Newburyport Preservation Trust Projects

The Newburyport Preservation Trust, in addition to its preservation education offerings and Preservation Week activities, presses forward on several current projects. At present, board members, volunteers, and local citizens are working together on (1) the continued development of the Powder House Park & Learning Center off Low Street, Newburyport, (2) initiatives to focus new attention on the notable architecture throughout the city's National Register Historic District, and (3) the continuing advocacy of protections to the city's historic structures and neighborhoods through effective zoning and demolition delay policies.

The NPT Historic House Plaque Program

The NPT Historic House Plaque Program has now researched and mounted more than 100 plaques on historic homes throughout the city. Through this popular program, owners of the many hundreds of historic homes in Newburyport have the opportunity to proudly identify their house with a plaque that indicates the owner/builder, date, or other notable fact. Central to the program, and of particular historical value, is the verification of dates, names, and facts by professional researchers. Dedicated stewards of Newburyport's older homes can learn the "real story" of their home, and showcase that stewardship with a plaque validated by the Newburyport Preservation Trust. See complete information about the program at our dedicated Historic House Plaque Program page.

Powder House Park & Learning Center

Since 2003, restoration efforts have proceeded steadily on the 1822 Powder House on Godfrey’s Hill off Low Street, Newburyport. The Powder House Park & Learning Center opened in the fall of 2012, and since then has hosted hundreds of visitors, including numerous school groups. Some finishing touches of landscaping remain. For more information about the project, including how you can volunteer or contribute, go to the Powder House Page.
 

Local Historic District Advocacy: Still Onboard

The trolley is still full of supporters, but has not yet reached its destination. The Newburyport Preservation Trust supports the establishment of a Local Historic District in Newburyport as a proven way to ensure preservation of individual neighborhood streetscapes as well as our more high-profile architectural gems. The distinctive, authentic architectural and historical character draws people to live, work, and play in Newburyport, and sustains the city’s economic vitality. For more information on the subject, visit our LHD Advocacy Page.  

The Historic Wharves of Newburyport

In 2011 NPT and the Custom House Maritime Museum presented a symposium on historic wharves of New England. Included was a report on the archaeological discoveries of the Newburyport wharves of William Coombs and William Bartlett near the current Newburyport Wastewater Treatment Facility. For more information on the subject, visit the Historic Wharves Page.