July 11th George Washington Statue in Newburyport

Seems that George came to visit early on, and slept in town for the night.

The statue was provided by a citizen in 1876-  

After much pomp and circumstance, Washington spent the night at the State Street home of the Tracy family.  The spacious house was built in 1771 and currently houses the Newburyport Public Library.  “Say what?” you must be thinking. The library has gone through a few additions in the past few centuries but the older, main part of the library was, in fact, the Tracy House.  And thankfully, wasn’t owned by George Cabot.  So, to make a long story short, George Washington slept in the Newburyport Library.  Today, there’s even a statue of Washington close to the Bartlett Mall (on the corner of High Street and Pond Street) to commemorate this historic visit.

“In visiting the Town of Newburyport,” Washington wrote. “I have obeyed a favorite inclination, and I am much gratified by the indulgence. In expressing a sincere wish for its prosperity, and the happiness of its inhabitants, I do justice to my own sentiments, and their merit.”

The president arrived in Newburyport around 3:30 p.m to much pomp and circumstance. According to accounts, Washington again quit his carriage and rode on horseback into town, accompanied by a number of horse troops. A parade of citizens followed, and Newburyport resident John Quincy Adams (son of the Vice President and future president himself) read a letter of welcome he had penned on behalf of the town. According to this article in the Newburyport Daily News, a group of young men sang this ode to the president: 'He comes! He comes! The Hero Comes! Sound, sound your Trumpets. Beat, beat your drums. From Port to Port, let Cannons Roar. He's welcome to New England's Shore.'"

The president was the guest of honor at a reception at Jonathan Jackson's High Street residence, and the skies of the autumn night above Newburyport were lit up with celebratory fireworks. Washington turned in for the night at the brick Tracy mansion on State Street, which now houses the Newburyport Public Library. The house at 94 State Street was built by Patrick Tracy in 1771 for his son Nathaniel, who equipped and sent out the first privateer which sailed from the colonies against England. Among the furnishings and decor that surrounded Washington at the house would have been some loot seized from British ships by Tracy's privateers.

The house he stayed at, which is now part of the Library in town: the actual house is to the right...