Abbot Hall
Find Abbot Hall’s open hours here.
Abbot Hall is the seat of Marblehead Town Government and the center of Marblehead Historical Commission activity. It houses the offices of the Historical Commission as well as several museums, artworks, documents, and artifacts. Abbot Hall, built in 1876/1877, has a rich history. It is located on Washington Square, formerly the Town Common. In 1872, Benjamin Abbot bequeathed funds to the Town to build Abbot Hall and the architectural firm of Lord and Fuller was commissioned to design the building. Abbot Hall was accepted as a listed property in the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
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Abbot Hall is located at 188 Washington Street in Marblehead, MA 01945. Free, on-street parking is usually available for visitors. It can also be reached by MBTA bus via routes 441/442 and 448/449 that run from the Wonderland and Downtown Crossing T stations, respectively. It is a few blocks walk from the Pleasant St @ Rockaway bus stop. See the MBTA web site for more information:
http://www.mbta.com/uploadedFiles/Documents/Schedules_and_Maps/Bus/route441-449.pdf
Marblehead Historical Commission Offices
The Marblehead Historical Commission offices are located on the second floor of Abbot Hall. The Commission’s offices are open “by appointment only”. Appointment requests and all other requests to the Marblehead Historical Commission should be emailed to historic@marblehead.org
Contact:
Marblehead Historical Commission
Email Historical Commission
Abbot Hall
188 Washington Street
Marblehead, MA 01945
Phone: 781-639-3425
Selectmen’s Room, Abbot Hall Displays, and Sign Museum
Abbot Hall is home to the Selectman’s Room where the well-known painting, Spirit of ’76 and the Town Deed are located. There are many historical displays in the first level hallways and stairways as well as in the auditorium on the second floor. For more information, see Selectmen’s Room and Abbot Hall Displays. These areas are open to the public at all times that Abbot Hall is open (see above). Please note that the Sign Museum is closed at this time for renovations.
Maritime Museum
The Maritime Museum, on the first floor of Abbot Hall, tells the story of Marblehead’s naval history. For more information on the Maritime Museum, see Maritime Museum.
Gift Shop and Displays
The Gift Shop and Displays are located on the first floor of Abbot Hall. The Gift Shop is open from 10:00 to 4:00 Monday through Thursday and Friday mornings from 10:00 until 12:30. After Memorial Day and during the Summer, the Gift Shop is open on weekends – Friday afternoons until 4:00, Saturday from 10:00 to 4:00 and Sunday from 1:00 to 4:00. For more information on the Gift Shop and Displays see Gift Shop and Displays.
