34-508: The Pleasant–High Historic District encompasses the earliest area of non-agricultural residential development in Methuen, Massachusetts . It encompasses houses along High and Pleasant Streets from just east of Broadway to Vine Street, as well as a few that face on adjoining streets. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984; on its western boundary it abuts
68-484: A form of government that had historically and legally been exclusive to cities, the community, in a gesture of traditionalism, retained the name Town of Methuen in its charter. However, because Massachusetts cities have self-governing powers not available to towns, it became known for legal purposes as "The City Known as the Town of Methuen". A subsequent charter, which adopted a strong mayor form of government, officially changed
102-580: A number of Queen Anne, Shingle, Georgian Revival, and Colonial Revival properties (built between 1890 and 1910) survive. The principal public space in the district is the site of the American Civil War memorial, located in the triangular area where Pleasant and Charles Streets meet. Methuen, Massachusetts Methuen ( / m ə ˈ θ uː ə n / ) is a 23-square-mile (60 km ) city in Essex County, Massachusetts , United States. The population
136-419: A rise overlooking the area where the falls and mills were located. By 1810 Pleasant Street and High Street (originally called George Street) had been laid out, and the earliest Federal style houses, at 36 High Street (c. 1820) and 18-20 Pleasant Street (c. 1810), soon followed. The mills were expanded in 1826 and again in 1855, bringing development in the residential area to provide housing for mill workers, and
170-407: A roughly rectangular block bounded by East, Arlington, Brook, and Berkeley Streets. It covers about 2.4 acres (0.97 ha), whose borders are lined either by a mortared stone wall, or by chain-link fencing. The terrain trends gently downhill to the south, and is dotted with trees. Most of the gravestones are oriented facing west, and are of slate or marble. The artwork on the markers is typical of
204-401: Is a historic cemetery at East and Arlington Streets in Methuen, Massachusetts . Established in 1728, it is the city's oldest cemetery, and the only major surviving element of its original town center. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. The area is also locally known as Meeting House Hill . Daddy Frye's Hill Cemetery is located north of downtown Methuen, on
238-629: Is administered by the Methuen Historic District Commission, which protects the district from alterations that might compromise its historic integrity. Property owners within the historic district must obey the Rules and Regulations of the Historic District Commission. The rules and regulations specify general criteria for materials used, size and proportions of the buildings, colors, as well as other features. Any violation of
272-504: Is also crossed by Route 28 , Route 110 , and Route 113 , the latter two meeting at I-93 Exit 43 (old exit 46). I-93 provides the town's only bridge across the Merrimack; there are several crossings in Lawrence, and several in neighboring Haverhill, but none for 7 miles (11 km) upstream from I-93 all the way to the eastern end of Lowell and also comes down from New Hampshire , providing
306-499: Is the Ranger, named after Rogers' Rangers , the precursor of the U.S. Army Rangers , which was founded by town resident Robert Rogers . The Searles Tenney Nevins Historic District, established by the city in 1992 to preserve the "distinctive architecture and rich character of one of Massachusetts' most unique neighborhoods", is named after the three Methuen city fathers: David C. Nevins , Edward F. Searles and Charles H. Tenney . From
340-577: Is water. Methuen lies alongside the northern banks of the Merrimack River and is bisected by the Spicket (originally " Spigot ") River, as well as many brooks and streams. There are several ponds dotting the area as well, and the town is home to a town forest, a bird sanctuary, and a small state park (Tenney State Park). Pine Island, near the southern end of town in the Merrimack River, is also part of
374-604: The General Court to grant them permission to form a new town above Hawke's Meadow Brook. Although opposed by their fellow townsmen, the petition was approved the following year (December 8, 1725), and the General Court gave them an act of incorporation under the name of Methuen. The town was named for Sir Paul Methuen , a member of the King's Privy Council and friend of acting Provincial Governor William Dummer . The first town meeting
