Marblehead Summer House Location

Stay in the heart of "Old Town" Marblehead surrounded by houses built in the 1700's and 1800's. The house you will be staying in was built in 1717. We weren't the USA then you know!

Walk through the back yard onto Crocker Park

and enjoy swimming of the parkï¿½s swimming float,

fishing off the rocks, viewing the harbor and its 5 yacht clubs

or take in one of the many Marblehead cultural events which take place on the park during the year. Crocker Park is one of the centers of activity for the Marblehead Arts Festival.

Out the front door to the left you can stroll about 200 yards to the Boston Yacht Club, The Lafayette House, The Lee Mansion, The King Hooper Mansion and Marblehead Arts Association, or the little Marblehead Museum. Abbot Hall, home of the ï¿½Spirit Of 76ï¿½ painting is just up the hill on the green. Down the other side of the hill and your in the newer part of town with restaurants, shops, the ï¿½Yï¿½, a bank or two, and other commerce. There are NO GAS STATIONS in Marblehead, so you may want to show up with gas in your tank if youï¿½re driving. The nearest gas stations are only about 3-5 miles away from the house.

If you go to the right out the front door about 300 yards you will find Tucker's wharf and several restaurants, all good, all eclectic; The Landing, The Driftwood, Maddies, and Jack-Tar American Tavern. Just up the street is the old center of town filled with little shops, stores, and of course the Old Court House. Walk some more and you will find yourself at Fort Sewall, beside Screaming Lady Beach. By the way, our beaches in this part of town have no sand! They are made of small rocks. Large rocks too!

From there you are within spitting distance of the "Barnegat" area, Gas House Beach, Graves Boatyard (one of them, the other is in back of The Landing Restaurant),Fountain Park and Old Burial Hill, the oldest graveyard in New England. (Redd's Pond is just over Old Burial Hill and you might see some folks sailing elaborate model sailing yachts there!) If you decide to walk that way and you are in the mood for some lobster to take back to the house, (the shell crackers are in the kitchen), call my friend Mike at Marblehead Lobster, 781-631-0787, tell them John at the Marblehead Summer House sent you. He won't give you a discount but he will likely say that I'm a nice guy! Call them before you go and have them cooked for you if you like. They are the best for boiled lobster in my book.

If you venture this way you are close to a few more sights, one is the view of Little Harbor and little beach in front of Marblehead Lobster. Across the water is the back of Fort Sewall. Among other sights are Black Joe's Pond, and another little beach. By the way, if you went into the Barnegat area 200 years ago you might find;

"During "Election Week" in May, slaves were given their only legal holiday on Wednesday, and the schools closed so that all citizens could turn out to see the soldiers training. According to Marblehead Historian Joseph Robinson, "a more uncouth assemblage of ruffians could not be found anywhere."

Marblehead Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.legendinc.com/Pages/MarbleheadNet/MM/Articles/BlackJoe.html, Pp; 11 & 13

Well, that was then. Now it is a sleepy little neighborhood of old houses. Black Joe's Tavern is still there on Gingerbread Lane although now a residence it has a sign marking it. "Joe Frogger" cookies, Black Joe's namesake, are still sold around town. The pond you'll see as you approach the top of Gingerbread Hill. The old tavern is just on the down side. At the end of the lane is Grace Oliver Beach, just to the left. There is some good exploring on the road that goes around "Peache's Point" to the left of the beach, but you might keep in mind that your are about 1.5 miles from your bed now and the end of that road is the width of Marblehead, 2 miles. It is a nice walk but up hill.