Center Street
Name:
Address: 113/115 Center Street
Date: c. 1880
History: This two family house is one of the best preserved examples of early’ Arlington District” housing. It is representative of the two family, side by side house seen in approximately six locations throughout the District. The primary impetus for development of the area was the expansion of the Arlington Mills, immediately to the west along Stevens Pond of the Spicket River. The mills employed thousands of Lawrence and Methuen workers, and owned little operative housing. 113-115 Center street is significant as a surviving example of the two family house type built in the Arlington District after the Civil War. It possesses integrity of location, setting, design and workmanship and meets the criteria of the National Register of Historic Places.
Charles Street
Name: Dr. Charles A. Goldsmith House
Address: 1 Charles Street
Date: c.1870
History: In 1846 there were four houses on Charles Street, none of which remain. Of the existing houses on the south side of the street, all but two date from the 1860s and 1870s. On the north side of Charles, the four story Tenney & Company shoe factory was built in 1868 during a period of post-Civil War expansion. Visual analysis and historic research support a construction date of c.1870 for this house. The one bay addition at the left is shown on the 1911 Sanborn map.
In 1882, the Methuen Transcript reported the death of Thomas Goldsmith of Lowell Street and noted that his son Dr. Charles A. Goldsmith was not at that time living in Methuen. Dr. Goldsmith returned to Methuen soon thereafter and appears to have purchased this house. Although the Directory for 1885 states that he lived on Lowell Street, the 1884 map shows Dr. C. A. Goldsmith at the intersection of Charles and Lawrence Street while the 1885 Sanborn map shows 1 Charles Street one house in at its present location. It appears that the 1884 map is drawn incorrectly, omitting the house in this location The 1896 map shows this house under the ownership of C. A. Goldsmith. The location of Dr. Goldsmith’s house could not be determined from the Assessor’s Records.
Name: Tenney & Company Shoe Factory
Address: 2 Charles Street
Date: 1868
History: In 1846 there were four houses on Charles Street, none of which remain. Of the existing houses on the south side of the street, all but two date from the 1860s and 1870s. On the north side of Charles, the four story Tenney & Company shoe factory was built in 1868 during a period of post-Civil War expansion by George W. Tenney and his brother Daniel W. Tenney who formed Tenney and Company in 1865. They did business in a small shop on Hampshire Street until 1868 when their new, four story, factory building with “French roof” at 2 Charles Street was completed. According to the 1885 Sanborn Insurance map, the first floor was used for sole leather cutting, the second for upper cutting, the third for stitching and dressing and the fourth for buttoning. The Tenney brothers continued together in business until their retirement in 1888 after which the building was sold to other manufacturing interests.
Daniel W. Tenney and George W. Tenney, born 1832 and 1835 respectively in Salem, New Hampshire, were sons of John Tenney and Hannah Woodbury. Daniel lived at the corner of Broadway and Pleasant Street and George directly across the street. George’s house was built in 1892; Daniel’s, which was designed by Haverhill architect C. W. Damon, in 1879. Brothers J. Milton Tenney and Charles H. Tenney were in the hat business, C. H. Tenney and Company, beginning in 1869. (see forms for 225 Broadway, 37 Pleasant St., 5 Charles St.)
Name: Calvin J. Sargent House
Address: 3 Charles Street
Date: 1869
History: In 1846 there were four houses on Charles Street, none of which remain. Of the existing houses on the south side of the street, all but two date from the 1860s and 1870s. On the north side of Charles, the four story Tenney & Company shoe factory was built in 1868 during a period of post-Civil War expansion.
The House at 3 Charles Street was built for Calvin J. Sargent in 1869, possibly by Jesse Townes, a local builder who also built 5 Charles Street for J. Milton Tenney. Sargent worked in the Tenney Hat Factory on Broadway. In 1879, the Methuen Transcript noted that he had received a patent for a “hat pouncing machine,” and in 1883 reported that he had been promoted to superintendent of the factory. Sargent still owned the house in 1896.
Improvements to Charles Street and various properties were noted in the Methuen Transcript. In 1879 there were new street lamps in the vicinity of J. Milton Tenney’s and Calvin J. Sargent’s houses and in 1883 new concrete side walks were laid in front of the same houses. Grading of the road and repair of the retaining walls was an ongoing project.
Name: J. Milton Tenney House
Address: 5 Charles Street
Date:
History: In 1846 there were four houses on Charles Street, none of which remain. Of the existing houses on the south side of the street, all but two date from the 1860s and 1870s. On the north side of Charles, the four story Tenney & Company shoe factory was built in 1868 during a period of post-Civil War expansion.
