Every American is familiar with The Spirit of ’76, the patriotic painting (c 1876) by Archibald M Willard, depicting three American Revolution figures – a drummer, a fife player and a flag bearer. The painting hangs in the selectmen’s meeting room in Abbott Hall, home of the Marblehead Historical Commission.
The redbrick building with a lofty clock tower is the seat of Marblehead’s town government, and houses artifacts of Marblehead’s history, including the original title deed to Marblehead from the Nanapashemet Native Americans, dated 1684. Exhibits on the first floor include the history of Marblehead as the birthplace of the US Navy.
