Built in 1781, the John Cabot House tells the stories of 18th century privateers and traders, Beverly's role in the American Revolution, and other important people and events in Beverly history. Decorative objects brought back from Asia by Beverly merchants; the papers of William Bartlett, George Washington’s naval agent; paintings by artists such as Gilbert Stuart, James Frothingham, Frank Benson, Luke Prince, Frederick Coffay Yohn and more than 500,000 images in various formats, such as prints, negatives, glass negatives, daguerreotypes, and film of people, places and events related to Beverly and the region are among the treasures held by Historic Beverly.
John Cabot (1744-1821) was born in Salem, as part of large family of 11 children. John attended Harvard College, graduating in 1763, and wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps in merchant trade. During the Revolution, John Cabot and his brothers owned shares in many privateer vessels and they made a great deal of money with the resale of stolen goods from the British ships.
The house was built in 1781, two years before his brother’s home a block away, now the Town Hall. Upon its completion, the house was the first brick home built in present-day Beverly, and it set a trend for later Federal homes in the town and region. Cabot also co-founded the Beverly Cotton Manufacture, America’s first cotton mill, which was visited by George Washington. In 1802, Cabot moved to Boston and the home became the first office of the Beverly Bank, the tenth oldest bank in America, with John Cabot serving as one of seven original directors. The home is now owned by Historic Beverly, a local historic society that operates the house as a museum.
Exhibits include "Beverly: An American Story" an exhibit that is to serve as a unifying force for museum visitors by providing a shared narrative and identity through stories from the city’s long history including its time during the American Revolution. Also on view is the award winning exhibit: "Set at Liberty" which tells the stories of the enslaved people of Beverly including soldiers and a sailor involved in the Revolutionary war.
Hours of operation are: Wed. Fri. Sat.: 9:30am-4pm, and Thurs. 12-8pm