The house at 5 Charles Street was built by local builder Jesse A. Townes who came to Methuen at the age of 18 from Londonderry, New Hampshire. Townes paid taxes on the house for two years and in 1872 sold it to J. Milton Tenney. Tenney, son of John Tenney and Hannah Woodbury, was born in Salem, New Hampshire, but settled with his brothers Charles, Daniel, and George in Methuen. J. Milton worked with his brother Charles in the C. H. Tenney Hat Factory, (see 225 Broadway) which was begun in 1869. In 1883, when Charles went to New York, J. Milton bought out his interest and ran the business until his retirement in 1898. After his retirement, he built a new house on Pleasant Street and spent time in Florida where he died on March 23, 1923. In 1909, this house and 19 Charles Street (demolished) were used by the Arlington Mill for day nurseries. Improvements to Charles Street and various properties were noted in the Methuen Transcript. In 1879 there were new street lamps in the vicinity of J. Milton Tenney’s and Calvin J. Sargent’s houses and in 1883 new concrete side walks were laid in front of the same houses. Grading of the road and repair of the retaining walls was an ongoing project.
Name: Samuel Webster House
Address: 7 Charles Street
Date: 1875
History: In 1846 there were four houses on Charles Street, none of which remain. Of the existing houses on the south side of the street, all but two date from the 1860s and 1870s. On the north side of Charles, the four story Tenney & Company shoe factory was built in 1868 during a period of post-Civil War expansion.
The house at 7 Charles Street was built for Samuel Webster in 1875. Webster, who previously lived at 15 Lowell Street, first appears in the assessor’s records in 1854. In the 1860 Directory he is listed as a grocer living on Lowell Street with a business, Merrill and Webster, on Main Street (Broadway). Merrill and Webster dealt in Dry and West Indies Goods, Paint, Oil, Hardware and Cutlery. In 1882, several years after his move to Charles Street, Webster took over the livery stable behind the nearby Exchange Hotel and ran carriages to the depot. He died in the late 1880s. As late as 1901-02, his widow, Mrs. Sarah Webster was still living at 7 Charles Street.
Name: Thomas J. Richardson House
Address: 9 Charles Street
Date: c. 1859
History: In 1846 there were four houses on Charles Street, none of which remain. Of the existing houses on the south side of the street, all but two date from the 1860s and 1870s. 9 Charles may be earlier. On the north side of Charles, the four story Tenney & Company shoe factory was built in 1868 during a period of post-Civil War expansion.
In 1857, T. J. Richardson is listed in the assessor’s records as having a house, shop and land, and in 1859 as having a house on a 1/4 acre of land. The 1860 Directory, lists him as living in a house on Charles Street, the location of which is confirmed by the 1872 map. In the 1880s, the house was occupied by Richardson’s daughter Mrs. Esther Teel and in 1881 the house was enlarged by local builder, Jesse A. Townes. According to the Methuen Transcript, Mrs. Teel died in 1884. The house was later occupied by Newell and Walter Leach, who had a fish store on Hampshire Street.
Name:
Address: 11 Charles Street
Date: 1981
History: In 1846 there were four houses on Charles Street, none of which remain. Of the existing houses on the south side of the street, all but two, 11 and 17 Charles Street, date from the 1860s and 1870s. On the north side of Charles, the four story Tenney & Company shoe factory was built in 1868 during a period of post- Civil War expansion.
A house, built in the 1873 and belonging to Cyrus B. Gage, stood on this site until it was demolished in the 1980s to make way for construction of the present two-family house, built in 1981.
Name: The Haffner House
Address: 17 Charles Street
Date: 1933
History: In 1846 there were four houses on Charles Street, none of which remain. Of the existing houses on the south side of the street, all but two, 11 and 17 Charles Street, date from the 1860s and 1870s. On the north side of Charles, the four story Tenney & Company shoe factory was built in 1868 during a period of post-Civil War expansion.
This house and garage, built in 1933 for Louis A. and Esther C. Haffner, replaced an earlier house, built in the 1850s and belonging to J. C. Kent.
Name: Civil War Memorial and Park
Address: Charles Street
Date: 1888
History: The Civil War Monument, in its time called a “model of taste”, was given to the town of Methuen by Charles H. Tenney, local benefactor and highly respected member of the community. Tenney came to Methuen in 1868 and started building his fortune with the C. H. Tenney Hat Factory. He later opened a commission house in New York. Returning to Methuen in the summers, he built a magnificent stone residence in the 1890s called “Grey Court” (37 Pleasant St) on the hill overlooking the monument site.
The site was deeded to the town in 1887 and by November of that year the stone work for the monument had been completed. Thomas Ball is said to be the sculptor. The Dedication took place on July 24, 1888 and was reported in complete detail in the Methuen Transcript.
Cross Street
Name:
Address: 114 Cross Street
Date: ca.1893
History: It appears that this house was built ca. 1893 by the Town of Methuen as the residence for the chief engineer of the adjacent Methuen Water Works pumping station. The earliest occupant/engineer that has been identified is Arthur M. Goodwin who lived here as early as 1901. By 1914 the job and house had passed to William Lawton. Lawton remained here until about 1950 when he was replaced by Albert Desrochers who is listed in the 1954 directory as a craftsman for the Methuen Water Works.
