Essex is a New England town in Essex County, Massachusetts, 26 miles north of Boston. The population was 3,267 at the 2000 census. Essex borders Hamilton, Massachusetts to the west, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts to the south, Gloucester, Massachusetts to the east, and Ipswich, Massachusetts to the north.

Part of the town comprises the census-designated place of Essex (CDP), Massachusetts.

History
Essex was incorporated as a town in 1819. It was previously a part of the town of Ipswich and was then called Chebacco Parish. The first European settlers arrived in 1634. At that time, the land formed part of an area inhabited...

Essex is a New England town in Essex County, Massachusetts, 26 miles north of Boston. The population was 3,267 at the 2000 census. Essex borders Hamilton, Massachusetts to the west, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts to the south, Gloucester, Massachusetts to the east, and Ipswich, Massachusetts to the north.

Part of the town comprises the census-designated place of Essex (CDP), Massachusetts.

History
Essex was incorporated as a town in 1819. It was previously a part of the town of Ipswich and was then called Chebacco Parish. The first European settlers arrived in 1634. At that time, the land formed part of an area inhabited by Native Americans of the Agawam tribe. The name Chebacco is Agawam in origin and refers to a large lake whose waters extend into neighboring Hamilton. Conomo Point, the eastern-most part of the town, is named for the Sagamore (title) or Chief of the Agawams, Masconomo, the leader of the tribe in the late 17th century. Early on, Chebacco Parish lobbied for status as an independent town, asking for permission to build a meeting house. In colonial times the existence of a meeting house in a settlement conferred de-facto autonomy, so Chebacco Parish was denied permission to build such a structure. Popular history tells that one written dictate was issued stating that'no man shall raise a meeting house'', so the residents of the settlement interpreted it as to mean that women would be allowed to do so. It is reported that a local woman, Madam Varney, assembled the town's women and construction of a meeting house was carried out by them while the men looked on.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 15.9 square miles (41.3 km²), of which, 14.2 square miles (36.7 km²) of it is land and 1.8 square miles (4.6 km²) of it (11.17%) is water. It has an outlet to the Atlantic Ocean by way of the Essex River.

The central part of Essex lies on marsh land that surrounds the Essex River. The central channel of this river converges with the Annisquam River at the westernmost tip of Cape Ann where both flow into the Atlantic Ocean. The land that makes up the limits of the town is close to sea level, with a few low hills dotting the landscape. The aforementioned Chebacco Lake and surrounding wetlands make up most of the southwestern part of the town. Essex's population has increased at a sustainable rate over the last quarter century, so it still maintains a certain rural quality with abundant forested areas, wet lands and open spaces.