Bearskin Neck, Rockport

Bearskin Neck is a small neck of land that juts out of the town center into Rockport Harbor. Legend has it that the small peninsula is so-named for menacing bears that early settlers routed onto the neck and hunted. Rockport's early fishing and granite industries made Bearskin Neck a busy commercial dock area owing to its convenience as a landing place. The tip of the Neck actually housed a fort during the War of 1812 which was fired upon regularly by British warships. Today the rocky end of the Bearskin Neck jetty offers a fine view of both Sandy Bay and the town of Rockport.

What really makes Bearskin Neck one of the principal attractions in Rockport however is the quaint little studios, shops, and restaurants that line its narrow roads. For Bearskin Neck is a bustling artist colony where one is just as likely to see an artist at his easel as a lobsterman hauling his traps. The tiny studios surround a famous old red fish house known as Motif #1. The "Motif" was originally built in 1884 and has had to be rebuilt several times due to the ravages of nature. It's still a treat for the eyes however, and is said to be the most photographed building in the country. Bearskin Neck offers something for every visitor and is well worth the trip to one of Cape Ann's easternmost points.