A central theme of the district relates to Beverly's transportation history with several railroad-related buildings, a carriage manufactory and early automobile factory.

[2] The district was nominated to the National Register by Windover Development in order to receive $2 million in tax credits for their renovation of the former Friend Box Factory at 60 Pleasant Street into veterans housing.

[4] A collection of brick buildings belonging to National Grid were included in the original nomination of the district; all but one were demolished in February 2013.

Residents accused the company of hypocrisy for using the buildings' historic status for the tax credits, then proposing to demolish them.

This article about a National Register of Historic Places listing in Essex County, Massachusetts, is a stub.