Gloucester's Acropolis September 2026
Gloucester's Acropolis: Defining the City Then and Now was the subject of our 2026 conference, a mix of talks, tours, and readings over three days (9/11-9/13/2026) in downtown Gloucester. The conference explored how the cultural, educational, literary, and civic center of Gloucester's historic downtown neighborhood has defined the city, shaped its identity, and enriched the lives of its residents - from the 19th century to today.
The term “Acropolis” was used by novelist Jonathan Bayliss to refer to the cluster of vital institutions located on the hillside above Gloucester Harbor including Gloucester City Hall, Sawyer Free Library, Post Office, the Dale Avenue school, and Cape Ann Museum.
The conference was supported in part by grants from the Brace Cove Foundation and the Gloucester Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. The JBS is grateful to them as well as to conference partners Cape Ann Museum, Gloucester Writers Center, and Sawyer Free Library and all involved with the weekend's programs.
The conference opened on Friday afternoon with a "Stroll around Gloucester's Religious Center," led by JBS Board member John Day and Sarah Mowitt. We walked through Middle, Church, Prospect, and Pleasant streets, stopping to hear our guides discussing the history of the various religious buildings near the Acropolis and how Gloucester's religious traditions and institutions have evolved along with new generations of immigrants to the city. On Friday evening at Sawyer Free Library, the conference presented "Acropolis Daily News, 1848 to 2017: A Meander through Gloucester's Papers." Bits of the Acropolis's rich history were brought to life by talented readers presenting newspaper excerpts about the fascinating development of the Acropolis's main institutions. Attendees learned about the City Hall phoenix, the construction of the Dale Avenue high school, the origins of the Cape Ann Museum and Sawyer Free Library, and the excitement accompanying the opening of the 20th-century Post Office. Readers were Jan Bell, James Cook, John Day, Monica Lawton, Peter Littlefield, Theo MacGregor, Martin Ray, Gerard Roy, Julie Travers, Roz Smith, and Judy Walcott. |
Saturday morning we met again at Sawyer Free Library for three short illustrated talks: "Architectural Evolution in Gloucester's Acropolis" by Robert Booth, a Gloucester-based author, architectural consultant, and historian of maritime culture; "Lighthouses on the Sea of Time: The Sawyer Free Library Approaches 200 Years" by Mern Sibley, past president of the library's Board of Trustees; and "Stories from a Gloucester Mayor: Excerpts from the Manuscript of Bruce Tobey" by Pam Tobey, daughter of Bruce Tobey (Gloucester’s longest-serving mayor who died in February 2026) and chief of staff for the town of Amesbury.
After lunch, conference attendees were treated to Susan Erony's talk and guided tour of New Deal murals at Gloucester City Hall and the Sawyer Free Library's Saunders House. Several artists painted the murals under the 1934 Public Works of Art Project and the subsequent Works Progress Administration Federal Art Project. According to the Massachusetts Cultural Council, Gloucester City Hall has the finest collection of New Deal murals in Massachusetts.
In conjunction with the conference, on Saturday evening a festive dinner was held to celebrate the centenary of Jonathan Bayliss's birth. Bayliss was born on September 7, 1926, in Arlington, Massachusetts, and grew up poor during the Great Depression - mainly in Cambridge and southern Vermont. In 1956 he settled in Gloucester, where he wrote his four-volume fiction series, Gloucesterman. When he moved to Gloucester, Bayliss chose a house on Washington Street near the Gloucester train station because rail was his favorite form of travel. The dinner was held at the Azorean Restaurant, located just steps from the train platform. After dinner, Gloucester writer Ken Riaf – whose plays include My Station in Life, Think of Me Tuesday, and Copy and Acknowledge - described an encounter that he and filmmaker Henry Ferrini had with Bayliss in 2002.
On Sunday morning a planned architectural walk around the Acropolis neighborhood had to be cancelled because of heavy rain, but it was rescheduled for the following Sunday.
On Sunday afternoon a program at Cape Ann Museum explored the role and influence of Cape Ann Museum in the community life of Gloucester throughout its existence, with a glimpse to its future.
After an introduction by Monica Lawton, CAM’s Director Oliver Barker, Chief Curator Martha Oaks, and former Museum volunteer Deane Hancock French (daughter of sculptor Walker Hancock) gave short illustrated talks.
Oaks looked back at the early history of the Cape Ann Museum - from its incorporation in 1875, through the early 20th century when it settled into its headquarters on Pleasant Street, to the 1960s when the Museum affirmed its connection to what is now Gloucester’s Civic Center.
Hancock French shared her memories and observations of CAM from the 1960s through the 1990s. Her remarks covered her father‘s long-term association with CAM and his friendships with Alfred Mansfield Brooks, Hyde Cox, and Harold Bell.
Barker, who joined the Cape Ann Museum as Director in 2019, traced the Museum's recent 21st-century history leading up to his arrival and shared his vision for its future. He explored how the Museum's mission to preserve and celebrate the rich history and culture of Cape Ann is coming to life across its two campuses.