strolling.

Although I sincerely want to visit here, I am from Marblehead, OHIO on the shores of Lake Erie. The light house photo on this site is from the oldest working light house on the Great Lakes in Marblehead, Ohio. Also a fun note. The " Spirit of '76" painting was painted by a painter about 50 miles Sotho of here in Wellington, OH which is about thirty miles from the birthplace of Thomas Edison in Milan, Ohio. Lots of history all over this fine country of ours. Thanks for your time.

Can you believe that the original "Spirit of 76" is there in all its vast glory in a meeting room of Abbot Hall, where the civic offices are? While a selectman discussed codes with a property owner, I browsed the collection of oil paintings, and stood in amazement before the collection's jewel.An very fine, contemporary-style installation of US Maritime history is contained in one room, thanks in part to the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem. Who knew that our first US commissioned ship was launched in Salem, or that the USS Constitution had such an impact in the Marblehead waters. This is worth the stop.

We Texans think we have a long history, but it pales compared to Marblehead, MA which was founded in 1629. If you are a history buff, The Marblehead Museum and the 1768 Jeremiah Lee Mansion across the street are well worth visiting. The J.O.J. Frost Gallery offers some marvelous primitive art that depicts this premier fishing village in the 19th century.Jeremiah Lee was one of the wealthiest men in New England and a supporter of the cause of independence who would have been much more famous in our history books were it not for his untimely demise after trying to escape the British. The mansion he built was one of the most opulent houses in colonial New England, built in the Georgian tradition. The craftsmanship is exceptional, and the tour that we had was simply marvelous (for only $10 for the two of us).

Interesting quick history of the area...beautiful historic building. Don't miss this as you walk around this beautiful little town.

We had such a sweet visit to this little treasure. I really felt I stepped back in time. The painting of the Spirit of 76 shines in the main hall. How proud. And the ancient displays (along with the pleasant and charming attendants) were heartwarming. I was told there is a plan afoot to update some of the store's displays but I hope that's not true. The sincerity of this gem is not to be missed.

My fiance and I just spent a day in Marblehead and though we hadn't planned a stop at Abbot Hall, one of the locals pointed us in that direction. I'm glad we went. The original painting of the "Spirit of 76" was nice to see. There is also an adjoining room that has only been open for about a month as of today (August 23rd, 2012) which highlights the role of Marblehead as the birthplace of the navy as well as contributions made by sailors of old from Marblehead. This room was recently redone courtesy of the Peabody Museum and we had no idea it even existed. I would recommend it. We couldn't get into the Lee Mansion even though we rang the bell (there was a tour in progress so they probably didn't here us). Overall, a very nice hour spent just in Abbott Hall :)

I always assumed the "fife and drum" painting was in Washington or elsewhere and was amazed when a shop owner directed us slightly up the hill. The size is amazing and impressive. A gem for this small town.