Founded in 1968 as a preservation and educational organization, the Newburyport Maritime Society (NMS) is dedicated to protecting, preserving and interpreting the maritime heritage of the lower Merrimack Valley and keeping the region’s role in American history alive in the minds of the public.
Among our responsibilities is the preservation of both the Custom House Maritime Museum (1835) in Newburyport and Lowell’s Boat Shop (1793) in Amesbury and the collections that have been entrusted to our care. As individual museums, the CHMM and LBS each play a major role in preserving regional heritage. Together, they encapsulate four centuries of our country’s water-based roots and economic development. As stewards of these very special historic structures, their collections, the stories they tell and the traditions they preserve, our primary charge is to provide audiences of all ages with engaging opportunities to learn about the maritime heritage of our region. We accomplish this through tours, exhibits, education programs, summer camps, lectures and workshops, functions and events. In 2003, over 3,500 individuals visited both musems, roughly 280 children participated in education programs and summer camp, and 80+ individuals participated in lectures and workshops. Although a majority of our visitors are regional, we have an increasing number of domestic and international guests throughout the year. We have a volunteer staff of 40 that assists us as tour guides, admission staff, gift store staff, building exhibits and general maintenance of our facilities.
The NMS is a membership based non-profit organization. It is governed by a volunteer board comprised of a chairman, vice chairman, treasurer, clerk and members at-large appointed by the board. The NMS is supported by a growing membership of about 340 individuals and families. In the past few years, the NMS has undergone a major transformation. The NMS restructured its operations, produced a five year strategic plan which includes investing in capital improvements at both museums; investing in operations including staff, collections, expanded programming (both education and public programs); new permanent and rotating exhibits; and committing to investment in endowment.