With the support and cooperation of elected and municipal officials representing 8 ENHA communities, the ENHC recently submitted a $120,000 grant application to the Massachusetts Highway Department. Federal funds from the National Scenic Byway Program (NSBP) are being sought to prepare a corridor management plan for the Essex Coastal Scenic Byway, the 40-mile route begins in Lynn and passes through Swampscott, Marblehead, Salem, Beverly, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Gloucester and Rockport. State legislation introduced by Rep. Mary Grant of Beverly designating the route was passed June 2005. The corridor management plan will outline strategies for preserving and enhancing the byway's cultural, historic, natural, recreational, and scenic qualities. Completing the plan is a prerequisite to pursuing additional NSBP funding to implement elements of the plan. Find out about the ENHA Scenic Byway...

Preservation Mass and ENHC are co-sponsoring a day- long “Barn Basics” Seminar hosted by Preservation Mass’ Barn Task Force on Saturday, April 1st at the North Shore Community College Danvers campus. This seminar will provide helpful information for owners, groups and individuals interested in preserving old barns, carriage houses, as well as architects, members of building trades, and engineers who are in need of information on barn repair and timber frame construction.
Visit PreserveMassBarns.org for more information on the Barn Task Force and seminar information including; program outline, speakers, directions, registration, and the event brochure.

The ENHC is thankful for its long-standing partnership with the leaders at Eastern Bank. With 72 branches, Eastern is the largest bank headquartered in Massachusetts, and their leaders have been active Corporate Partners from the ENHC’s inception. Eastern’s Chairman & CEO, Stanley J. Lukowski, has served the ENHC as a founding Commissioner since 1997. He was a key figure in the creative conception of the ENHA while involved with the Salem Partnership in the 1980's & 90’s. We congratulate Stan on 30 years of unprecedented success and leadership at Eastern and wish him well upon his retirement at year-end.

Nancy Huntington Stager, Senior Vice President at Eastern for 10 years, has served the ENHC as a Commissioner and Trustee since 2004 and was elected Vice President of the ENHC in 2005. “It’s great to be associated with an organization whose educational programs build awareness and encourage the preservation of the Essex County historic, cultural, and natural resources. Our families at Eastern Bank especially look forward to participating in the annual Trails & Sails event.” ENHC would like to acknowledge the tremendous contributions Eastern Bank has made to the ENHC as a Corporate Partner, annual sponsor of Trails & Sails, and this year, as sponsor of the Seacoast Mural for the ENHA’s 10th anniversary celebration, one of three panels, that will be digitally enlarged and serve as a backdrop and inspiration during the ENHC’s June 1st celebration.

The Wenham Museum is a must see for anyone with children on the North Shore. Located in Wenham center, the Museum features a wonderful model train room, a world-famous toy and doll collection, and the historic, circa 1690, Claflin-Richards House. While many of the exhibits are perfect for children, they are also interesting for adults.
The Wenham Museum has been an enthusiastic participant of the ENHC Partnership Program. Over the years, the Museum has received grants that have funded preservation work on the Claflin-Richards House, interactive exhibits, and original education programs for children. The most recent grant is an after-school archaeology program for middle school children.
The Museum also offers lectures for the grown-ups. On Tuesday, March 14, Bill Sargent will host a lecture featuring his book about the seasons of The Great Marsh. For more information on this event, visit the ENHC Calendar or Wenham Museum.

Built in 1845 as a source of power, water and transportation, the Augusta Canal is the only intact industrial canal in the American South in continuous use. Spearheaded by native Augustan Henry H. Cumming, who perceived that Augusta could one day become “the Lowell of the South,” the Canal began to fulfill Cumming’s vision in short order. By 1847 the first factories - a saw and grist mill and the Augusta Factory - were built, the first of many that would eventually line the Canal. During the Civil War it was the site of the Confederate State of America Powderworks complex. Deepened and widened in the 1870s, the canal brought an industrial boom to the city, especially in textile manufacturing. In 1975 the Canal and its mills were listed on the National Register of Historic Places and declared National Historic Landmark in 1978. In 1996 the United States Congress designated the Augusta Canal and nearby land a National Heritage Area.