Name: Mann House

 Address: 9 Park Street

 Date: 1876

 History: According to the assessor's records, the house at 9 Park Street was built in 1876. At that time it was valued at $950. The first owner was John W. Mann, who is listed in the 1885 Directory and whose firm Tompkins and Mann at 191 Essex Street in Lawrence sold paint and oil. Mrs. Mann was still living in the family homestead in 1906. Among its early owners was Elizabeth Mann, A music teacher.

A notice in the Methuen Transcript says local builder Albert Fales built an addition in 1880.

This building possesses integrity of location, design, setting, materials, and workmanship and meets the criteria of the National Register of Historic Places.

 Address: 10 Park Street

 Date: c 1880

 History: This building is a well preserved Italianate style house, associated with the development of Methuen during the post-war expansion of the local mills and the nearby Lawrence area. E. M . Clark, an early resident, listed his occupation as a shoe manufacturer.

This building possesses integrity of location, design, setting, materials, and workmanship and meets the criteria of the National Register of Historic Places.

Name: Phillips/ Morrison House

 Address: 11 Park Street

 Date: c 1830

 History: The first legible record of this house is in 1832, when George A. Waldo sold 1 acre of land with a building to Joseph S. Morse, which Morse in turn sold to the Rev.Phillips in 1840 (earlier deeds existed but were unreadable). This is confirmed by William Barnes, whose reminiscences were reported in the Methuen Transcript. Barnes said that when he came to Methuen in 1845 this was the home of the Reverend John C. Philips, minister of the First Congregational Church. In 1853, Philips sold the house and 11 acres of land to Daniel Morrison (475/113). Morrison, who came to Methuen in 1840, celebrated his 85th birthday in that house in 1905. He was a farmer, undertaker, selectman, member of the House of Representatives, a member of the Hope Lodge I.O.O.F., and highly respected member of the community. Morrison Court is named for him.

 Address: 12 Park Street

 Date: 1870

 History: Amos Rollins, shoe maker, is listed in the 1860 Directory as living on Main (Broadway) and the 1872 map shows that his property stretched back to Park Street. In 1870, Rollins was assessed for a small house on a back lot, presumably 12 Park Street. Although Rollins later moved to a new house on Vine Street, he retained the Broadway/Park Street property. Eventually, Edward F. Searles acquired Rollins' Broadway/Park Street property and in 1909 sold 12 Park Street to Miss Fernette Frederick.

 Address:14 Park Street

 Date: c.1870

 History: According to William Barnes, whose reminiscences appeared in the Methuen Transcript (1905), there was a house at 14 Park Street in 1845 when he came to Methuen. That house belonged to Daniel Currier, and in later years to Mrs. Cluff, widow of John Cluff who had worked in the cotton mill.

Assessor's records show that John Cluff actually acquired the house from Mary Gustine in 1873. In 1879, the Methuen Transcript reported that local builder Jesse Towns was putting a second story on John Cluff's house. This is confirmed by the assessor's records for 1879 which indicate the second story was used as a store.

 Address: 15-19 Park Street

 Date: mid-1840

 History: According to William Barnes reminiscences in the Methuen Transcript (1905), in the mid-1840s 15-19 Park Street was a one story house belonging to Henry Preston who had a wheelwright shop next door. (It is not known when the second story was added.) Assessor's records indicate that in the 1850s, the house belonged to Enoch A. Merrill, and in 1875 the estate of Enoch A. Merrill was taxed to Joel Foster. The barn, which still exists, appears of the map between 1872 and 1884. Foster, who owned other farm sites in Methuen, was named the leading farmer in Essex County in 1884.

his building possesses integrity of location, design, setting, materials, and workmanship and meets the criteria of the National Register of Historic Places.

  Name: The First Baptist Church

 Address: 30 Park Street

 Date: January 1870

 History: The First Baptist Church was formed on March 1, 1815 with thirteen members, five men and eight women. Services were held in the Daniel Frye house and in an old meeting house which was enlarged twice. In 1840 they built a church on this site which burned in 1869. The present church was built the same year and dedicated in January 1870. The bell, which was cast in Baltimore and weighed 1600 lb was installed in 1878.

A photograph c. 1900 at the Methuen Historical Society shows an interior view of the church and an undated drawing shows exterior details, and horse sheds behind the church.

Reverend S. L. B. Chase was pastor of the church in 1885 when the membership stood at 218. Chase was succeeded by Reverend Nathan Bailey.

 Address: 32 Park Street

 Date: 1877

 History: The Parsonage at 32 Park Street was given to the church by Charles Ingalls a staunch supporter and life long member of the church. The house was built in 1877 and Ingalls paid taxes on it at least until his death in 1882. A committee had been appointed in 1878 to acknowledge Ingalls' gift of the parsonage, but their charge was not fulfilled until 1883. In 1885, Rev. Chase lived in the parsonage, and in 1896 and 1901/2, the Rev. Bailey was living there.

 Address: 36 Park Street

 Date: 1873

 History: According to the assessor's records the house at 36 Park Street was built in 1873 and taxed to J. Haskell Gordon. Gordon's occupation is unknown. In 1882 the property was sold to M. H. Fletcher of Lowell and in 1899 , Fletcher (still in Lowell) sold to J. G. Frederick and George G. Frederick. In 1905, the Methuen Transcript reported a serious fire at the home of George G. Frederick which damaged the barn and ell of the house.

 Address: Park Street

 Date: 1880

 History: It is believed that this stairway was constructed c1880 by Charles Tenney at about the time that the Civil War Memorial and Park (#905) were created. They lead from the gatehouse (#60) to his estate (Area G) to the park. According to local assessors' records they were owned by B. Allen Rowland, Searles’ heir, c1940. They were later owned by Daniel G. Tenney, whose widow Marguerite sold them to Howard Freedman who owned the Red Tavern (#53). Freedman sold them to the First Church Congregational (#58) in 1961.

Last Updated 9/4/07

 

Site Maintained by Dan Gagnon

Hosted by Valcom

©2001 Dan Gagnon