Name: Methuen Water Works
Address: 120 Cross Street
Date: 1893
History: The Waterworks were built after the establishment of a Water Board in 1893. This site, near the junction of the Spicket River and Harris Pond Brook, was chosen as the most favorable. E. Worthington, Jr. and Company of Boston made the initial survey and drove the wells. A 212′ x 257′ reservoir was built on Foster’s hill according to the “now approved modern plans.” The completion of the waterworks was considered a significant undertaking for the Town of Methuen, and involved the cooperation and donations from leading citizens, including Daniel W. Tenney, E.J. Castle, and Charles Mann. The Waterworks possess integrity of location, design, setting and workmanship and meet the criteria of the National Register of Historic Places.
Ditson Place
Name: The Johnson House
Address: 8 Ditson Place
Date: C. 1830
History: Ditson Place (Leafy Lane) was not opened as a public road until 1909/10 when better access to the Central School (10 Ditson Pl) was desired. Known as Leafy Lane throughout the latter part of the 19th century, it appears in the 1901/2 Directory as Ditson Place in memory of long time resident Benjamin Ditson whose homestead was at the corner of Ditson and Park on the site of the 1924 addition to the Central School. Ditson came from Pelham, N.H. and married Hannah Barker of Methuen in 1818. A farmer and staunch member of the First Baptist Church, he died in 1869. His widow died at the age of 91 in 1887 after which the house and adjacent cottage house were sold to Mr. Frank Johnson (16 Ditson Place).
The house at 8 Ditson Place, which for many years belonged to the Johnson family, originally stood on Broadway where Friendly’s now stands. It was the home of Joseph Warren Carleton, who was born in 1794 and married Lucy Ann Mills of Durham, N.H. 1817. Carlton, a prominent citizen, was among other things a selectman and Justice of the Peace.
According to a reminiscence by William Barnes there were no houses on Leafy Lane in 1845. The first house was Mr. Johnson’s, which formerly belonged to Joseph W. Carlton, who sold it to K. C. Gleason who moved it to Leafy Lane. The 1853 Essex County map shows several houses on Leafy Lane by that time. The 1860 Directory lists Kimball C. Gleason, wool hat manufacturer, house —–st. (sic) between Main (Broadway) and Park. In the 1885 Directory, Edward F. Johnson, who lived on Leafy Lane was listed as a railroad postal clerk with the B & M. The family remained there until well into the 20th century.
The Johnson House possesses integrity of location, design, setting, materials and workmanship and meets the criterion of the National Register of Historic Places.
Name: Central Elementary School
Address: 10 Ditson Place
Date: 1904, addition 1924 (plaque on bldg.)
History: Ditson Place (Leafy Lane) was not opened as a public road until 1909/10 when better access to the Central School was desired. Known as Leafy Lane throughout the latter part of the 19th-century, it appears in the 1901/2 Directory as Ditson Place in memory of a long time resident Benjamin Ditson whose homestead was at the corner of Ditson and Park on the site of the 1924 addition to the Central School. Ditson came from Pelham, N.H. and married Hannah Barker of Methuen in 1818. A farmer and staunch member of the First Baptist Church, he died in 1869. His widow died at the age of 91 in 1887 after which the house and adjacent cottage house were sold to Mr. Frank Johnson. (see 16 Ditson Place)
The Central Elementary School, built 1904/5 was donated to the town by Edward F. Searles to replace an old, three story wooden structure built in the 1870s on the corner of Park and Lawrence Streets. The building was designed by the well-known architect Henry Vaughan, who designed several other building for Searles including the Serlo Organ Hall (192 Broadway; NR) The masonry work was done by L. E. Locke, the wood work by A. S. Lang. Cost of the building was $75,000.
The addition, facing on Ditson Place, was built in 1924 to accommodate Junior High School students. In 1964, the Junior High moved to a new building now known at the Methuen East Middle School.
Name: M. Johnson House
Address: 12 Ditson Place
Date: c. 1840s
History: Ditson Place (Leafy Lane) was not opened as a public road until 1909/10 when better access to the Central School (10 Ditson Pl.) was desired. Known as Leafy Lane throughout the latter part of the 19th century, it appears in the 1901/2 Directory as Ditson Place in memory of a long time resident Benjamin Ditson whose homestead was at the corner of Ditson and Park on the site of the 1924 addition to the Central School. Ditson came from Pelham, N.H. and married Hannah Barker of this town in 1818. A farmer and staunch member of the First Baptist Church, he died in 1869. His widow died at the age of 91 in 1887 after which the house and adjacent cottage house were sold to Mr. Frank Johnson and later to Edward F. Searles.
