A Brief History of Point Shore
Originally known as Bayley’s Neck, this land was first granted by the town of Salisbury in 1640 to John Bayley. The land remained in the Bayley family for three generations. Joshua Bayley, who received the land from his father John Bayley, Junior in 1679, was probably the first owner to reside here.
In 1700 Joshua Bayley sold his house and all of his land to John Webster of Newbury, who relocated here. By 1731 John Webster had divided his land between his sons John and Israel Webster. In the 1730’s and 40’s they began selling parcels of land on the riverbank to shipwrights and related tradesmen, including John’s two shipbuilding sons Daniel and Stephen Webster. By 1760, then known as Webster’s Point, the one mile stretch of riverbank contained a dozen shipyards. For a century this area was one of the most active shipbuilding centers in New England.
During the second half of the 19th century shipbuilding gave way to boatbuilding as the principal occupation of the area, of which Lowell’s Boat Shop is a rare surviving example. Carriage making and Hat manufacturing were also carried on here. Still a part of the town of Salisbury, the neighborhood was then known as Salisbury Point.
In 1886 Salisbury Point was annexed to the town of Amesbury, and eventually the name was changed to Amesbury’s Point Shore. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Point Shore became primarily a residential neighborhood. Its natural beauty attracted new residents who built Victorian and more modern homes along the river side of Main Street, on the sites of former shipyards and wharves. Many of the older homes have been preserved, providing the rich architectural heritage the neighborhood enjoys today.
~ Steve Klomps
In 1700 Joshua Bayley sold his house and all of his land to John Webster of Newbury, who relocated here. By 1731 John Webster had divided his land between his sons John and Israel Webster. In the 1730’s and 40’s they began selling parcels of land on the riverbank to shipwrights and related tradesmen, including John’s two shipbuilding sons Daniel and Stephen Webster. By 1760, then known as Webster’s Point, the one mile stretch of riverbank contained a dozen shipyards. For a century this area was one of the most active shipbuilding centers in New England.
During the second half of the 19th century shipbuilding gave way to boatbuilding as the principal occupation of the area, of which Lowell’s Boat Shop is a rare surviving example. Carriage making and Hat manufacturing were also carried on here. Still a part of the town of Salisbury, the neighborhood was then known as Salisbury Point.
In 1886 Salisbury Point was annexed to the town of Amesbury, and eventually the name was changed to Amesbury’s Point Shore. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Point Shore became primarily a residential neighborhood. Its natural beauty attracted new residents who built Victorian and more modern homes along the river side of Main Street, on the sites of former shipyards and wharves. Many of the older homes have been preserved, providing the rich architectural heritage the neighborhood enjoys today.
~ Steve Klomps