Essex, MA — 31 MARCH 2026 — Today, the Essex Historical Society & Shipbuilding Museum (EHSSM) announces it is purchasing one of Essex’s most recognizable historic downtown properties in order to protect it from private development and preserve it for the public benefit. 

Located at 44 Main Street—long home to Main Street Antiques—the property occupies a uniquely strategic position, physically linking Essex’s historic town center to EHSSM’s working shipyard and waterfront campus. Its acquisition represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to strengthen the connection between the town’s civic heart and the deep maritime heritage of the region. 

With nearly $1,000,000 pledged to date by generous donors from across the region, EHSSM continues to invite additional philanthropic support for this effort.

“This project is about more than saving a building from development. It’s about strengthening a community through the preservation, education, and celebration of traditional shipbuilding that has sustained this region for more than 300 years,” said EHSSM Executive Director, KD Montgomery. “We are thrilled by the opportunity to secure this site as a vital community anchor and welcoming gateway to our shipyard campus, one that will serve and inspire the region for generations to come.”

Immediately following the museum’s acquisition of 44 Main Street, the property will be secured and stabilized as the museum begins a comprehensive master planning process to thoughtfully revitalize and reimagine the site. Meaningfully, this activity coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Essex Shipbuilding Museum and reflects its ambition and meteoric growth. 

“What has made this moment so powerful is the extraordinary support of the community and the rallying of donors,” Montgomery added. “This effort began quietly, with determination and belief, and we are deeply gratified by the many individuals who recognize the promise of this pivotal moment and are stepping forward to help shape the cultural vitality of our region for generations to come.”

The 44 Main Street property will provide critically needed space to advance EHSSM’s mission, creating new opportunities for education, public programs, and hands-on learning, while offering welcoming community gathering spaces, exhibition galleries, and expanded capacity for collections stewardship and archives. Together, these spaces will strengthen the museum as a vibrant civic and educational resource, ensuring that the skills, stories, and values of the region’s shipbuilding heritage are preserved and shared for generations to come.

“We are deeply grateful to the many visionary donors who have stepped up to contribute to this extraordinary and historic opportunity,” said Board Chair, Louis Somma. “Their generosity has made it possible for the museum to protect a critical piece of our region’s historic downtown fabric for the public benefit.”

EHSSM invites community members, business leaders, and partners to join this effort and help us envision how, together, we can shape the museum’s course and enhance its mission for generations to come. To learn more and donate, please visit www.essexshipbuilding.org/44main

ABOUT EHSSM

The Mission of the Essex Historical Society and Shipbuilding Museum (EHSSM) is to provide a center for education, preservation, and study, of traditional Essex shipbuilding and the Community that has supported it for over 300 years. We value the skills, creativity, learning abilities, and connectedness to their environment of the Essex Shipbuilders and we believe that building a clear understanding and appreciation of their unique craftsmanship serves as a valuable model for us today.