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Lowell`s Boat Shop

Lowell's Boat Shop is a historical shop located on the banks of the Merrimack River in Amesbury, Massachusetts. Built in 1793, by Simeon Lowell, it is the nation's oldest continually operating wooden boat shop. The still-operational shop is one of the oldest boat-building companies in the United States. The Boat Shop includes a timeline exhibit, museum store, and onsite classroom/workshop space. It has built about 150,000 small boats and is recognized throughout the boating trade as the prominent builder of the famous Banks Dory. Lowell's Boat Shop is unique, not only as the only remaining shop building essentially the same boat in the same way since its founding, but also in its original building on the same waterfront location. In order to preserve its rich history, Lowell's Boat Shop was recently taken over by the Newburyport Maritime Society. The site and buildings have been restored and rejuvenated by a major grant from the Massachusetts Historical Commission. This working museum continues to make wooden boats in the more than 200-year-old tradition of Lowell’s craftsmanship. The boat shop showcases more than four centuries of maritime history in the region. Visitors get a rare chance to view the boat builders at works. Guided tours and even rowing lesson can also be scheduled. Lowell's Boat Shop was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987 and in 1992 was designated a National Historic Landmark. The Newburyport Maritime Society (NMS), a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and interpreting the maritime heritage of the lower Merrimack Valley, now owns and operates Lowell's Boat Shop Museum.