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The Newburyport Preservation Trust, a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation, depends on member support to carry on its mission of preservation education and advocacy. Your online purchases and/or donations are secure — and much appreciated.
Donate to the Newburyport Preservation Trust
When you make your tax-deductible donation to the Newburyport Preservation Trust, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that your dollars are working to ensure that the city’s remarkable historic character is preserved and extended into the future to enrich the lives of generations to come. Make your mark on Newburyport’s future by donating today. Secure online donations accepted via Paypal or your credit card using the Donate Now button below.
Featured Publications
The HABS and the HABs Nots
Documenting the Architecture of Newburyport in the Historic American Buildings Survey by R.W. Bacon.
The HABS and the HABs Nots takes a look back at the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), the wide-ranging federal program that advanced historic preservation throughout the U.S. in the 1930s. For viewing pleasure, the large-format casebound volume presents the crisp analog photos and elegant measured drawings for the surveys conducted in Newburyport, Mass., the small coastal city north of Boston known widely for the riches of its authentic 18th- and 19th-century domestic architecture.
The “HABs Nots” Gallery then takes a look at the future of preservation in the once down-and-out but rejuvenated port city. The city’s smaller-footprint historic homes, never the subject of the HABS-like attention lavished upon its Georgian and Federal-style showplaces, fill the city’s 750-acre National Register Historic District and contribute to its ambiance. Yet their authenticity is at the greatest risk of being lost to “the march of progress.”
For additional context, the book includes chapters on the economic history of Newburyport; the origin and evolution of the HABS program; and other notable efforts to document Newburyport architecture both before and after the HABS surveys. Also included is an illustrated guide to 300 years of house styles in Newburyport, plus a bibliography-by-topic for history enthusiasts and preservation advocates.
“The newest must-have book on Newburyport architecture.”- Northshore Magazine
The book garnered publishing industry recognition as the recipient of the 2017 Book Award for Informational Nonfiction from Independent Publishers of New England (IPNE).
See and read sample pages here,including the front and back cover, table of contents, introduction, a typical HABS two-page spread, and the rationale for the “HABs Nots” Gallery that celebrates Newburyport’s modest-sized historic homes.
Purchase online for $35 via Paypal or Credit Card by clicking the Online Order Form button. Or … if you choose not to order online, you can print out our handy mail order form and make your purchase by check sent by postal mail.
The book is also available for online purchase directly from the publisher Variety Arts Press ($35 includes shipping), and at slightly additional cost, from Amazon.com.
(8.5 x 11.0 casebound; 160 pages; ISBN: 978-0-9977528-1-6; LOC: 2016920943).
About the author: Reginald W. Bacon is a museum and history professional with specialties in 17th- and 18th-century New England architecture and domestic life – and early 20th-century vaudeville and circus. His first career as a journalist, editor, and designer informs his current work in the museum field. A 35-year career as a touring professional acrobatic juggler and jazz/ragtime musician informed his performing arts research. He is the author of ten books on under-the-radar history, performing arts, and editorial/graphics topics. In a “busman’s holiday” sort of way, he serves on the board of directors of several history and preservation organizations, including on the “working board” of the Newburyport Preservation Trust.
Walk Newburyport
Three Self-Guided Residential Walking Tours, With an Overview of Common Styles, Local History, and Significant Public Buildings
Walk Newburyport is sure to lead you to new discoveries of architectural gems, all within a short distance from downtown. Prepared by local architects, writers, and designers – all members of NPT – the book includes an introduction to the periods and styles of architecture in Newburyport, a glossary of terms, and historical sidebars in addition to the tours. Walk Newburyport is a must-have for residents who want to learn more about the buildings that give Newburyport its special character, and a must-have for those who enjoy introducing Newburyport to guests. Order yours today – one for yourself and one for your guest room.
Purchase online for $12 via Paypal or Credit Card by clicking the Online Order Form button. Or … if you choose not to order online, you can print out our handy mail order form and make your purchase by check sent by postal mail.
You can also purchase Walk Newburyport you’re your favorite local bookseller.
If This Old House Could Talk
Once a year during Yankee Homecoming celebrations, Greater Newburyport residents display homemade signs about their home – its history, the occupants, or favorite stories. The signs and homes are captured photographically in this full color book. This is a great way to learn more about the history and architecture of the town.
The 2024 edition of “If This House Could Talk” is hot off the press and makes a great gift! This beautiful book, in hardcover and softcover, captures the history, occupants, and architecture of many of Newburyport’s beautiful homes. During the yearly Yankee Homecoming celebration residents create and display homemade signs about their homes and some of their favorite stories associated with it.
$30 for the softcover or $50 for the hardcover. Purchase online via Paypal or Credit Card by clicking the Online Order Form button. Or … if you choose not to order online, you can print out our handy mail order form and make your purchase by check sent by postal mail.