| Beverly Farms |
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Beverly Farms is informally defined Neighborhood section of the city of Beverly, Massachusetts . It is an ocean-front community with a Population of about 3,500 that extends from the Manchester-by-the-Sea border to another informally defined section of Beverly known as Prides Crossing . This area is part of the North Shore region of Massachusetts , about 20 miles north of Boston . As with the rest of Beverly, Beverly Farms (and Prides Crossing) were originally farming communities. In the late 18th and early 19th Century wealthy Boston and New York based residents built summer "cottages" along the seashore. These cottages were nearly the size and stature of those in Newport Rhode Island . Only a few of the original mansions remain today. In the mid 20th century Beverly Farms became a small town, somehwat secluded form the rest of Beverly (but culturally interlinked with Prides Crossing). Working class nieghborhoods sprung up as support for the mansions became necessary. At this point there was a wide financial gap between the wealthy (who lived along the water) and the working class (who lived "in town"). These neighborhoods have grown over the years, and the real estate in the town has become very desirable, in many cases driving some of the early working class second and third generations from the area. The community is served by 3 churches, Episcopal , Baptist , and Roman Catholic. There is a community center donated and partially supported by the Merril Hastings foundations (known as " Hastings House "). There is a fire station, railroad station and a recently expanded branch of the Beverly Public Library. The town is somehwat sleepy in the winter but comes alive in the summer. Many of the summer community activies are based at the local community beach (West Beach). This beach is a private beach, owned by the residents of Beverly Farms and Prides Crossing (which has been a controversial topic for the rest of Beverly over the years). Beverly Farms and Prides Crossing residents are entitled to access to the beach, and non-residents can apply for access permits. The waiting list get access is typically 6-10 years due to the limited size of the facility. "Downtown" Beverly Farms extends along West Street (part of MA Route 127)for about 1/2 mile. It has undergone a gradual change over the last decade and currently has a mixture of upscale restaraunts, bakeries, and clothing stores. The busiest time for Beverly Farms is the Fourth of July Holiday. A private organization of residents raises upwards of $50,000 anually through fundraisers to enable a weeken-long agenda of activities including community dances, childrens events, a well known (locally infamous?) horribles parade, softball games, etc. The event culminates with a fireworks display held at West Beach that typically draws 10,000 to 15,000 observers. Beverly Farms remains a vibrant community with changing demogrqaphics. Pockets of development and generally escalating real estate values have adjusted average residency to an arguably more upscale population as was the case in the past. REFERENCES |
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