Hidden Gem: Sun Circle

Marblehead is home to a host of historic locations that could be considered "hidden gems," but we thought the Sun Circle at contributes to making Marblehead a one-of-a-kind community.

When it was time to forget a trying winter and welcome this year's first sunrise of the spring season, Marblehead Patch made our way to that attracted a large crowd of local early-birds.

Then, when the time came to usher in the first sunrise of summer, Marblehead Patch found that the pathways criss-crossing the dunes surrounding the Sun Circle had been restored just in time for - which drew even more town residents than the spring celebration.

Although residents can enjoy the Sun Circle year round, four times a year they flock to the site and eagerly wait for the early-morning sky to change from a light blue to one that featured all of the pinks, reds and oranges that Mother Nature's easel could produce.

In the minutes before sunrise, crowd members light sticks of incense, play music and share stories from the previous season.

At the ceremonies, Donald Orne, one of the Sun Circle's caretakers and Chair of the Clifton Improvement Association, honors the seven directions by sounding a ceremonial peace gong and asks those in attendance to turn their minds to the world's less fortunate.

Since December 1993, when the family of John and Ruth Blodgett donated the park land for public use, it has become a source of great pleasure for neighbors, local fishermen and passers-by.

People come alone or gather in groups to enjoy the beauty of this site where land meets water and to take advantage of the spot for relaxation, family events, solitude, ceremonies and gatherings. At high tide, when the beach disappears and the ocean splashes or crashes against the steps and base of the newly built stone revetment wall, Beach Bluff Park provides a safe, dry place to enjoy the view of Preston Beach. 

Orne is typically joined by Sun Circle architect and sculptor Bruce Greenwald and local astronomer Jim Keating.

The Sun Circle Sculpture has been designed as a sculpture attuned to the solar cycles that guide our planet and our lives. Based on solar geometries, the installation consists of a ring or “henge” of seven-foot columnar basalt columns from the Columbia River Basin.

Most people do not realize that the sun appears in a different location each day of the year.  This sculpture helps people to understand this concept in a clear and meaningful way. With the creation of this astronomical construct, a thought-provoking tool broadens the viewer’s experience to include the sky and the solar system beyond.

The Clifton Improvement Association was founded in 1934 by a group of summer residents who wanted to make Preston Beach available to all who lived in the immediate neighborhood.

In 1945, five families donated five buildable lots to this neighborhood association and that land has been used for parking for Preston Beach ever since.

Check out Your Passport to Marblehead.