Beverly, Massachusetts facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Beverly
City
Post Office in 1919
Seal
Motto(s):  Patri Simillima Proles (Latin) was "May we be as our children"
Location in Essex County and the state of Massachusetts.
Beverly, Massachusetts Location in the United States
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
County	Essex
Settled	1626
Incorporated (town)	1668
Incorporated (city)	1894
Named for	Beverley, England
Government
• Type	Mayor-council city
Area
• Total	22.59 sq mi (58.50 km2)
• Land	15.09 sq mi (39.08 km2)
• Water	7.50 sq mi (19.42 km2)
Elevation	36 ft (11 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	42,670
• Density	2,827.70/sq mi (1,091.80/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (Eastern)
ZIP Code	01915
Area code(s)	978/351
FIPS code	25-05595
GNIS feature ID	0614200

Beverly is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is a suburb located just north of Boston. In 2020, about 42,670 people lived there. Beverly is a popular place for homes, resorts, and manufacturing. It is located on the North Shore of Massachusetts. The city includes areas like Ryal Side, North Beverly, Centerville, Cove, Montserrat, Beverly Farms and Prides Crossing. Beverly is known for its claim to be the "birthplace of the U.S. Navy".

History of Beverly

Soldiers' Monument in 1907

Beverly Harbor c. 1912

View of the Beach at Beverly, Massachusetts, 1860, John Frederick Kensett

Long before Europeans arrived, Native American groups lived in this area for thousands of years. In the early 1600s, the land that became Beverly was between important Naumkeag and Agawam settlements. Sadly, many native people died from diseases brought by Europeans.

European settlers, led by Roger Conant, first came here in 1626. This was part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Beverly was originally part of Salem. In 1668, it became its own town and was named after Beverley in England. The Balch House, built around 1679, is one of the oldest surviving homes from that time.

In 1686, the town leaders agreed to pay money to the grandchildren of Chief Masconomet. He was the last leader of the Agawam people. This payment was made to officially claim the land.

Beverly is famous for being the "Birthplace of America's Navy." The first ship used by the U.S. military was the USS Hannah. It was prepared at Glover's Wharf in Beverly. On September 5, 1775, it sailed from Beverly Harbor. This happened before the U.S. Navy even existed!

Beverly is also called the "birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution." This is because the first cotton mill in America was built here in 1787. It was the biggest cotton mill of its time. The city also had one of the country's first Sunday schools, built in 1810. Beverly officially became a city in 1894.

In 1902, the United Shoe Machinery Corporation built a huge factory in Beverly. This building was very modern for its time, made with reinforced concrete. It started making shoes in 1906. The factory closed in 1987. Later, in 1996, it was bought by Cummings Properties. They turned it into a place for many different businesses. These include tech companies, restaurants, and medical offices.

Parker Brothers, the company that makes Monopoly and other famous games, used to have its main office in Beverly. Later, Hasbro bought Parker Brothers, and its operations in Beverly eventually stopped.

President William Howard Taft spent his summers in Beverly. He rented houses here from 1909 to 1912. One of these houses was where the Italian Garden in Lynch Park is now. Beverly Hills, California, was even named in 1907 after Beverly Farms in Beverly, because President Taft liked to vacation there.

Beverly has a former Nike missile site. This site was used by the military from 1957 to 1959. Now, the city uses it for storage. Environmental groups are watching it closely because of concerns about water pollution near Wenham Lake.

In 2013, Michael Cahill became Beverly's 34th mayor. In 2021, Mayor Cahill won an award for his work on climate change. Beverly is working to protect its future by making city vehicles electric and making buildings more energy efficient. This includes a project with Salem called Resilient Together.

The Cabot is a historic theater in Beverly. It is one of only about 250 old movie palaces left from the 1920s. For many years, it was a movie theater. From 1977 to 2012, it hosted the famous magic show, Le Grand David and His Own Spectacular Magic Company. This show was in the Guinness Book of Records! In 2014, people worked hard to save The Cabot from being torn down. It became a non-profit organization. Since 2016, The Cabot has been renovated to look like its original 1920s style. It also has new sound, lighting, and seating for live shows.

Geography of Beverly

Beverly covers about 58.5 square kilometers (22.59 square miles). About 39.1 square kilometers (15.09 square miles) is land, and 19.4 square kilometers (7.50 square miles) is water. Beverly is on the North Shore, which means it's along Massachusetts Bay north of Boston.

The city has many small coves and two islands called Great and Little Misery Islands. Beverly Harbor is at the mouth of the Danvers River. The Bass River also flows into the Danvers River within the city. Beverly has parts of Wenham Lake and other smaller lakes and ponds. The city also has its own forest and nature areas.

