The Original Solopreneurs: A Short History of Coworking on the North & South Shores

In the flexible office industry, we talk constantly about the "rise of the independent professional" — the modern remote worker, the solopreneur building something on their own terms. But the North and South Shores of Massachusetts have been havens for that kind of person for nearly 250 years. The people filling our coworking spaces and private offices today aren't an anomaly. They're the continuation of a centuries-old habit of betting on yourself.

In honor of America's upcoming 250th anniversary, we dug into the history of the five Massachusetts towns where Workspace operates — and found the original solopreneurs who paved the way.

Coworking in Beverly, MA: The Merchant Who Started With Nothing

Long before Beverly became a base for tech startups and independent agencies, it was home to Israel Thorndike — a man who refused the predictable path. No higher education, no family money. By his late teens, he'd thrown himself into the high-risk world of maritime shipping, helped launch one of the country's earliest independent textile ventures, and became one of the first New England merchants to crack the China trade. In the late 1700s, he was managing a fleet of sixty to seventy schooners on gut instinct alone.

Today, Beverly's independent consultants run global logistics, SaaS platforms, and e-commerce operations from a coworking desk or private office on the North Shore. Same energy — far fewer shipwrecks. If you're building something independent in Beverly, you're in good company.

Coworking in Braintree, MA: The Original Remote-Work Pioneer

Mention the Adams family in Braintree and most people think of powdered wigs and revolution. We think of Abigail Adams. While John was away in Philadelphia and Europe drafting the framework of a nation, Abigail ran the ultimate solo operation back home: a full working farm, a real-estate portfolio she scouted and invested in herself, and complex wartime supply chains — all coordinated through asynchronous communication. (Letters carried by horseback. The original Slack message.)

She's the blueprint for the independent professionals at Workspace Braintree today — bank executives, medical professionals, and operators managing businesses without a corporate safety net. Braintree's Route 3 location gives them the private, professional space to do it five minutes from home.

Coworking in Canton, MA: It's Never Too Late to Launch

You know Paul Revere as the guy on the horse. You probably don't know he did his most ambitious work in Canton at age 65. In 1801 — when most people in the 19th century were long retired — he bought an old mill site, risked his entire fortune, and became the first American to master rolled copper manufacturing. He pitched the federal government for contracts, bootstrapped through cash-flow shortages, and reinvented his business model more than once.

In 2026, Canton's Workspace members are scaling companies, building IT strategies, and launching wellness practices — proof that the best ideas don't have an expiration date. Our Route 128 location is built for the second-act founder as much as the first-time one. Take a look at coworking and office options in Canton.

Coworking in Cohasset, MA: Self-Reliance on the Water

In the 1800s, Cohasset was one of the largest commercial fishing ports in the state — but it wasn't run by a faceless conglomerate. It was driven by hyper-local, independent shipbuilders, merchants, and sea captains like Captain Abraham Tower, who built their own wharves out of local timber, sailed into hazardous Atlantic waters, and pivoted into general merchant stores when the fishing industry dried up.

Today, independent creatives and consultants navigate unpredictable markets instead of unpredictable gales — and they do it from a scenic, fully equipped workspace steps from beautiful walking trails, the Commuter Rail, and a short drive to Cohasset Harbor. The 3A location is a favorite for anyone who wants their workday to feel less like a commute and more like a destination.

Coworking in Hingham, MA: The O.G. Makers and Merchants

Long before our Hingham location filled up with laptops and workstations, the harbor buzzed with a different kind of hustle: shipbuilders, merchants, and coopers who set up shop right on the water. No corporate handbook, no venture capital — just master craftspeople and agile entrepreneurs who looked at the open ocean and decided they could build a business out of it.

That grit sounds a lot like the attorneys, founders, and creatives at Workspace@Shipyard today. Our Hingham HQ pairs that maker spirit with private offices, coworking, and a professional Massachusetts business address — everything you need to look and operate like you're in business.

250 Years Later, the DNA Hasn't Changed

Whether you're charting a fleet of 18th-century schooners or running a digital marketing campaign, the spirit of the North and South Shores is the same: grit, self-reliance, and the confidence to build on your own terms. The independent contractors, scaling founders, and remote professionals in our spaces today are writing the next chapter of a 250-year-old story.

Ready to write yours? Book a tour at your local Workspace — Beverly, Braintree, Canton, Cohasset, or Hingham — and find your seat among the next generation of independent professionals.