According to the assessor’s records, in 1904 Searles moved two houses from the north side of Ditson Place to the south side (see 16 Ditson Place). The M. Johnson house, seen on the 1896 map, became 12 Ditson Place. (Whether that is the cottage house mentioned above is not clear.) A house appears on the site of the M. Johnson house as early as 1872, but does not show up on the 1846 map. However, it appears to be a house from the 1840s – possibly moved to that site as was other Johnson house.
Name: Currier/Ditson House
Address: 16 Ditson Place
Date: c.1840
History: Ditson Place (Leafy Lane) was not opened as a public road until 1909/10 when better access to the Central School (10 Ditson Pl.) was desired. Known as Leafy Lane throughout the latter part of the 19th century, it appears in the 1901/2 Directory as Ditson Place in memory of a long time resident Benjamin Ditson whose homestead was at the corner of Ditson and Park on the site of the 1924 addition to the Central School. Ditson came from Pelham, N.H. and married Hannah Barker of this town in 1818. A farmer and staunch member of the First Baptist Church, he died in 1869. His widow died at the age of 91 in 1887 after which the house and adjacent cottage house were sold to Mr. Frank Johnson.
According to the assessor’s records, the Daniel Currier house, which originally stood at the corner of Lawrence Street and Park (present site of St. Monica’s School playground; 200 Lawrence St.) was moved to 16 Ditson Place in 1904 by Edward F. Searles. Part of the old Benjamin Ditson house, which Searles had bought from Frank Johnson was moved to the south side of Ditson Place as an ell for the Currier house.
Daniel Currier is listed in the 1860 Directory as a shoe manufacturer with a house at the corner of Lawrence and Park Streets and a house is shown at that sight on the 1846 Barker map of the town.
Dracut Street
Name:
Address: 74 Dracut Street
Date: c. 1775
History: The farm house at 74 Dracut Street was built c. 1775 for Caleb Sawyer, who purchased the land (a twenty-five acre parcel) from Moses Merrick in 1774. It appears that Sawyer sold off parcels of his land, but kept the house and two acres in his family, conveying it to Thomas Sawyer in 1805. The property left the Sawyer family in 1814 after which it changed hands repeatedly from 1868 to 1928 when it was acquired by Tony and Anna Latris. Anna Latris still owned it in 1970, but by 1978 it had been sold to Kenneth and Valerie Arsenault.
East Street
Name: The Holihan House
Address: 3 East Street
Date: Built 1935
History: From the late 1880s onward, Edward F. Searles systematically acquired all available property on East and Lawrence Streets in the vicinity his estate “Pine Lodge,” to provide privacy and resources for “Pine Lodge” and later for investment (see 209 Lawrence St). In 1896 and 1906, the property on East Street by Locust Road was owned by Searles and called “Oakside Farm.” After Searles’ death, a plan for the subdivision of “Oakside” was drawn by the Searles Real Estate Trust (Assessor’s Plan #380, May 20, 1992). “Oakside” was bounded by East and Lawrence Streets and Beedle Terrace and had 455 lots, averaging 5000 sq. ft. Development restrictions stated that there could be only one house per lot, costing not less than $5000. Houses should be 15 ft. from the lot lines and could have only one garage with not more than two stalls. These restrictions were to be in force until 1972 unless Pine Lodge was discontinued. By 1950, the size of the lots between East Street and Locust Street had been redrawn. In that section, there were five lots, averaging between 26,000 and 40,000 sq. ft.
According to computerized assessor’s records, this house was built in 1935. The 1936 Directory list Loyola Holihan as the owner.
Name: The Clifford House
Address: 5 East Street
Date: 1923
History: From the late 1880s onward, Edward F. Searles systematically acquired all available property on East and Lawrence Streets in the vicinity his estate “Pine Lodge,” to provide privacy and resources for “Pine Lodge” and later for investment (see 209 Lawrence St). In 1896 and 1906, the property on East Street by Locust Road was owned by Searles and called “Oakside Farm.” After Searles’ death, a plan for the subdivision of “Oakside” was drawn by the Searles Real Estate Trust (Assessor’s Plan #380, May 20, 1992). “Oakside” was bounded by East and Lawrence Streets and Beedle Terrace and had 455 lots, averaging 5000 sq. ft. Development restrictions stated that there could be only one house per lot, costing not less than $5000. Houses should be 15 ft. from the lot lines and could have only one garage with not more than two stalls. These restrictions were to be in force until 1972 unless Pine Lodge was discontinued. By 1950, the size of the lots between East Street and Locust Street had been redrawn. In that section, there were five lots, averaging between 26,000 and 40,000 sq. ft.
The house at 5 East Street was the first 20th-century house built in Oakside between East Street and Locust Road. Computerized assessor’s records list the construction date at 1923. The 1936 Directory lists Charles Clifford, attorney working in Lawrence, as the owner.
