Town Historian Don Doliber led a group of more than 70 people on a traditional perambulation, or walk of public ways, through downtown Marblehead on Saturday.
“The Select Board is supposed to walk the boundaries of the town on an annual basis,” Doliber explained. “Since most of our boundary is water, there’s only a small boundary that they really have to walk. However, we have secret passageways that go from one section of the town to the other. That’s town property. And we have to walk it to maintain the ownership of those pieces of property.”
The perambulation is a tradition dating back to 1641.
The group gathered Saturday morning at Abbot Hall, where Doliber pointed out the nearby home of one of his ancestors.
“He was a Tory. He was chased up the hill by a mob, ready to lynch him,” Doliber said. “He ran into his house. His wife came out and said to the mob, ‘He is not under the roof of the house.’ He wasn’t. He was up on top hiding behind the chimney.”
Doliber then led the crowd to the first of several locations: Lookout Court, where residents once gathered to peer out at the harbor, watching for returning fishing boats.
The group descended the public way Prospect Alley —a narrow, steep set of winding steps leading to Lee Street.
Walking along Front Street, Doliber pointed out Circle Street, where he grew up, and shared a cautionary tale about the importance of preserving the town’s historic public ways.
“Remember, Marblehead didn’t put names on streets until the 1800s. So this was known as ‘The Way to the Beach.’ There used to be a walkway right down here to Homan’s Beach. Because we didn’t walk it, we lost the ownership of it. So you’re doing your duty here.”
The perambulation included several more public ways, including Hollyhock Lane, Alley Steps, Gingerbread Lane, Knights Hill Road, Alley-Elm to High Street and Alley Mechanics Street. The morning wrapped up back in Market Square.
There are about 20 public ways around town, in the Historic District and on the Neck.
