History

Wenham is a 8.1 sq. mile community which is rich in both history and beauty. The community was originally part of Salem, was home to land that once belonged to the Native American Algonquian peoples for hundreds. It wasn’t until 1643 that the General Court of Massachusetts granted Wenham the right to officially break off of Salem and become incorporated and a town of its own right.

With the event of the industrial revolution which changed the face of many New England towns, it never touched the small town of Wenham. In fact, the biggest industry was the ice industry which cut ice from the local Wenham lake and shipped it as far away as London. This ice was so coveted that hotels would advertise that they served ice from Wenham Lake. Many parts of Wenham to this day are left as large open space, parks or horse land, but yet still very close to major highways shopping, colleges and hospitals.

Wenham is also home to the famous Wenham Tea house and Wenham Museum which houses many of the old artifacts found throughout the town. The town is also home to Paul Harding, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Tinkers and Bob Stanley, former Red Sox relief pitcher.