Favorite librarian resources that staff use when doing research.
General Newburyport and Newbury History Published Texts
History of Newburyport, 1764-1905 vol. 1 by John J. Currier
History of Newburyport 1764-1905 vol. 2 by John J. Currier
History of Newburyport: from the Earliest Settlement of the Country to the Present Time by E. Vale Smith
History of Newbury, Mass. 1635-1902 by John J. Currier
Ould Newbury Historical and Biographical Sketches by John J. Currier
A Sketch of the History of Newbury, Newburyport, and West Newbury from 1635-1845 by Joshua Coffin
Ship Registers of the District of Newburyport, Massachusetts, 1789-1870 by Essex Institute
History of the Marine Society of Newburyport, Massachusetts by William H. Bayley and Oliver O. Jones
City of Newburyport Annual Reports (1875-2010)
Daily News 1773-1963 Digitized versions of the Daily News from 1964-onward are available in library only.
Maps
Map of the original town of Newbury, now divided into Newbury, Newburyport and West Newbury by Philander Anderson, 1850 (courtesy of the Boston Public Library Leventhal Map & Education Center)
Additional Resources
Want to explore other historical institutions in Newburyport? Here is a list of local resources and institutions.
- Museum of Old Newbury
- Custom House Maritime Museum
- Newburyport Chamber: History of Newburyport
- Newburyport Preservation Trust
Social media postings
A pair of photographs to show how State Street has changed throughout the years.
Congratulations to the Newburyport High School graduating class of 2026! 
This is just the beginning of an amazing chapter.
You are part of NHS’s impressive history and we are excited for your bright futures. Congrats, grads!
Take a look at those who walked in your shoes 100 years ago.
Let them eat cake!
In 1980, Whittier student Robin Montisanti presented this cake for the library’s 125th Anniversary Party. The vanilla pound cake used 60 lbs. of batter and 30 lbs. of vanilla icing. Yum!
The Newburyport of yore and the Newburyport of today. In some ways it is completely different, and in other ways, the present is just a reflection of its past.
Take a peek at these two photographs of Pleasant Street as seen from State Street. What stands out to you?
While the Newburyport Public Library is a landmark of State Street, it used to look teeny tiny next to the YMCA building. Unfortunately, a fire destroyed the structure in 1987.
However, the arched entry was salvaged and now resides at the MBTA Newburyport Commuter Rail station.
