This rare wall map of Newburyport, Massachusetts is a survey and illustrated view of Newburyport in 1851. The plan of Newburyport is surrounded by vignettes of important homes such as the Old Balch Mansion, Mt. Royal, Residence of Mrs. S.W. Hale and the W.B. Bannister. Important public buildings and businesses are featured in vignettes including the Town Hall, the J. Currier Jr. Ship Yard that shows workers in a flotilla of small boats at work building a large ship. Carriages bringing guests are pulled up in front of the Merrimack House. In another vignette children and a small dog are walking past Putnam Free School. We can look in the barn door at George's Smithy where a blacksmith is at work in his barn shoeing a horse. There is an image of Ingraham's Machine Shop on Fair Street. A ship in full sail enters the Merrimack River near a cautionary drawing of Rocks. The Merrimack River itself frames the town to the north.
This map was purchased from the Bass House of Newburyport. Notably, the house on Tyng Street where this map hung is shown on the map. A hand written note in ink "Received 23, 1851 Paid $3.00 for it." was written on the original linen backing and this note has been saved. This choice small wall map was hanging on the wall in the third floor of the Bass House until I had the privilege of gently removing it from its brass hanger.
The Bass House was built in 1806 by Edward Bass and passed to his son Edward until 1858. The Whitney's were cousins of Mr. Bass and inherited the house. The house is now known as the historic Bass-Whitney House. The house passed through each of these families until approximately 1960, when it was purchased by the gentleman from whose estate this map comes.
The Leventhal Map Center at the Boston Public Library has a copy of this map. The American Antiquarian Society owns a folded version.