Among its notable features are Fort Sewall, a coastal fortification with origins dating to 1644,[2] and two National Historic Landmarks, the General John Glover House,[3] the Jeremiah Lee Mansion,[4] and the Simon Bradstreet House.

The district includes 988 contributing buildings and features Georgian, Federal, Queen Anne, and other styles of architecture.

[1] It includes some buildings from the 1600s and about 200 houses in total that were built before the American Revolution.

The National Register nomination notes that "the extraordinarily well preserved historic character of the Marblehead Historic District can be attributed to a number of factors: a deep sense of history and pride in the community; hilly terrain and historical building patterns which discourage a major thoroughfare; vigilant fire protection; and increasing preservation awareness and efforts.

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