All 3 Library locations will be closed from Saturday, May 28th through Monday, May 30th, in honor of the Memorial Day holiday.
LOCAL HISTORY
The local history collection is located in the historic Eben Dale Sutton Room in the Main Library.
Timeline of the Peabody Institute Library
SUTTON ROOM CATALOG
LIBRARY SEARCH
ARCHIVES SEARCH
COLLECTION GUIDE
Art & Artifacts
Audio & Video collection, 1919-2013
Books about local architecture, furniture, china, & monograms
Maps of Peabody & the surrounding area
Peabody Postcard collection, 1880-2017
Portraits
Edward Everett
George Peabody
Gideon Foster
Queen Victoria
Rufus Choate
William Henry Harrison
City & County Government
City of Peabody collection, 1796-2015
Assessor & Census, 1878-1896
Assessor records, 1856-1893
Assessor valuation records, 1861-1922
City departmental reports
Danvers vital records, 1700-1854
Fire department papers, 1890-1970
Grade school & high school registers, 1889-1940
Mayor papers, 1916-2013
Poll tax records, 1917-1962
Salem & Danvers aqueduct papers, 1796-1958
School committee reports, 1840-1974
Selectmen records, 1855-1909
South Danvers & Peabody marriage intentions, 1855-1883
Street list of polls for men & women, 1891-1966
Town reports, 1855-1916
Voter registration lists, 1877-1974
Essex County court records
Massachusetts court records
Churches
Peabody Church papers, 1816-1958
Methodist Episcopal Church, 1914 & 1929
Saint Vasilios Greek Orthodox Church, 1946
St. John’s Church, 1911-1957
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1918-c.1940
Unitarian Church, 1827-1876
Universalist Church, 1866-1867
West Congregational Church, 1958
Cultural Institutions
Genealogy
Biographical and autobiographical accounts of local families and figures
Books about researching family history and genealogy
Firsthand accounts of events in local towns & cities
Firsthand accounts of travel from the 1600s to early 1900s
Records of colonial New England
Historical Society Publications
American Ancestors (New England Ancestors)
Danvers Historical Society
The Essex Genealogist
Essex Institute Historical Collections
Massachusetts Historical Collections
New England Historical Genealogical Register
NEXUS
Niles Register
Peabody Historical Society
Topsfield Historical Society
Influential People
George Peabody
Manuscripts & correspondence
Photographs & postcards
Published biographies
Accounts of his visits to South Danvers & global travels
Materials about his death & funeral
Materials on the centennial & bicentennial of his birth
Charles Augustus Peabody papers, 1864-1872
Foster Family papers, 1740-1965
Military records
Revolutionary War
War of 1812
Civil War
Spanish-American War
World War I
World War II
Natural History
Birds of America elephant folios by John James Audubon & associated literature
Rare or first editions of books describing American biodiversity
Accounts of weather & other natural events
Newspapers
Boston Globe, 1973-current
New York Times, 1960-current
Peabody Newspaper collection, 1790-2015
The Bull, 1972-1973
Danvers Monitor, 1865, 1869-1876
I.T., 1976
The Observer, 1925-2006
Peabody Enterprise, 1912-1941
The Peabody Hide, 1967-1968
Peabody Press, 1869-1891, 1911-1912
The Peabody Star, 1899
Peabody Times, 1941-1976, 1984-1995
Salem Evening News, 1995-current
The Salem Gazette, 1790
The Salem Observer, 1848
South Danvers Wizard, 1859-1868
The Tanner, 1968
The Tanner Times, 2007
The Times: Peabody & Beverly, 1976-1984
Today, 1870
Vernal Visitor, 1879
Street directories
Street directories, 1859-current
Beverly
Boston
Danvers
Lynn
Peabody
Salem
Yearbooks
Seeglitz Junior High School yearbooks
Higgins Middle School yearbooks
Peabody Veterans Memorial High School yearbooks
1922-1929, 1931, 1933, 1935-1937, 1939-1945,
1947-1975, 1977-1991, 1993-1996, 1998-2020
LOCAL HISTORY NONFICTION
Check out these books on the 3rd floor and online to keep learning on the go!
LOOKING FOR MORE?
If we don’t have what you’re looking for, try one of our friends in the North Shore
FAQs
When can I visit the Sutton Room?
The Sutton Room is open by appointment. Email the Local History Librarian to schedule a visit.
Do I need a library card to use the Sutton Room?
You do not need a library card to use the Sutton Room, but you will need a form of identification to check in.
Can I borrow books from the Sutton Room?
Materials in the Sutton Room do not circulate. We are happy to keep your materials on hold in the Sutton Room for the duration of your research project.
Can I use a picture from the archives in my book?
To use text or images from the local history collection in your publication, please see the copyright statement on the item record. Email the Local History Librarian to request permissions.
How can I make a donation?
We appreciate donations of historically relevant materials in good condition according to our Collecting Policy. Contact the Local History Librarian before bringing items to the library.
CONTACT
Catherine A. Badal
Local History Librarian
978-531-0100 ext. 28
cbadal@noblenet.org
