Rock’s village was established in the 1640s, upriver of Holt’s river, in what is now Haverhill, Massachusetts. It was named so because large ships could not pass through the large rocks in the river. It was a small, but thriving village. Originally, the village could only be reached by ferry, until the Merrimac Bridge was built in 1794. The bridge stood until 1818, when it was washed away by high water and ice floats. Without a bridge, the ferry service returned to bring people across the river until the Merrimac Bridge was rebuilt in 1828. Important industries of the village included the shoe industry and the leather industry. Many residents were involved in other fields, but would commute to work.

There are a variety of historic houses and buildings in the village, many of which are pictured in this collection. The most famous person associated with the village was poet John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892), who was born less than two miles from the village, and frequently visited there. He wrote poems about people in the village, including the “Witch of Rock’s Village”, Aunt Morse (rocksvillage.org).