Beverly Farms

About 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 Crossing. This area is part of Massachusetts's North Shore region, about 20 miles north of Boston.

Beverly Farms—as well as adjacent Prides Crossing—were originally farming communities, like the rest of Beverly. In the late 18th and early 19th century wealthy residents of Boston and New York City 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. By the mid 20th century, Beverly Farms resembled a small town, somewhat secluded from the rest of Beverly and culturally interlinked with Prides Crossing. Working class neighborhoods sprung up, as support for the mansions became necessary. At this point, there was a wide financial gap between the wealthy and the working class.

Beverly Farms remains a vibrant community with changing demographics. 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. Real estate in Beverly Farms has become very desirable. 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 the "Hastings House"). There is a fire station, a railroad station on the MBTA Commuter Rail, and a (recently expanded) branch of the Beverly Public Library.