Our 400th Anniversary year is in full swing, with several successful events celebrated and many more to come! We have many organizations and individuals to thank for making the work of our all-volunteer efforts a success.
We are so appreciative of our Platinum sponsors and partners in all that we do: The City of Beverly and the Community Preservation Committee (CPC), Historic Beverly, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
With the support of former State Representative Jerry Parisella and Senator Joan Lovely, we were able to secure state funding of $100,000 for the celebration, which runs concurrently with the state’s Rev250 initiative, commemorating the anniversary of the events that led to the American Revolution.
Understanding that our 400th year was a great opportunity to highlight all of Beverly’s rich history and the many artifacts, buildings, activities, and events that are available through Historic Beverly, Executive Director Abby Battis, spearheaded Platinum sponsorship for Beverly 400+, which, among many other things, is bringing back to our elementary schools field trips to our Beverly historic sites for all our third graders!
Mayor Mike Cahill is an ex-officio member of the Beverly 400+ committee and ardent supporter. He presented the committee’s plans to the City Council in 2025, which voted to approve Platinum sponsorship of $100,000 for the celebration. Additionally, CPC funds were granted to Beverly 400+ through the work of its Historic Committee for the planning phase of the organization’s Legacy Project: The Revitalization of Independence Park, which was completed and approved. The City now has ownership of the project.
What is the Legacy Project?
When all the festivities and celebrations of Beverly’s 400th anniversary are over, our board wanted to be sure we left behind a lasting legacy of the past 400 years and left a proud memorial to our celebration and history. The board unanimously agreed that revitalizing Independence Park would be the perfect legacy project! It’s the site of key events in Beverly’s early history, including the epic battle between the American Navy’s Hannah and England’s Nautilus ships and a reading of the Declaration of Independence.
The project should be complete this summer and will make Independence Park an even better place for people to visit, enjoy the amazing view of the sea and islands, and take in some history! This project was the impetus for a generous Sapphire sponsorship from our friends at the Beverly Rotary!
Three much-anticipated events for the 400th anniversary are the epic reenactment of the aforementioned battle of the Hannah and Nautilus, the visit of the travelling Vietnam Wall, which will kick off Homecoming this year, and our authentic indigenous people Pow Wow at Endicott College. These events and others would not be possible without the support of our Sapphire sponsors: Beverly Harbor Management Authority Committee (Chairman Paul Earl) and Endicott College (President Bryan Cain).
Please be sure if you have the chance to thank the people and principals of these organizations for their support of our celebration!