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#1732856155314408-675: The Haverhill/Reading Line of the MBTA Commuter Rail , providing service into Boston's North Station . Small plane service can be found at Lawrence Municipal Airport and the Merrimack Valley Seaplane Base , with the nearest national service being at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport , and the nearest international service being at Logan International Airport . As of the census of 2000, there were 43,789 people, 16,532 households, and 11,539 families residing in
442-816: The Merrimack Valley Conference . Their big rivals are the Andover Golden Warriors, the Central Catholic Raiders of Lawrence , and the Haverhill Hillies. On Thanksgiving Day , the football team plays fellow Merrimack Valley foe the Dracut Middies. The teams first met in a non-Thanksgiving Day game in 1935 and did not play again until the Thanksgiving series started in 1963. The school colors are blue and white, and their mascot
476-604: The Spicket Falls Historic District . Prior to 1800 Methuen, which then included part of what is now Lawrence , was a predominantly rural agricultural town. Its primary industrial facility consisted of a gristmill and cotton mill, located at the falls of the Spicket River in what is now the town center. The construction in 1806 of the Turnpike (now Broadway) led to development of a housing district to its east, on
510-532: The 1800s influenced Methuen's development. Construction of the Methuen Cotton Mills at the Spicket River falls in the 1820s and the increased manufacture of hats and shoes in small factories along the Spicket spurred the centralization of Methuen's economic, residential and cultural activities within the area around Osgood, Broadway, Hampshire and Pleasant streets. Three wealthy and prominent families—the Nevins,
544-447: The 18th and 19th centuries: winged skulls, willows, and urns are frequently seen. The most prominent feature within the cemetery is the stone memorial chapel built in the late 19th century by the businessman and philanthropist Edward Searles , honoring his aunt and uncle. The surrounding stone wall dates to the same period, and was also funded by Searles. The cemetery site was known from an early date as "Meeting House Hill", because it
578-536: The City of Methuen: Today, the trio's collective vision can be seen in mills, housing, schools, mansions, churches, monuments, playgrounds, the library, and the architectural fantasies that resulted from their artistic rivalry. The historic district boundaries were established to include properties and buildings constructed or used by the Searles, Tenney and Nevins families and the people who worked for them. The historic district
612-704: The Tenneys and the Searles—played a significant role in Methuen's history and development. These families were instrumental in the founding of many of Methuen's landmarks, including the Nevins Memorial Library, the Searles building, Tenney Gatehouse, Nevins Home, Spicket Falls, and the Civil War monument between Pleasant and Charles streets. In 1922, it was affected by the 1922 New England Textile Strike , shutting down
646-420: The age of 18 living with them, 53.3% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.2% were non-families. Of all households, 25.3% were made up of individuals, and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.17. In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.7% under
680-458: The age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $ 49,627, and the median income for a family was $ 59,831. Males had a median income of $ 41,693 versus $ 31,864 for females. The per capita income for
714-399: The city was $ 22,305. About 5.8% of families and 7.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.7% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those aged 65 or over. Historically, Methuen had a town meeting-selectmen form of government and was known as the Town of Methuen until it adopted a charter replacing its traditional town meeting and selectmen with a council and manager. Even with
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#1732856155314748-430: The city. The population density was 1,954.7 persons per square mile (754.8/km ). There were 16,885 housing units, at an average density of 753.7 per square mile (291.0/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 89.35% White , 1.35% African American , 0.22% Native American , 2.38% Asian , 0.01% Pacific Islander , 4.87% from other races , and 1.82% from two or more races. Hispanics and Latinos , of any race, were 9.64% of
782-506: The community name to the "City of Methuen". Methuen's city government consists of a mayor, three Councilors-at-Large, two East District councilors, two Central District councilors, two West District councilors, and six School Committee members. The following are the current members of Methuen's municipal government: Methuen is part of the Massachusetts Senate's 1st Essex district . Methuen High School's athletic teams play in
