Historic Sites Lowell- Merrimack

Name:

Address: 103 Lowell Street

Date: c. 1903

History: The house at 103 Lowell Street was built around 1903, according to town directory research. The earliest known occupant was Alice R. Wheeler, a principal, who lived here by 1904. By 1914 it was occupied by Ernest Munroe, about whom little is known. Mill workers, Henry and Leon Hamilton lived here in 1918. By 1921 Dr. Edward H. Ganley was living here. In the mid-1930s Elsa T. Hefner, a teacher, was the occupant. At the time it was built, there were just a few houses scattered along Lowell Street along this stretch. Quite a few houses had been built just to the east, closer to the town center by 1900.

Name:

Address: 387 Lowell Street

Date: c. 1875.

History: Based on the style of the house, it appears that 387 Lowell Street was built about 1875. The earliest occupant to be identified is Moses G. Smith, a mason and contractor who occupied the house by 1885. Smith remained in the house until about 1910. By 1914 it was occupied by Frank Doble, a grocer in North Andover, who lived here until after his retirement until at least 1925. By 1929 Embert Polter lived here; Polter is listed in town directories as a clerk. This house remains a single-family dwelling.

Name:

Address: 521 Lowell Street

Date: c. 1800

History: The house at 521 Lowell Street was constructed as a single-family farm house around 1800 (1799 according to previous form but no reference given). It appears that it was built for Aaron Sawyer, a local farmer. The house remained in the Sawyer family for many year and was part of a larger farm parcel until the 1890s. It appears that for a time the house was occupied as a two-family dwelling. At the time, it was owned and occupied by Francis Sawyer who lived here as early as 1884 and as late as 1904; the town directories do not list an occupation for Sawyer. Among the earliest tenants in the house were George P. Bancroft and Lewis E. Edwards, a farmer. In 1914 the house was occupied by merchant Neal Webster. By 1920 the house was occupied by mill workers, Edgar and Joseph Leach. For over 10 years, from 1923 onward, the occupants were George Newhill (mill overseer) and John J. MacKinnon (second hand). The house remains occupied as a two-family dwelling.

Name:

Address: 523 Lowell Street

Date: c. 1925

History: Map research into the early history of the site shows the block vacant in 1906. In 1884 and 1872 a house existed near the center of these lots; in 1884 that house was owned by Mrs. I. Sawyer. It appears that the Sawyer house stood until about 1890. The similarity of 523-527 Lowell suggests that they were built on speculation at about the same time (c. 1925). By 1929, all of the houses were occupied. Arnold Cassin (overseer) lived at 523, Harrison Bartholomew (overseer) lived at 525 and Gustave Cloutler (insurance) lived at 527. By 1938, two families were living in each house. Raoul Nadeau and Robert R. Boardman (mill worker) lived at 523. Frank Wuest lived at 525 and the second apartment was vacant. Edwin Boardman (WPA) and George McAllister (employed at Pacific Mill in Lawrence) lived at 527.

Name:

Address: 525 Lowell Street

Date: c. 1925

Name:

Address: 527 Lowell Street

Date: c. 1925

Name:

Address: 615 Lowell Street

Date: c. 1838

History: 615 Lowell Street was built about 1838 as the farm house for Asa Sawyer. Sawyer acquired the land on which the house stands in 1838 from Aaron Sawyer. The property was sold by Asa Sawyer's heirs in 1852 and went through several owners until it was purchased by James N. Dowding in 1868. Since then the house has been passed to Samuel Dowding and his heirs, Harry Dowding and Doris Cox, and remains in the family. The town directory of 1885 lists James N. Dowding as a farmer and indicates that there were several other Dowdings living nearby on Lowell Street. In 1900 the house was occupied by Lucy Dowding. By 1904 it was occupied by Samuel Dowding, a motorman for the street railway who lived here until about 1940.

Name: The Armory building

Address: 619 Lowell Street

Date: 1913

History: Built in 1913 as an armory, this brick masonry pier and panel structure is a National Guard headquarters. The building includes an assembly hall, classrooms, a library, rifle range, administrative offices, kitchen and locker room.

