Beverly, city, Essex County, northeastern Massachusetts, on Massachusetts Bay; incorporated as a city 1894. Manufactures include medical equipment, professional uniforms, and electronic and aerospace equipment. Endicott College (1939), a women's college, and a community college are here. Points of interest include Balch House (about 1636), believed to be the oldest house in the state; Hale House (1694); and Cabot House (1781). Settled in the 1620s by the English colonist Roger Conant, the community was incorporated as a town in 1668 and named for Beverley, England. The schooner Hannah, commissioned by General George Washington, was outfitted at Glover's Wharf in Beverly in 1775 and is claimed to have been the first ship of the U.S. Navy. The first successful cotton mill in America was established here in 1788. Population 37,655 (1980); 38,195 (1990); 39,862 (2000).