816-597: The fastest route to both 25 minutes north to Manchester, New Hampshire , and 25-30 minutes south to Boston. Methuen is served by the Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority 's bus service. Daily intercity bus service to Worcester and New York City is provided by OurBus from the Methuen Park and Ride. The nearest rail stations are in South Lawrence and Haverhill, which are both part of
850-505: The location of the First Congregational Church (separately listed in 1978) at 30 Pleasant Street in 1832 cemented the area as the primary center of the town. After 1855 a number of Second Empire houses were built in the area, and scattered exemplars of other 19th century architectural styles followed. In 1890 mill owner David Nevins plotted out a subdivision of about 100 plots in the area of Gage and Stevens Streets, from which
884-496: The mills in the city over an attempted wage cut. Methuen is located at 42°43′48″N 71°10′46″W / 42.73000°N 71.17944°W / 42.73000; -71.17944 (42.730040, −71.179352). According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 23.1 square miles (59.7 km ), of which 22.2 square miles (57.6 km ) is land and 0.77 square miles (2.0 km ), or 3.42%,
918-420: The north. Methuen is located 17 miles (27 km) southwest from Newburyport , 30 miles (48 km) north-northwest of Boston and 25 miles (40 km) south-southeast of Manchester, New Hampshire . Methuen was first settled in 1642 and was officially incorporated in 1726. Methuen was originally part of Haverhill, Massachusetts . In 1724 Stephen Barker and others in the western part of that town petitioned
952-513: The population (8.4% Dominican , 5.7% Puerto Rican , 0.6% Guatemalan , 0.3% Ecuadorian , 0.3% Mexican , 0.3% Cuban ). Methuen has a very diverse population and it has gotten more diverse over the years. For a very long time, Methuen and its neighboring city, Lawrence have always been, and still are home to a large number of Lebanese, French, and Italian communities. Methuen is also a major Hispanic/Latino community, including Dominicans. There were 16,532 households, of which 33.1% had children under
986-587: The rules and regulations can result in fines and other possible legal action. Bounded within the Searles Tenney Nevins Historic District are the Spicket Falls Historic District and the Pleasant-High Historic District . Both are listed on the National Register of Historic Places , as are many of the other buildings within the area. Notable Court Cases: Daddy Frye%27s Hill Cemetery Daddy Frye's Hill Cemetery
1020-468: The town's land. Methuen lies at the northern end of Interstate 93 in Massachusetts, with three exits providing access. A portion of Interstate 495 crosses through the eastern side of town from Lawrence to Haverhill. Massachusetts Route 213 , the "Loop Connector", provides highway access between the two, having three intermediate exits of its own, in addition to the exits for I-93 and I-495. The town
1054-464: Was 53,059 at the 2020 census . Methuen lies along the northwestern edge of Essex County, just east of Middlesex County and just south of Rockingham County, New Hampshire . The city is bordered by Haverhill to the northeast, North Andover to the southeast, Lawrence and Andover to the south, Dracut (Middlesex County) to the west, Pelham, New Hampshire ( Hillsborough County ) to the northwest, and Salem, New Hampshire ( Rockingham County ) to
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1088-595: Was donated by descendants of the original proprietors of Haverhill, and in 1738 the second Methuen meetinghouse was raised. The structure survives to this day, as the Salem N.H. Historical Society building. In 1741, with the fixing of the Northern boundary of Massachusetts , most of this new north parish was removed from Methuen and placed in New Hampshire. It was incorporated as Salem, New Hampshire in 1750. Industrial growth in
1122-401: Was held on March 9, 1726, in the home of a resident. The land was set aside for a meetinghouse, which was erected later in 1726 on what is now Meetinghouse Hill Cemetery . The residents in the northern part of the new town of Methuen soon petitioned to have their own meetinghouse (a combination of town hall and puritan church), and in 1736 the north parish was set off. Land for a meetinghouse
1156-465: Was here that the townspeople erected the first Meeting House in 1728, and the second in 1798. This building was removed in 1832, and replaced by the present stone church in 1855, which retains some of the timbers from the 1796 structure. Afterward the hill became more commonly known as Daddy Frye's Hill, for Jeremiah Frye, who kept a large tavern on the northwest corner of the intersection of East and Brook Streets. The town founders and its first minister,
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