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Rockport ó A Seacoast Village on Cape Ann
You hear the phrase "quaint seacoast village" so often that it becomes a cliché, but this description fits Rockport well. An enjoyable place to spend a day, weekend or vacation, Rockport welcomes tourists from around the world and day trippers from greater Boston for a variety of reasons.
A Brief History of Rockport
It was in the late 1600s that fishermen from Ipswich (a small town located just north of Cape Ann) came to Rockport. During the 1700s Rockport was a small fishing village, but Rockport's history took an unusual turn after the turn of the next century. In the 1820s, the need for granite around the country and the world was high, and Rockport had high quality granite. Rockport is also located directly on the ocean, which made the transportation of the granite easier than an inland location. During this time, granite was in high demand and Rockport was furnishing most of the country's granite. As the town's industry boomed, its inhabitant's became known as the "quarry people." The Custom House Tower in Boston, said to be the tallest building in the country without a steel frame, was built with Rockport granite. And granite from Rockport was also used in the locks of the Panama Canal. Rockport was known then (and almost named) Granitetown, but was incorporated as the town of Rockport in 1840. Eventually the increase in use of cement and other building materials spelled the death knell for Rockport's granite industry, but the remnants can be seen at a few locations around Rockport, which are mentioned in the "Things To Do" section.
During the mid- 1800s, artists and writers came to the area, inspired by the area's rugged scenic beauty. The first art studio was established in 1873, and traveling artists roamed the streets at this time looking for portraits and scenes to paint. For years since, Rockport has been an important contributor to American painting, sculpture and other art forms, and one of the attractions to Rockport are the number of galleries here, some with international reputations.
This quiet lobstering community is a "dry" one as well, due to an unusual event in 1856. Tired of the affect alcohol was having on the local men, Hannah Jumper and a group of supporters went on the Women's Raid of 1856, destroying every bottle of liquor in the town's drinking establishments. To this day, Rockport sells no alcohol, and in a town meeting vote on the issue taken within the last few years, residents continued to uphold the "dry town" designation. This is not a problem for visitors, just something to be aware of for your convenience. Restaurants invite you to bring your own wine or spirits and will provide setups for a small charge, and of course you can bring wine and liquor to your inn for your own use, but you'll have to buy it in neighboring Gloucester.
The town of Rockport consists of three primary areas: The South End, Downtown and Pigeon Cove.
The South End is mainly made up of residential areas along the rocky coastline, a beautiful area for a drive, walk or bike ride. There are several inns in this area, and this is a nice area to stay if you prefer quiet, out of the way spot.
The Downtown is the center of activity, most located along Dock Square, Bearskin Neck and Main Street. Bearskin Neck, named by fishermen who saw the bearskin John Babson had left to dry on the rocks, is known for its artists who have set up their shops in the fishermen's shacks of the past. These art studios are now mixed in with a number of other specialty shops and restaurants, and "walking the neck" can interest you for a few hours or a few days, when combined with the adjacent shops and restaurants on Main Street and throughout Dock Square. It is on Bearskin Neck that the famous "Motif #1", one of the most painted and photographed scenes in America, which has been featured in the "America The Beautiful" exhibit at the Magic Kingdom in Orlando. This lobster shack is no longer in use, but is kept up as a town symbol.
The entire downtown area, with its large number of restaurants and small eateries, shops, galleries and other offerings, is an attraction in and of itself, and bustles with activity just about all year. There are also boat tours that leave from the wharves here on whale watch and other excursions. There are a number of small inns and B&B's within walking distance of Dock Square, and if you want to be close to the downtown, there are a number of choices. There are also two beaches downtown, and these are best reached by walking, because the parking during beach season is not plentiful. If you're staying at an inn near downtown, however, it's an added bonus to know you can walk to a nice beach. If you're coming by car for any reason, however, this brings us to....
How to "Paak The Caa" In Rockport
The downtown area of Rockport is made up of streets that form a few loops. The parking is metered and tight, so you could find yourself driving around in circles looking for a spot. Here is some advice that may help you avoid wasting too much time.
Take just one trip around and hope to get lucky. This will depend on the season, the day of the week, the time of day, etc. The meters in the immediate downtown area are two hours, 25 cents per hour. As you travel further from downtown, the meters are five hours, 25 cents per hour. Spaces dry up fast in the summer, especially around Dock Square and especially on weekends. By the way, it's not a good idea to drive out onto Bearskin Neck. This is a walking area and although vehicles are allowed, we don't recommend it unless you are with somebody who cannot walk any distance, but wants to see it.
Park and ride. The Rockport and Cape Ann Chambers of Commerce have teamed up to cosponsor a park-and-ride lot. The parking is free and it's easier to just park here and throw your cameras, sweaters, etc., into a shoulder bag and pay 50 cents per person each way for the short trolley ride into Dock Square. From here you can walk to everything in and around the downtown-shops, beaches and restaurants. The lot is open from 11 am to 7 p.m. on weekends from Memorial Day through June and daily through July and August. The lot is located 4/10ths of a mile past the information booth on the right on Blue Gate Lane
Rockport Attractions and Things to Do: Rockport is an enticing vacation destination because of what you can do right here, and what you can easily reach from here. The rest of Cape Ann (Gloucester, Essex, and Manchester) is known for its scenic beauty as well as its historic significance. And with Rockport's train service, Boston and Salem become easy day trips.
