Bearskin Neck

Bearskin Neck is a peninsula located on the coastline of Cape Ann in Rockport, Massachusetts. The location played a vital role during the War of 1812. Today it is a tourist destination known for its shops and art galleries. The stores and restaurants are known for jewelry, local artwork, and fresh seafood. In the early 1600s, Rockport was established based on fishing and its granite quarries. Their rocks were exported globally and gave the area its name. With its geographical shape and convenience, Bearskin Neck was a commercial harbor for many industries, a factor in the economic growth of the city. According to local legend, Ebenezer Babson was attacked by a bear. With nothing but a knife, he backed the bear down to the shoreline into the oncoming tide. He fought the bear with his knife, and he eventually won. Babson then skinned the bear and laid the bearskin out on the rocks for all to witness. The fisherman passing by then gave the land the name Bearskin Neck. Due to its prime location, Bearskin Neck served as lookout barracks during the War of 1812. The barracks housed sixty men and were known as the Sea Fencibles. The battle at Bearskin Neck played a vital role on September 8, 1814. The British silently sent a fleet of men coming from the British ship, Nymph, onto the shores of Rockport, landing on Bearskin Neck. The British managed to capture fourteen soldiers. When the locals realized what was happening, alarms rang from the bells of the Congregational Church. The British attempted to silence the makeshift siren. The British fired a cannonball. It remains lodged in the bell tower today. Using the advantages of Bearskin Neck surrounding Sandy Bay, the local militia drove the British out of the Bay and retreat into the Atlantic. Today, the barracks, known as the Old Stone Fort of the Sea Fencibles, still stand at the point of Bearskin Neck.

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