Fort Sewall stands at the tip of a rocky peninsula where Marblehead Harbor opens into Massachusetts Bay. The fortification dates from the 1640s, making it one of the oldest in the United States, and was used through the War of 1812. The earthwork walls and gun emplacements are still visible, though the site is now an open park.
The views from Fort Sewall are the best in Marblehead — across the harbour entrance, out to the open sea, and back over the old town crowded on its peninsula. On summer weekends you'll share it with local residents walking dogs and watching the harbour traffic. On a crisp autumn morning you may have it largely to yourself. The walk down Front Street from the centre of town is pleasant in itself, lined with some of the oldest surviving houses in Massachusetts.