Beverly 400+

Beverly, originally inhabited by people from the Naumkeag and Pawtucket bands of the Massachusett Tribal Nation, was first settled in 1626 as part of Salem by Roger Conant and other members of the Dorchester Company. They settled in what was then called Naumkeag, part of the Agawam Indian Territory. Conant and other colonists built homesteads and fished and farmed along the banks of the North River until 1628. Then a new wave of English colonists arrived led by John Endicott, who was sent by the Massachusetts Bay Company to replace Conant and govern the tiny settlement. Disagreements between the “Old Planters” and the new arose and were eventually resolved peacefully. In honor of this resolution, they changed the name of the settlement from Naumkeag to Salem — or “village of peace.”

In 1635, Conant and four other villagers, John Balch, Peter Palfrey, John Woodbury, and William Trask, petitioned the town of Salem for a land grant on the other side of the river, known as the “Bass River Side.” The grant was approved. Each man was allotted 200 acres of farmland, totaling 1000 acres in all. These men and their families built homesteads in what eventually became our beloved Beverly.

Now, 400 years later, our City of more than 40,000 people will honor our rich history and create new memories and stories through events and celebrations with our diverse community.

JOIN US FOR 400 YEARS OF BEVERLY!