[Update: I later had an additional post on the Newburyport shoreline].

Old Newburyport, giving impressions of how H.P. Lovecraft might have seen it.

AViewofNbptfromHarbor1850_Sm
Newburyport harbour in the 1850s, painted by Richard Burke Jones with historically accurate details. Prints available.

nraland-c1920
The waterfront district circa 1920.

newburyport_waterfrontMore waterfront, from a lower elevation, view of the bridge.

newburyportpridgeBridge at Newburyport.

waternpostAs a working port.

colrun-newburyport
Coal conveyors, presumably to fuel up the steamships.

newburyportlightLight tower at Newburyport, coal conveyor to the steam ships.

1910_Newburyport_station_postcardTrain station. Lovecraft may have instead arrived by trolley in most instances (see David Goudsward, H.P. Lovecraft in the Merrimack Valley), but perhaps the train station and cross-country trolley terminus were the same place? He probably passed through on this line on his return south after visiting Portsmouth in the early 1930s. He also probably arrived here on the train from/to Boston at least once.

Looking Down State Street NewburyportCommercial centre.

neststCommercial centre.

newburyportmarket-620x413Commercial centre.

trolleymaketsquareTrolley car out of the market square.

Nbpt-JoppaLandingJoppa Landing (past the main commercial centre, Lovecraft missed the centre and went hurtling on into this area on the trolley, then walked back).

Clam shacks at Joppa Flats. The trolley car lines have been painted out, but you can see the trolley wire posts.

newburyport-clammersClam pickers on the flats.

Salt-haySalt-haying on the adjacent marshland. Seen in October from the train line that crossed the marshlands, when Lovecraft was returning south from a visit to Portsmouth, could these have looked like shoggoths-in-the-mist? 🙂

nbpt-haystacksSalt-haying on the adjacent marshland.

nra-lots-1972Newburyport waterfront partially cleared in the early 1970s, just before restoration.

nra-lots-1973Newburyport waterfront partially cleared in the early 1970s, just before restoration.

Many more excellent old photos at The Newburyport blog of Mary Baker Design.