The western part of Beverly is more developed with buildings and businesses. The eastern part, however, is more rural and natural. Beverly has several parks, five beaches, a golf and tennis club, and two yacht clubs.

Beverly is next to Manchester-by-the-Sea to the east and Wenham to the north. To the west is Danvers, and to the south is Salem. The Danvers River and Beverly Harbor separate Beverly and Salem. Three bridges connect the two cities. Beverly's city center is about 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Salem's. It is also about 17 miles (27 km) northeast of Boston.

Beverly's Climate

Beverly has a climate with warm summers and cold, snowy winters. Temperatures and snow can change a lot. Summers are warm and humid. A sea breeze often keeps the southern part of the city cooler in summer. Beverly can get thunderstorms and tropical storms in the summer. In winter, fall, and spring, it can get nor'easters which bring heavy rain or snow. Rain generally falls evenly throughout the year, with a bit more in spring and fall. The hottest temperature recorded was 98°F (37°C) in July 2002 and July 2022. The coldest was -13°F (-25°C) in February 2023.

Population of Beverly

In 2020, Beverly had 42,670 people living in 16,568 homes. Most people (82.3%) were White. About 4.0% were African American, and 9.3% were Asian. About 5.4% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

The average household had about 2.39 people. About 19.0% of residents were under 18 years old. The average age in the city was 40.6 years.

Economy in Beverly

Major Employers

• Axcelis Technologies
• Beverly Hospital/Lahey
• Endicott College
• YMCA of the North Shore
• Cell Signaling

Arts and Culture in Beverly

Points of Interest

Cabot Street c. 1906

Beverly Common

• The Beverly Cotton Manufactory site: This is where America's first cotton mill was built. A monument stands there today.
• The Cabot: This historic theater hosted the world's longest-running magic show for many years. Today, it's a place for live shows and movies.
• The Larcom Theatre: Built in 1912, this theater is known for its great sound. It hosts music and performing arts events.
• Harry Ball Field: This is the home of the Beverly Little League, the first and oldest Little League in Massachusetts.
• Hurd Stadium: The home field for the Beverly Panthers sports teams.
• John Balch House (built around 1679)
• John Cabot House (built in 1781)
• Exercise Conant House (built in 1695)
• John Hale House (built around 1694)
• Lynch Park & Beaches: A popular spot for swimming, kayaking, and picnics in the summer.
• The North Shore Music Theatre: A theater that puts on musicals and concerts.
• The Odd Fellows' Hall: A historic building at Cabot and Broadway streets.
• Montserrat College of Art: A college focused on visual arts.

Education in Beverly

Beverly has five elementary schools for grades K-4: Ayers Ryal Side, Centerville, Cove, Hannah, and North Beverly. The city's only middle school is Beverly Middle School, which opened in 2018. It serves students in grades 5-8.

Beverly High School is the public high school for grades 9-12. It was founded in 1858 and has over 1300 students. A new school building was finished in 2011.

Before the new middle school, Briscoe was used as a middle and high school. This historic building, built in 1923, is near downtown Beverly.

Beverly also has several private schools for students from kindergarten through high school. These include New England Academy, Landmark School, and The Waring School.

Northshore Academy offers special education services for students with different learning needs. This includes schools for students with learning disabilities and those with more severe physical or mental disabilities.

The city is home to two colleges: Endicott College and Montserrat College of Art. Endicott College offers many different bachelor's and master's degree programs. Montserrat College of Art is a private college for visual arts.

Transportation in Beverly

Veterans Memorial Bridge, looking toward Beverly from Salem

Route 128 is a major highway that goes through Beverly. It connects the city to other big roads like Interstate 95. Route 1A also runs through Beverly's downtown. Several other state routes start or pass through Beverly.

Beverly is a stop on the Newburyport/Rockport Line of the MBTA Commuter Rail. This train service connects Beverly to Boston's North Station. There are several train stops in Beverly, including Beverly Depot, North Beverly, Montserrat, and Beverly Farms.

The MBTA bus Route 451 serves the city, connecting North Beverly station to downtown Beverly and Salem. There's also a local bus service called the Beverly Shoppers Shuttle.

Beverly is home to Beverly Municipal Airport. This airport is used for smaller planes. For bigger national and international flights, people use Logan International Airport in Boston.

The Hall-Whitaker Bridge, which crosses the Bass River, was closed to cars in 2023. A new bridge is expected to be built by 2027.

Notable people

Film appearances