In addition to what we've already told you about Rockport, here are a few specific attractions:
- The Rockport Music Festival is an annual event whose popularity grows with each passing year. It runs during the month of June and a number of renowned musicians perform a wide variety of musical pieces.
- Located on Gott Street off of Rte. 127, Halibut Point State Park offers a self-guided walking tour of the Babson Farm Quarry, which details the history of the granite industry. A visitors center, which features exhibits related to the park's natural and cultural history, is located in a renovated World War II fire-control tower near the edge of the quarry. On weekends, from Memorial Day through Columbus Day, staff and volunteers offer quarry tours. Each Saturday morning tour includes a granite-cutting demonstration. The park is open from 8 am to 8 p.m. daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day and sunrise to sunset from Labor Day to Memorial Day. There is a $2 parking fee.
- Open 10 am to 5 p.m. daily with an admission donation of $1, the Paper House was built in 1924 with specially rolled and treated old newspapers. Located at 52 Pidgeon Hill Street, it's also furnished with items made entirely of newspapers.
- Sandy Bay Historical Society is made up of two museums, the Sewall Scripture House, located at 40 King Street, and the Old Castle, located on Granite Street. The exhibits feature the granite industry, local artwork, Hannah Jumper and the area's genealogy. There is a fee of $3, which includes admission to both museums. The Sewall House is open mid June through mid September, Monday through Saturday, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. The Old Castle is open from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays only, in July and August.
Where to Stay in Rockport
Rockport has a number inns, hotels, and B&B's. You can find them easily, as well as all the attractions of Rockport by using our Find Lodging and Find Attractions search engine.
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Why Rockport Was
A "Dry" Town For So Long
In
the spring of 2005, the citizens of Rockport voted to allow alcoholic beverages
to be sold in restaurants. For many prior
years
Rockport
held the unusual distinction of being a "dry" town, that is, a
town in which liquor is not sold. The story of how this came
to pass is well known in Rockport, and, ironically, there has been a restaurant
named for the person most responsible for this interesting piece of history that
has influenced life in this small town substantially for almost 1-1/2 centuries.
It was on July 8, 1856 that Hannah Jumper led her now-famous "Women's Raid." Gathering at Dock Square during the morning hours, Hannah was joined by two men, one carrying An American flag, the other a temperance banner, along with the women of the town, who were armed with hatchets. They proceeded to raid all the shops and even some private homes where liquor was kept, emptying and smashing all the bottles, casks, demijohns and jugs. The gutters ran with liquor.
A series of events helped set off the Women's Raid. 1856 was an election year, and with the campaign came new ideas. Thoreau's Walden was slowly being circulated and its ideas accepted. The Women's Movement was getting underway. Emerson was encouraging the abolishment of slavery. And a group known as the Temperance Movement, aimed at abolishing the sale and use of liquor, was also formed.
The men of Rockport were spending large portions of their earnings on rum.
They said rum was as much a part of fishing as bait. Still, the $157 each fisherman brought home at the end of nine months of fishing was not enough to feed a family. In an era when a pound of flour cost $10, the men were spending 1 3/8 cents for a drink of rum. During the years 1852 to 1856 the sale of rum rose 250 percent.
For the spinster Hannah Jumper, a seamstress by trade, the time had come to change things. Too much of the family money was going toward the purchase of rum. Hannah hoped the town meeting of March 1856 would curb liquor sales and consumption. A committee had been set up to enforce the state law of 1814, which ruled each town could regulate the sale of liquor. But sales and consumption continued to rise and Hannah vowed to take action.
Hannah formed a group to help with her plan. They first met at 48 Main Street, the home of Rachel and Steven Perkins. Determined to find out where every drop of liquor was stored or sold, they enlisted all the women and any men that they could, to raid the town. A decision was made to end up at Dock Square. There were two reasons for this: first, it was the site where the town's fishermen distributed "free likker" to the town's idlers a year earlier; second, Dock Square was the place where the annual Fourth of July party was held. It was always a raucous event, and the committee of agents appointed to control the liquor consumption let the affair get out of hand, year in and year out.
The raid was carried out. The women marched along Main Street, finishing their reign of terror in five hours. They arrived at Dock Square triumphant.
Jim Brown, the store owner most damaged by the tirade, took the women to court on the charges of breaking and entering and destruction of property. The women were eventually acquitted of all charges.
Until 1966, Rockport residents voted on the issue of the sale of liquor in
every general election. In that year, the state laws regarding the sale of
liquor were amended. The new law stated that if the liquor issue were voted
on in the affirmative or the negative in three consecutive elections, then
the issue would be dropped from the ballot.
In 1966, 1968 and 1970, Rockport residents voted against the sale of liquor
in their community. A petition with 10 percent of registered voters is required
before a referendum can be placed on the ballot. Such a referendum was held
in 1998, and was defeated. In 2005 it was approved.
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