Manchester-by-the-sea, Massachusetts (MA) Real Estate Tour

http://www.manchesterbytheseamahomes.com Tour Manchester-by-the-sea, MA neighborhoods, condominium developments, subdivisions, schools, landmarks, recreational areas, and town offices.

Manchester-by-the-sea, Massachusetts was incorporated in 1645. The young community displayed its moral foundations by adopting a set of laws and regulations that prohibited the slave trade, made cruelty to animals a civil offence and forbade imprisonment for debt. Historians point out that these goodly beginnings may have led the colonists to go overboard as they continued to try to legislate all behavior with laws about how to conduct a courtship, laws against "excess in apparel" or "immodest laying out of their haire".

In 1644 a tide-mill was established, in 1668 a sawmill was built and in 1684 Aaron Bennett set up a grist mill. In a move that precipitated Manchester-by-the-sea's maritime development, John Norton began building ships on land granted him near the shore in 1684. By 1700 the prosperous burghers of Manchester were able to pay Masconomet, the sagamore of the Agawam Indians, 3 pounds and 19 shillings in silver money for all rights to the lands on which the town stood.

In its early years, the town's economy was based around farming and a lot of fishing for cod and mackerel; Manchester men were known as good mariners. In 1810, 50 masters of vessels were Manchester residents. Manchester men were patriotic as well and they served in the successful assault on Louisburg in Canada, while the town meeting raised money to support the Minute Men. Manchester remained a thriving maritime community with a fishing fleet, fish yards and fish storage warehouses until the decay of the fishing industry freed workers for the newly expanded woodworking and cabinet making jobs.

In 1845 a new era began when Manchester-by-the-sea's first summer resident, poet Richard Dana, built his vacation home. Manchester quickly became a very fashionable watering place for wealthy people from the city and supported an increasingly important summer population. In modern times, Manchester has retained its reputation as a prime summer resort while developing a new suburban commuter population and emerging as an attractive year-round residential community. For other town tours visit http://www.virtualhomes.com . For towns in MA visit http://www.ma-virtualhomes.com . For MA relocation information go to http://www.relocationma.com . For a MA MLS map search visit http://www.virtualhomesmls.com .

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