Name:
Address: 21 East Street
Date: built 1965/6
History: From the late 1880s onward, Edward F. Searles systematically acquired all available property on East and Lawrence Streets in the vicinity his estate “Pine Lodge,” to provide privacy and resources for “Pine Lodge” and later for investment (see 209 Lawrence St). In 1896 and 1906, the property on East Street by Locust Road was owned by Searles and called “Oakside Farm.” After Searles’ death, a plan for the subdivision of “Oakside” was drawn by the Searles Real Estate Trust (Assessor’s Plan #380, May 20, 1992). “Oakside” was bounded by East and Lawrence Streets and Beedle Terrace and had 455 lots, averaging 5000 sq. ft. Development restrictions stated that there could be only one house per lot, costing not less than $5000. Houses should be 15 ft. from the lot lines and could have only one garage with not more than two stalls. These restrictions were to be in force until 1972 unless Pine Lodge was discontinued. By 1950, the size of the lots between East Street and Locust Street had been redrawn. In that section, there were five lots, averaging between 26,000 and 40,000 sq. ft.
The house at 21 East Street was built by John F. and Helen B. Callahan who owned 23 East Street and subdivided their lot in 1965. The house was completed in 1966 and cost $12,500 to build.
Name:
Address: 23 East Street
Date: c. 1840,
History: From the late 1880s onward, Edward F. Searles systematically acquired all available property on East and Lawrence Streets in the vicinity his estate “Pine Lodge,” often moving older houses to suit his needs (see 209 Lawrence St). In 1896 and 1906, the house at 23 East Street was part of a Searles property called “Oakside Farm.” Although the 1846 map shows a house in the vicinity of this site, neither the 1872 or 1884 map shows a house at what is now called 23 East Street. It is presumed that the present house on the site, built c. 1840, is a moved house. Daniel Orr and Charles T. Beedle are listed as living at 23 East Street in 1901/2. Orr was still there in 1936, listed as care taker, “Pine Lodge.”
23 East Street possesses integrity of location, design, setting, materials and workmanship and meets the criterion of the National Register of Historic Places.
After Searles’ death at plan for the development of “Oakside” was drawn by the Searles Real Estate Trust. (Assessor’s Plan #380, May 20, 1992) “Oakside” was bounded by East and Lawrence Streets and Beedle Terrace and had 455 lots, averaging 5000 sq. ft. The house at 23 East Street lay within the bounds of that plan and in 1950 belonged to John Callahan.
Name: Tenney Stock Stable
Address: 30 East Street
Date: 1884
History: One of only two extant buildings on the former C. H. Tenney estate is the stock stable, built in 1884 and shown in the Methuen Transcript January 3, 1885. An extensive description of the layout of the building, its fine interior finish, and the “tally-ho” drive up to the front entrance can be found in this article. The building was designed by the Damon Brothers, architects of Haverhill. C. Willis Damon, was born in Pawtucket, R.I. and died in Haverhill in 1916. He was a graduate of M.I. T. and taught drawing in the Boston Public Schools before joining his brother Charles Page Damon to form the firm of Damon Brothers. C. Wills Damon seems to be the better known of the two and is credited with design of the Haverhill City Hall, Portsmouth Court House and Tilton Seminary in New Hampshire. Locally he was responsible for the Phillips Vestry of the First Congregational Church and a house for Daniel W. Tenney at the corner of Broadway and Pleasant Street.
Charles Tenney was a self-made man who began his career in 1868 when he and his brother J. Milton, opened C. H. Tenney & Company hat factory on Broadway on the site of the Selden Worsted Mills (225 Broadway). In 1883 Charles sold his interest in the local hat company to J. Milton and went to New York. According to the Methuen Transcript, Tenney opened offices in New York and established himself as a wholesale commission agent, handling a very large part of the hat production in the U.S., and selling more than any similar concern in the world. His was one of three great turn-of-the-century estates in Methuen, along with those of Edward F. Searles, and David Nevins.
Name: St. Basil’s Seminary
Address: 30 East Street
Date: 1961
History: In 1951, the Tenney family gave 26 acres of the former Charles H. Tenney estate (37 Pleasant St) to the town for the Tenney High School (75 Pleasant St) and sold the rest of the site to the Basilican Salvatorian Order of the Melkite Rite, putting the money in trust for Tenney High School graduates. St. Basil’s Seminary and Chapel was built in 1960 at a cost of $275,000 and the Tenney stable (East St) was remodeled beginning in 1966.
