Stand here for a moment. Sense the Atlantic breeze. This is Nahant Bay. It fronts the towns of Swampscott, Lynn, and Nahant, Massachusetts.
Nahant Bay’s story stretches back long before those towns. The Massachusett tribe called this area home for thousands of years. They raised families and thrived on the land. They hunted, fished, and farmed the “Three Sisters:” beans, corn, and squash. These First People sheltered inland during the harsh winters in what is now Lynn.
In 1605, Samuel de Champlain noted the cleared lands and Indian corn along this coast. By the 1630s, colonists began to settle the area. Sagamore James, or Montowampate, oversaw the land near the Saugus River’s outlet, overlooking Nahant. Another leader, Sachem Poquanum, also known as Black William or Duke William, gave Thomas Dexter permission to use the land. This was in exchange for an English suit.
The name “Nahant” itself carries mystery. It may mean “at the point,” “twin islands,” or refer to a local person named Nahantum.
English colonists first settled Nahant in 1630. Isaac Johnson’s servants grazed cattle here. Citizens of Lynn also used it for their animals. Though Nahant wasn’t a separate town until 1853, it was noted as one of New England’s thirty “noted Habitations” by William Wood in 1633.
Before 1800, only three homes stood on Nahant. These belonged to the Breeds, the Hoods, and the Johnson family. One of the Johnsons built the first hotel in 1802. A steamboat then ran daily between Boston and Nahant.
In 1853, Nahant officially became its own town. This was when temperance threatened the summer resort trade in Lynn. The late 19th century saw Nahant flourish. It became a retreat for the wealthy and a site for early amusement parks. Poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow frequented Nahant. Geologist Louis Agassiz lived here. Artist William Stanley Haseltine captured the beauty of “The Rocks at Nahant” in his paintings.
During World War II, East Point became a coastal artillery battery. Now a town park, it houses Northeastern University’s Marine Science Center.
Nahant’s geography is unique. It is a tied island. This means it’s connected to the mainland by a tombolo, which is effectively a peninsula. Nahant is linked to Lynn by a causeway. The town is bordered by Nahant Bay to the east, Nahant Harbor to the south, and Lynn Harbor to the west.
Several beaches line the coastline. These include Nahant Beach and Long Beach. Short Beach remains a popular spot, accessible with a Nahant beach sticker.
Nahant is one of only four Massachusetts towns touching just one other town by land.
Today, Nahant Bay is a reminder of Nahant’s layered past. It has been shaped by indigenous tribes, early colonists, wealthy vacationers, and modern residents.