Your gifts make our work possible.
The Bequest began in 1893 when a small group of Whittier admirers created a deed of trust to forever hold and care for the birthplace of John Greenleaf Whittier, preserving as nearly possible the natural features of the landscape, as well as the homestead and barn as when occupied by Haverhill’s most famous native son. For more than one hundred thirty years the trustees and their successors have upheld this promise by promoting the reputation, visibility, and popularity of our property as a destination for visitors and as a welcoming venue for special events.
How can you help continue this legacy? The Whittier Birthplace offers an easy online way for every one of us to do what our forebearers did—preserve, protect, and improve the buildings and grounds for current and future generations. By donating to the Whittier Birthplace you are adding to the financial soundness that allows us to give meaningful support to projects that extend beyond the usual tours and field trips. Throughout this past year our summertime pre-school story time, Cultural Arts Day, Trails & Sails Open House Weekend, and virtual lecture series were but a few of our on-going activities that introduced hundreds of new visitors to the Birthplace.
Examples of what your gift can do…
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Gift of $100 or more
would support next summer’s Preschool Storytime program
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Gift of $300 or more
would cover the cost of a class field trip to the museum
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Gift of $500 or more
would allow us to purchase a collections management database
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Gift of $2,000 or more
would sponsor Cultural Arts Day on the Freeman Trail
Barn Restoration
Have you been following along with our barn restoration project?
Thanks to a $50,000+ gift from the Cogswell Club, in 2026 we've been able to make headway on restoring the 19th century barn at the Whittier Birthplace.
A new roof was installed in April, electrical upgrades were done in May, carpentry repairs took place in June/July, and now exterior painting is scheduled to begin at the end of this month/early September.
We're excited to host more community events inside the space starting this fall! If you'd like to learn more about the history of the barn, the work that's being done, or to donate to help us reach our goal, please visit: