Newburyport, the port of destination for over 300 years. From its earliest settlement in the late 1600s along the banks of the Merrimack River to the 1960s, when advocates rallied to preserve its history in response to the threat of urban renewal, the Newburyport Clipper Heritage Trail will transport you to the sites of shipbuilders and show makers, coal and comb factories, architects and artists, meetinghouses and museums. Untold local stories of a future U.S. President and industrial movements, innovations and inventions, the maritime trade and more await your discovery.