Charles Tenney was a self-made man who began his career in 1868 when he and his brother J. Milton, opened C. H. Tenney & Company hat factory on Broadway on the site of the Selden Worsted Mills (225 Broadway). In 1883 Charles sold his interest in the local hat company to J. Milton and went to New York. According to the Methuen Transcript, Tenney opened offices in New York and established himself as a wholesale commission agent, handling a very large part of the hat production in the U.S., and selling more than any similar concern in the world. His was one of three great turn-of-the-century estates in Methuen, along with those of Edward F. Searles, and David Nevins.
East River Place
Name: Apartment house
Address: 1 East River Place
Date: built 1986
History: East River Place was laid out in the 1920s and can be seen on the 1927 Sanborn map. Lots on East River Place were sold by developer William Craven, who bought 2 1/2 acres of land on East Broadway from Arthur Walker, trustee for the estate of Edward F. Searles, in 1921. The first house, built in 1923 at 1 East River Place, was demolished by Beverly J. MacLeod to make way for the apartment house built at the same address in 1986.
Name: The Bleakney House
Address: 5 East River Place
Date: built c. 1940
History: East River Place was laid out in the 1920s and can be seen on the 1927 Sanborn map. Lots on East River Place were sold by developer William Craven, who bought 2 1/2 acres of land on East Brodway from Arthur Walker, trustee for the estate of Edward F. Searles, in 1921.
The lot at 5 East River Place (lot 10 on the Craven plan) was bought in 1923 by Charles and Florence Bleakney, from Thomas and Ellen Bleakney who bought from Craven in 1922. The lot was not built on until c. 1940. Carolyn M. Burns purchased the house at 5 East River Place valued at $2500 and garage valued at $100 in 1945 for $6300.
Name: The Bleakney House
Address: 7-9 East River Place
Date: built c. 1922
History: East River Place was laid out in the 1920s and can be seen on the 1927 Sanborn map. Lots on East River Place were sold by developer William Craven, who bought 2 1/2 acres of land on East Brodway from Arthur Walker, trustee for the estate of Edward F. Searles, in 1921.
Thomas and Ellen Bleakney bought 7-9 East River Place (lots 11 and 12 on the Craven Plan) from William Craven in 1922/23. The house was built c. 1922 and the garage before 1928. Other additions date from the 1930s. In the 1930s Charles and Florence Bleakney were part owners of the property. Charles was listed in the 1938 Directory as a mill worker, Thomas as a carpenter.
Name: The Bleakney garage/cottage
Address: East River Place
Date: before 1928
History: East River Place was laid out in the 1920s and can be seen on the 1927 Sanborn map. Lots on East River Place were sold by developer William Craven, who bought 2 1/2 acres of land on East Brodway from Arthur Walker, trustee for the estate of Edward F. Searles, in 1921.
Thomas and Ellen Bleakney bought 7-9 East River Place (lots 11 and 12 on the Craven Plan) from William Craven in 1922/23. The house was built c. 1922 and the garage before 1928. Other additions date from the 1930s. In the 30s Charles and Florence Bleakney were part owners of the property. Charles was listed in the 1938 Directory as a mill worker, Thomas as a carpenter.
Elm Street
Name:
Address: 47 Elm Street
Date: c. 1856
History: This house was built at a time when only a few houses were scattered along Elm Street. Its rambling design may indicate that it was built in several stages. There was a farm house on this site as early as 1856. In 1884 it was the farm of Eli Richardson. By 1900 the property was owned by Thornton Brothers (probably George and Frank) who later operated a florist shop on the opposite corner of Elm and Woodland Streets. This house was occupied by Elizabeth Thornton, widow of George, in 1901. She lived here until about 1910. By 1915 (and until about 1930) Martha Gould, widow of Augustus, lived here. It was owned and occupied by Harriet McLearn from about 1935 until about 1945. The house remans occupied as a single-family home.
Name: Frank D. Thornton House
Address: 61 Elm Street
Date: ca. 1915
History: This house was built ca. 1915 at a time when only a few scattered houses lined Elm Street. It appears that it was built for Frank D. Thornton, a florist, and his wife Mary. Thornton lived here at least through the 1930s. Thornton worked as a florist in Lawrence into the 1920s and then opened a shop just south of the house, known as Thornton’s Flower Cabin. Between 1938 and 1940 the house was acquired by Gladys E. Woodworth, proprietor of the Pine Acres Tea Room at 50 Woodland Street (along with Sidney Smith). 61 Elm remains a single-family home. This house is an excellent well-preserved example of its style and type. It is one of only a few in the area but very similar to the large collection of Colonial Revival houses in the Fair Oaks section of Methuen.
Name:
Address: 96 Elm Street
Date: 1919
History: This house was built in 1919 at a time when only a few houses were scattered along Elm Street. It was apparently built to accommodate two families. The first occupants were Edward J. Voyer, a banker and Max Steinberg, a mill worker. It seems that Voyer owned the building and lived here into the 1960s. Other occupants of the house included Thomas, Beliveau, an iceman (1920s) and John J. Catania, a salesman (1950s). The house remains occupied as a two-family residence.