Name:

Address: 625 Lowell Street

Date: c. 1885

History: This was the farm of Phineas M. Griffin as early as 1885. Prior to that there were several farm houses scattered along Lowell Street, most in this area owned by the Griffin family. Stylistically, it appears that the house was built about that time. That year it was occupied by Henry R. Griffin (farmer), James E. Griffin (farmer), and Leslie A. Griffin (carpenter). By 1925 the house was also occupied by Rufus Griffin. The house remained in the Griffin family as late as 1940 when it was occupied by Charlotte R. Griffin (widow of James) and Susan B. Thurlow. By 1944 it was occupied by William Blanchette, a mill worker.

Name: Asa Griffin House

Address: 709 Lowell Street

Date: c. 1750

History: According to research conducted by Methuen Historical Commission, 709 Lowell Street was built by 1750 for Asa Griffin. At the time this house was constructed, there were only a few scattered farm houses in western Methuen. By 1846 the house was owned by Nathaniel Dowding, who still lived here in 1885 at the age of 88. The house remained in the Dowding family into the 20th century. The 1906 map lists Mrs. D. Dowding as the owner. In the 1960s the farm was sold to Colombo & Sons Creamery. Today it is occupied as a single-family home.

Name: The Christopher Sargent School

Address: 160 Merrimack Street

Date: 1916

History: The Christopher Sargent School was built in 1916 to accommodate the growing school age population of Pleasant Valley. The school is identical to the Marsh Corner School. They were designed by James E. Allen of Lawrence who designed most of Methuen's schools, including the Sargent (1916), Marsh Corner (1917), Arlington (1910), Ashford (1913), Oakland Avenue (1910), Pleasant Valley (1914), Howe (1914), and Grosvenors (1917) Schools. Most of Allen's schools (Sargent, Marsh Corner, Oakland Avenue, Arlington, and Ashford Street) are brick structures with stone trim. They are similar in design, incorporating elements of the Colonial Revival and Craftsman styles. Grosvenor School is a single-story wood-frame structure, while the Howe and Pleasant Valley Schools are two and one-half story cement brick structures with more stylized detailing. In recent years, the Sargent School was converted to school administration offices and is now known as the Sargent Administration Building.

Name: James Frye House

Address: 176-178 Merrimack Street

Date: 1775

History: According to the previous inventory form, this farm house was built in 1775 by James Frye. By 1846 it was owned by Leverett Bradley. The map of 1884 identifies Mrs. L. Bradley as the owner. It was apparently no longer a working farm by 1914 for at that time the house was occupied by Ernest Barraclough, a mill operative. By 1918 it was the home of John Howarth, a laborer. It is not known exactly when the house was converted to a two-family dwelling but it was likely in the mid-20th century.

Name: Frank and Maria DeQuatro House

Address: 357 Merrimack Street

Date: c. 1910

History: According to directory research, it appears that this house was built for Frank and Maria DeQuatro around 1910. DeQuatro is listed in directories as a farmer. At the time it was constructed, the area had been fairly well developed with the various side streets near this intersection having been laid out. It appears that land on which this house was built was formerly part of the farm of S. Cross whose farm house used to stand just to the north. By the mid-1930s DeQuatro retired as a farmer and he continued to live here as late as the mid-1940s.

Name:

Address:459 Merrimack Street

Date: c. 1845 or 1850

History: This house is one of three in the immediate vicinity owned by Frederick Russell, a farmer, in 1884. In the 19th century, many of the houses in this area were owned by members of the Russell family. Based on the design of the house, it was probably built around 1845 or 1850. In 1846 Charles Russell owned a house in this vicinity that may have been this one. By 1914 the house at 459 was occupied by Frank W. Kimball, a teamster. Kimball remained here into the 1940s and by 1954 the house was occupied by Salvatore J. Borgesi who owned the house until at least 1978.

Last Updated 9/4/07

Site Maintained by Dan Gagnon

Hosted by Valcom