Fish Flake Hill Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Also known as: See Also:Fish Flake Hill Historic District
Why it's listed
Fish Flake Hill is a dense waterfront neighborhood in southern Beverly, Massachusetts, covering about 35 acres and 152 properties along a ridge above the harbor. Most buildings are wood-framed houses from the 18th and 19th centuries, with a smaller number of commercial and industrial structures. The district grew from an original five-acre core of merchant and sea captain residences on Front Street to include Bartlett, Cabot, Union and Stone Streets. Its houses cover Colonial, Federal, Greek Revival, Italianate and Second Empire styles, from the ca. 1723 Gage House to the brick Bennett House of 1808 and modest workers' cottages. The area matters because it traces Beverly's shift from a fishing and shipping center to an industrial port. Railroad arrival, coal and oil wharves, and rubber factories changed the waterfront, and wealthier families moved away while laborers, including newcomers from the Canadian maritimes and Italy, took their place. Most properties keep their original plan, materials and detailing.
Significance in brief: The district is described as Beverly's earliest residential and commercial center and a site of extensive maritime activity in the colonial and early national periods. Its buildings show the waterfront's change from fishing village to busy harbor to industrial base. The expansion adds merchant and sea captain houses and modest workers' housing on streets platted in the mid 19th century.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 86001375, listed June 26, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by Cabot, Bartlett, and Water Sts., Beverly |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | June 26, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86001375 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | Housewright Peter Woodberry II possibly built several Cabot Street houses |
| Architectural style | Colonial, Federal, Greek Revival, Italianate, Second Empire and Queen Anne |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Commerce, Military, Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition ranges from decaying and apparently abandoned to excellent; the district declined in past decades, but rehabilitation efforts are widespread. The count includes seven vacant lots and 35 noncontributing properties. |
| Acreage | 34.5 |
| Coordinates | 42.54312, -70.88217 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 86001375.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.