Forest Street
Name: Forest Street Union Church
Address: Forest Street
Date: 1913
History: The Forest Street Union Church was built in 1913 on land that had been donated two years prior by Mary Adams Bearse. Bearse donated the land in memory of her mother, Jennie Klein Adams. The church was a member in the Conference of Community Churches. In the late 1950s the denominational affiliation was switched to the United Church of Christ. The congregation first worshipped in Methuen in 1870 when they met in the old Bartlett School. By 1886 they had formally organized a Sunday school. In 1901 Stephen Barker purchased the old school building and moved it to Lowell Street in a lot opposite the present church and donated it to the Sunday school. The first service was held on December 14, 1913 in the lower level vestry as the sanctuary had not been completed. The first minister of the church was Rev. Ernest C. Davis, previously of Riverside Congregational Church in Lawrence. Davis served the church until his death in 1920. He was succeeded by Rev. Oliver B. Loud, who remained at the church for 22 years. A complete renovation of the church was undertaken in 1944. At that time the organ was installed, moved here from the Searles Castle in the center of town. The same congregation continues to worship here.
Gill Avenue
Name:
Address: 24 Gill Avenue
Date:
History: This building was originally the Merrill School, a one-room schoolhouse located on Prospect Street opposite Timber Lane. It was named for Washington Merrill, a hatter who had a shop nearby. For 42 years, Grace Merrill Buswell was the teacher of this school. At first it accommodated eight grades and later three. In 1952, it was moved to this site and has been used as a meeting hall since that time. As late as 1906 there were three structures on this site belonging to the Arlington Mills Company; these are no longer extant.
Name:
Address: 31 Gill Avenue
Date: c. 1906
History: The earliest known owner of 31 Gill Avenue was Frank Oldroyd, a mill operative, who owned the house at least by 1906 and remained there through the 1940s. In 1950 the house was vacant, and in 1952, Oldroyd was listed in the Methuen directory as residing in Boston, with the notation “closed” beside his old Methuen address.
Gleason Street
Name:
Address: Gleason Street
Date: c. 1892
History: Gleason Street was laid out c1890 by Charles F. Swain to provide access to the Gleason lot which he purchased in 1890. Swain subdivided the property, and built five houses on the north side of Gleason Street between 1890 and 1892. All of the houses present today are shown on the 1896 county atlas, while the 1884 atlas shows a vacant lot. Swain became involved in this area when he purchased the nearby house at 248-50 Broadway in 1886, and the adjacent factory building at 4 Gleason Street soon thereafter. 5 Gleason Street was built for his son, Frederick M. Swain. The others, which are shown on a single lot labeled C. F. Swain in 1896, appear to have been erected as rental properties, probably accommodating factory workers. The rather oddly proportioned and detailed house at 15 Gleason Street may represent a remodeling of the shop or barn that Swain was assessed for in the 1890s. Frederick erected a new house at 258-60 Broadway in 1901, directly in front of 5 Gleason Street. The factory was identified as the E. M. Clark & Co. Shoe Factory in 1872, as Clark Kent & Co. in 1884, and as the Knitted Fabrics Co. in 1896. Frederick Swain was listed as the foreman of this company in the 1896 town directory.
Name:
Address: 4 Gleason Street
Date: c. 1919
Razed: March 2002
History: This property began to be used for industrial purposes in the mid 19th-century. The factory which dominated the site for more than 60 years was built about 1860. It was first known as the E. M. Clark & Co. Shoe Factory and later Clark, Kent & Co. In 1884 it was taken over by the Knitted Fabrics Co. which came from Laconia , N.H. and for a short time around the turn of the century it was the Methuen Hat Works. Some time after 1911 and before 1919, it became the International Worsted Mills, at which time the old building was enlarged and the building now called 4 Gleason Street was constructed as a weaving room.
The mill site, including the Gleason Street building and adjacent house at 252 Broadway, was bought in 1935 by J. Arthur Wessell. A small laundry was located behind the house on Broadway. Wessell had previously operated a laundry at 48 Osgood Street. He continued in the laundry business at the Broadway address, and later operated the laundry at 4 Gleason Street. By 1938 the old factory and the house had been torn down and Wessell’s filling station at 256 Broadway was under construction. Wessell’s Laundry continued at least until 1949. Later tenants included Rex Potato Chips, Semiconductor Industries, and an electronics firm.
