Archives & Research
Archives are at the heart of the Manchester-by-the-Sea Museum. As the only institution wholly dedicated to preserving and promoting Manchester-by-the-Sea’s past, the Museum, through its collections, serves as an essential resource for personal papers, photographs, records, etc., from across the town's history. To provide public access to our repository, we make our archives available through research services.
Hours of Operation
Manchester-by-the-Sea Museum's archivist, Matthew Swindell, is available to provide archives access, when the museum is open, during the following regular hours:
Tuesdays, 10 AM to 3 PM
Wednesdays, 10 AM to 3 PM
Thursdays, 10 AM to 3 PM
Advanced notice of visitation is welcome, but not required, during the listed hours.
For access outside the listed hours, please contact us for potential accommodation.
Archives access is subject to the fee schedule for research services.
Contact
The archives are located in the Museum's Abigail Hooper Trask House, and all physical mail pertinent to the archives should be addressed to:
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Matthew Swindell
Manchester-by-the-Sea Museum
10 Union Street, Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA 01944
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Requests can be made by the research request form on this page (preferred), email, phone, and in-person.
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Email: archives@manchesterhistoricalmuseum.org
Phone: 978-526-7230
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Requests will be answered Tuesday through Thursday when the archivist is present.
Research Services
The Museum welcomes public interest in its archives and collections, and its research services are designed to meet diverse researcher needs, accommodate students, and honor the support of our members.
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Research in our archives may be conducted on the premises with the assistance of the archivist. For remote access, the archivist may provide, through email, a research report and digitized materials using purchased time.
Fee Schedule
Per request, the Museum charges fees for archival access, through research services, at the following rates:
Members: No charge for the first hour and $25/hour subsequently.
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Non-Members: $50 for the first hour and $25/hour subsequently.
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Students:* No charge for the first hour and $20/hour subsequently.
*Valid student ID required.
