Boxford Historic Document Center
Explore Boxford's history
The Boxford Historic Document Center collects, preserves, and makes accessible a collection of documents, records and photographs that cover the breadth of Boxford's history, from 1685 up to the present day. We use our collection to bring to life the stories of people and places in Boxford from the past 340 years.
Podcast: The Boxford Historical Bicycle Trail
Interactive Map: See historic Boxford photos!
Want to do some reading up on Boxford history? Below are downloadable PDFs of Sidney Perley's "History of Boxford" and "Dwellings of Boxford." If you prefer a hard copy, these and other Boxford history titles are available in our bookshop HERE
The History of Boxford, Essex County, Massachusetts
By Sidney Perley
FL6112254_historyofboxford1645perl.pdfPublished 1880
Written by then 21 year-old Sidney Perley in 1880, this book provides an in-depth look at the history of the town of Boxford, Massachusetts. Perley uses historic records and maps as well as the recollections of the "old-timers" in town to inform his research.
The Dwellings of Boxford, Essex County, Massachusetts
By Sidney Perley
FL13335646_dwellingsofboxfo00perl.pdfPublished 1893
A must-have for those with old homes or a family history in Boxford.
"The following pages contain sketches of the history of the houses of Boxford, both of those now standing and of those known only in history. Concerning a number of old cellars to be found in the town little or nothing is known. The writer has gathered much information relative to the homes of Boxford and places it in this form that their history may not pass into oblivion."