West Beach, Beverly, Massachusetts
Encyclopedia
Location
The Beach is open for the summer season from Memorial Day to Labor Day.During the nine month off-season the property is open to the general public.
West Beach is a small private beach on the North Shore of Massachusetts located
in the City of Beverly, Massachusetts
Beverly, Massachusetts
Beverly is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 39,343 on , which differs by no more than several hundred from the 39,862 obtained in the 2000 census. A resort, residential and manufacturing community on the North Shore, Beverly includes Beverly Farms and Prides...
. It is located along West Street,
in Beverly Farms
Beverly Farms
Beverly Farms is an informally defined neighborhood at the eastern edge of the city of Beverly, Massachusetts. It is an ocean-front community with a population of about 3,500 which extends from the Manchester-by-the-Sea border to another informally defined section of Beverly known as Prides...
. The beach is part of a strip of sandy coastline about
1 mile long extending from a rocky enclave at Lees crossing (near the
Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts
Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts
Manchester-by-the-Sea is a town on Cape Ann, in Essex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 5,228.-History:...
border)southerly to the Prides Crossing area of Beverly. The governing organization for West Beach has ownership for about 1/4 of the length of this stretch.
Oversight
The beach is managed by a group local community volunteers elected by the organizations membership yearly. The Beach is open to the public in the late fall, winter and early spring. It becomes private, requiring a pass to enter and a sticker to park in the summer months. Passes and stickers can be purchased by residents of Beverly Farms and Prides crossing, thus becoming members of the corporation. People from beyond the bounds of Beverly Farms and Prides Crossing can submit a request for a subscribers pass and sticker allowing access to the beach. There is a limited amount of parking available at the site, there has historically been a waiting list for subscriber parking stickers.History
West Beach's governing organization has been incorporated since April 21, 1852by the Massachusetts State House of Representatives. The beach and surrounding land was originally deeded to John West in 1666. Mr. West bequeathed the land to the residents of Beverly Farms and Prides Crossing. Section 3 of the West Beach Corporation by-laws describes the intended use of the beach for: "The members of said corporation may use and occupy said described portions of sea shore, beach and flats for the purpose of gathering drift-stuff and sea weed, and of boating and bathing, as the said premises have heretofore been used and occupied by them and predecessors; and also providing facilities for the enjoyment and beautification of the beach and shore by members; by providing swimming classes for members and their guests; to give courses in safety in the water and small boat handling...." West Beach has a historic past. It is the site for the annual Farms-Prides Fourth of July fireworks display that has occurred for over 100 years. Noted Author, John Updike
John Updike
John Hoyer Updike was an American novelist, poet, short story writer, art critic, and literary critic....
, who resided locally was a frequent visitor. Seventeenth century author Nathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne was an American novelist and short story writer.Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in 1804 in the city of Salem, Massachusetts to Nathaniel Hathorne and the former Elizabeth Clarke Manning. His ancestors include John Hathorne, a judge during the Salem Witch Trials...
from the nearby city of Salem, Massachusetts
Salem, Massachusetts
Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,407 at the 2000 census. It and Lawrence are the county seats of Essex County...
visited West Beach as noted by his son. Artist Fitz Henry Lane painted a landscape of the beach in the mid-19th century that sold for $3.85 million at an art auction in 1997.