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One of America's oldest existing structures, Long Wharf encapsulates the most important events in Boston's history. Created in 1711 and spanning almost a half mile in length, it initially served as a defense for the town of Boston and a place for local merchants to sell and ship their cargo. Multitudes of different merchants had stores there over the decades, and these products changed as the city evolved. From rum, spices, flour, molasses and tea to fishing, immigration and tourism, the Wharf has always reflected the city it served. Long Wharf also had a darker side, with theft, drownings and slavery. Author and historian Kelly Kilcrease reveals how the Wharf was built, how it played a prominent role during the American Revolution and how it evolved into the landmark we know today.

Standing tall on the colorful clay cliffs of Martha's Vineyard, Gay Head Lighthouse has provided safe passage to seafarers since 1799. The steadfast tower marks a dangerous and heavily traveled passage between the island and mainland known as Devil's Bridge. Being the first lighthouse on the Vineyard, Gay Head Light has a rich and varied history filled with stories of inspirational lighthouse keepers, disastrous shipwrecks and even mysterious deaths. Today, Gay Head Light serves as an iconic symbol of the island's maritime history and attracts visitors from around the world. Join author William Waterway as he charts the history of the lighthouse from the original wooden tower lit with oil lamps to the rebuilt brick structure that houses the famous Fresnel lens.

In the turbulent history of colonial New England, more than two hundred powder houses were built to store gunpowder, guns and armaments. Even the spark from a metal shoe nail could ignite their contents, so they often sat in remote sections of town. These volatile storehouses played a vital role in earning and preserving American independence. It was, after all, to a powder house in Concord, Massachusetts, that the British army marched in April 1775 to seize colonists' gunpowder. The British were thwarted, and the colonists' defense of the powder house ignited the Revolutionary War. Add to this the duels, murders, public hangings and tragic explosions that checkered the history of these structures, and the reader will discover a fascinating and forgotten aspect of our New England heritage. Using meticulous research, Matthew Thomas narrates the colorful histories of New England's powder houses as he resurrects their historical significance in early American history.