Originally known as Pettipaug, Essex was first settled in 1648 and became a colonial seaport and shipbuilding center. Though much has changed since an 1881 birds-eye view of the town, many houses along Main Street have remained the same. Its tranquil waterfront has seen war, prosperity, decline, and rebirth, and its history has been tied to the world through the Great River, which flows from its source 410 miles to the north to its mouth six miles south, where fresh river water mingles with the salty brine of Long Island Sound and the oceans of the world. Today, Essex Harbor is a classic New England yachting town and an environmental success story.