40th Anniversary Exhibition: The Glory and the Dream

40th Anniversary Exhibiton

In 1965, Newburyport Redevelopment Authority chairman Robert Wilkins, Mayor George Lawler, and architect William Perry, used Perry’s revised design for a restored Market Square to convince the Department of Housing and Urban Development to try something new – paying for a restoration project instead of demolition.  Newburyport became the first such federally-funded project.

The forward-thinking vision of these leaders, and of many other like-minded citizens of the day, saved the historical integrity of downtown Newburyport we now enjoy. The restoration of the Newburyport Custom House and its opening as the Custom House Maritime Museum on June 28, 1975, marked a milestone in this bold effort to chart a future built upon the city's past.

In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the museum's opening, we invite you to explore elements of the era through The Glory and the Dream, Charting a future build upon the past.

Come and discover images of the Custom House under restoration, models and designs of downtown redevelopment plans, a selection of the first artifacts to become part of the museum's collection, the political tides and waves along the waterfront, plus multi-media presentations capturing the spirit and aspirations that have shaped the city we know today.