The 400 Stories Project is a citywide undertaking with a goal of collecting, preserving, and sharing 400 stories of Gloucester, in celebration of the 400th Anniversary of our great City. The project was created to honor every person who has made Gloucester home from 1623 to present day. It will provide a picture of Gloucester’s 400-year heritage and its diversity as seen through the eyes of its citizens.

During this pandemic, an historic urgency exists to gather stories of Gloucester’s present and past before they disappear into the abyss of people’s minds. Yet admittedly, the pandemic doesn’t create the only need to reap the stories that have been told before or that live in the minds of Gloucester’s citizens today. Stories connect people and unite them across time, gender, race, socioeconomic group, and all the ‘isms’ that separate and segregate our society.

A unique opportunity to learn about and better understand Gloucester’s citizenry, its history and prepare for its future exists: Gloucester’s 400th anniversary.

The 400 Stories Project will gather original stories in all formats – written, audio, and video. These stories will be combined, through partnerships, with a variety of stories that already exist in diverse organizations. Working with others ensures that a balance of Gloucester’s iconic people is represented across its timeline.
The time to gather original stories is now. Before aging citizens leave us. Before the tensions of a pandemic overwhelm us.

The time to share these stories with the public is now. Through social media, Gloucester citizens can unite in preparation for a celebration that will uniquely bind together the hearts of our amazing City. A commemorative publication will tie these stories together and an archive will keep them alive forever.