Marblehead light as captured by Jeff Folger of .
Marblehead is the birth place of the American Navy (at least they claim it) and now it is home to pleasure craft and Yacht clubs.
Originally owned by the U.S. government, it was purchased in 1948 by Marblehead resident Chandler Hovey, who donated it to the town. It is also the location of the Marblehead Light Tower.

Marblehead, a town in love with liberty and rugged individualism. Its people and history, its crooked lanes and irregular houses, its customs and humor defy conformity and dullness. The irreligious settlers, the adventurous fishermen, the zealous patriots of 1776, the daring privateers of 1812, the clipper ship captains and yesteryear’s fish peddlers imbued their town with a spirit as hardy as the rocky peninsula itself.”

Today, Marblehead Harbor boasts one of the finest displays of sailing craft anywhere. Over the years the harbor has been both the starting and finishing port for numerous international races, including races between Marblehead and Kiel, Germany; San Sebastian, Spain; and Bermuda, as well as other national and international competitions. An annual race between Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Marblehead, which began in 1905, continues to this day. And the yearly mid-summer Marblehead Race Week competition, which dates back to 1889, still attracts yachtsmen from around the world. Marblehead, appropriately, has earned the title as the “Yachting Capital of the World.”

Marblehead’s seafaring history also played an important role in the formation of our great nation. Becoming disenchanted with the control and increasing taxation that the British were imposing over the colonies, locals were readying themselves for a revolt.