Lowell's Boat Shop

Established in 1793, Lowell’s Boat Shop is the oldest continuously operating boat shop in the United States and is cited as the birthplace of the legendary fishing dory. Lowell’s is the only remaining survivor of Amesbury’s world-renowned dory manufacturing industry that produced in excess of a quarter of a million dories over a period of two centuries. We are a National Historic Landmark.

In its third century of operation, Lowell’s Boat Shop is both a working boat shop and a museum, and the preservation of each part is essential to our mission. We continue to build dories and skiffs for clients in the time-honored tradition of seven generations of the Lowell family that owned and operated the Boat Shop. The rich history of the building, collections, and our role in the community are conveyed through woodworking classes, our Apprentice program, programming for local schools, lively social gatherings, partnerships with other local museums, our YouTube channel, and the fleet of watercraft available for members who row their river.