New sign tells history of Atwood Park
Due to the efforts of four local researchers and historians, a new informational sign was installed this month at Atwood Park to honor Margaret Atwood, an 18th century Newburyport woman who was an indominable merchant, ship owner, landlord and philanthropist.
Posted on the southeast side the park, the sign provides information about Atwood and the land that became Atwood Park, a vital green space tucked between Atwood and School streets. The sign was donated to the city by the Newburyport Preservation Trust. Linda Miller, co-president of the Trust, researched and wrote about the history of the park and the schools that once were sited there. She was assisted by Elizabeth Harris, a historian who researched and wrote about Atwood and her homes; Andrea Gaut Eigerman of the Port Parks Alliance, who guided the application through the Parks Commission for approval; and Sharon Spieldenner, a graphic artist and historian who designed the sign.
Born in 1754, Atwood was a well-known merchant and landlord who in the early 1800s helped found the Newburyport Female Charitable Society that supported women and families, especially widows of sea-faring mariners who never returned to port. She served as treasurer for more than 27 years.
After her husband Zachariah died in 1796, she inherited multiple properties, including Atwood Wharf, three warehouses, a store and several houses. Over the years, Atwood actively managed her properties and businesses. When she died in 1832, she left a considerable fortune to the town, specifically for the benefit of the poor.
In 1810, she bought and moved into the house at 54 Lime St., a three-story brick Federal built by Robert Hale. Her house is just yards from the land that later became Atwood Park. It is notable that both a street and a park bear her name. The new marker includes a history of the park, including the public schools that stood there, beginning in the 18th century. The town of Newbury (before Newburyport was established) bought the land to build a school, and town officials set off a public way (now School Street) to access it from King Street (now Federal). Over time there were different schools at the site; the last one, the George Jackman School, was demolished in 1975. The following year, Newburyport created Atwood Park – an undertaking still supported by the Atwood Park Neighborhood Association.