Name: Frederick M. Swain House
Address: 5 Gleason Street
Date: c. 1890
History: Gleason Street was laid out c1890 by Charles F. Swain to provide access to the Gleason lot which he purchased in 1890. Swain subdivided the property, and built five houses on the north side of Gleason Street between 1890 and 1892. All of the houses present today are shown on the 1896 county atlas, while the 1884 atlas shows a vacant lot. Swain became involved in this area when he purchased the nearby house at 248-50 Broadway (form # ) in 1886, and the adjacent factory building at 4 Gleason Street (form # ) soon thereafter. 5 Gleason Street was built for his son, Frederick M. Swain. The others, which are shown on a single lot labeled C. F. Swain in 1896, appear to have been erected as rental properties, probably accommodating factory workers. Frederick erected a new house at 258-60 Broadway (see form ) in 1901, directly in front of 5 Gleason Street. The factory was identified as the E. M. Clark & Co. Shoe Factory in 1872, as Clark Kent & Co. in 1884, and as the Knitted Fabrics Co. in 1896. Frederick Swain was listed as the foreman of this company in the 1896 town directory.
Name: C.F. Swain Rental House
Address: 7-9 Gleason Street
Date: c. 1890
History: Gleason Street was laid out c1890 by Charles F. Swain to provide access to the Gleason lot which he purchased in 1890. Swain subdivided the property, and built five houses on the north side of Gleason Street between 1890 and 1892. All of the houses present today are shown on the 1896 county atlas, while the 1884 atlas shows a vacant lot. Swain became involved in this area when he purchased the nearby house at 248-50 Broadway in 1886, and the adjacent factory building at 4 Gleason Street soon thereafter. 5 Gleason Street was built for his son, Frederick M. Swain. The others, which are shown on a single lot labeled C. F. Swain in 1896, appear to have been erected as rental properties in 1892, probably accommodating factory workers. The two at 11 and 13 Gleason Street were identical gable-end cottages. Frederick erected a new house at 258-60 Broadway in 1901, directly in front of 5 Gleason Street. The factory was identified as the E. M. Clark & Co. Shoe Factory in 1872, as Clark Kent & Co. in 1884, and as the Knitted Fabrics Co. in 1896. Frederick Swain was listed as the foreman of this company in the 1896 town directory.
Name: C.F. Swain Rental House
Address: 13 Gleason Street
Date: c. 1890
History: Gleason Street was laid out c1890 by Charles F. Swain to provide access to the Gleason lot which he purchased in 1890. Swain subdivided the property, and built five houses on the north side of Gleason Street between 1890 and 1892. All of the houses present today are shown on the 1896 county atlas, while the 1884 atlas shows a vacant lot. Swain became involved in this area when he purchased the nearby house at 248-50 Broadway in 1886, and the adjacent factory building at 4 Gleason Street soon thereafter. 5 Gleason Street was built for his son, Frederick M. Swain. The others, which are shown on a single lot labeled C. F. Swain in 1896, appear to have been erected as rental properties in 1892, probably accommodating factory workers. The two at 11 and 13 Gleason Street were identical gable-end cottages. Frederick erected a new house at 258-60 Broadway in 1901, directly in front of 5 Gleason Street. The factory was identified as the E. M. Clark & Co. Shoe Factory in 1872, as Clark Kent & Co. in 1884, and as the Knitted Fabrics Co. in 1896. Frederick Swain was listed as the foreman of this company in the 1896 town directory.
Grove & Railroad Streets
Name: Tenney Chapel
Address: Grove and Railroad Streets
Date: 1927
History: Discussions were held at the Baptist Meeting House in 1852 regarding the establishment of a new cemetery and in 1853 an “association of individuals” purchased the so-called Tenney/Wilson land for cemetery purposes. The mid 19th-century section of Walnut Grove Cemetery was laid out with winding pathways and plantings of shade trees in the tradition favored by contemporary designers of garden cemeteries. By-laws were written in 1861 and a receiving tomb was built in 1863.
In 1882, the William B. Green Post of the G.A.R. laid out a memorial lot and it was reported in the Transcript that there had been many improvements made to Walnut Grove in the previous ten years, with the addition of granite edging stones, fine monuments, broad avenues and ornamental trees. In the same year, Henry C. Nevins erected a monument to his grandfather John Nevins. This monument was designed by C. H. Weeks of Haverhill and hewn out of granite from the Nevins quarry in Salem, N.H. The cemetery was enlarged in 1883, 1907 and 1924.
In 1906 Charles H. Tenney built a family mausoleum which has a LaFarge window. He also replaced the old wall on Railroad Street. At that time there was discussion in the Transcript about the need for a chapel at the cemetery. The chapel was erected in 1927 by Daniel G. Tenney in memory of his parents, Fanny and Charles H. Tenney and given as a gift for private or public memorial services or for meetings of the corporation. The chapel and its furnishings were designed by Grosvenor Atterbury and John Tompkins of New York. The contractors were E. A. Peabody and Son of Lawrence. Painting on the chest, reredos panel and seats was by Martha Ruther of New York. Presentation of the chapel took place in 1928. Tenney was also responsible for the gift of a new gate and ornamental entrance at that time. The Chapel is the only element of the cemetery that is included in the STNHD.