Name: Spinning Mill

 Address: 29-31 Pelham Street

 Date: c. 1810

 History: The wood-frame structure at 29-31 Pelham Street is believed to have been a former spinning mill building that stood on the site of the Methuen Mills complex off Osgood Street. It was moved to this location in 1826 when a larger cotton mill was constructed in its place and ultimately converted to a two-family residence. Along with the "A" Mill of the Methuen Woolen Company, 29-31 Pelham Street remains one of the earliest industrial buildings in town. As early as 1856 this house, along with five adjacent buildings were owned by Albert S. Fales, a carpenter who had a shop in one of the nearby buildings. This house remained in the Fales family until 1905 when it was acquired by Eliza E. Dudley.

 Address: 33-35 Pelham Street

 Date: c.1818

 History: Built c.1818 probably as a single, 33-35 Pelham was converted to a two-family house after 1906. In 1806, a house in the general area was owned by Sargent. By 1846, the owner was S. Barker. In 1872, the house was one of five contiguous buildings owned by Albert S. Fales, a carpenter who had his home on Pelham. Fales may have lived one door to the west in the house at the corner of Pelham Avenue, since that house had a carpenter shop attached to its northeast corner. By 1906, A.S. Blodgett owned what was then 17 Pelham. The block was renumbered c. 1924.

 Address: 50 Pelham Street

 Date: c. 1875

 History: 50 Pelham Street is significant as a well preserved house associated with the workers at the Methuen Cotton Mills and other Spicket River factories.

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

 Address: 68 Pelham Street

 Date: c. 1900

 History: 68 Pelham Street together with the house at the rear of the lot, were constructed about 1900, probably by Charles Hutchins, a carpenter and builder. Research on the house is complicated because Pelham Street was renumbered c. 1924. Charles Hutchins started his carpentry business in 1885 and had his home and business at 32 Pelham Street by 1905. By 1914, his address had changed to 38 Pelham, which had become 68 Pelham Street by 1924. Charles died between 1930 and 1936, when 68 Pelham Street was the residence of Alice D. Hutchins, widow of Charles.

 Address: 114 Pelham Street

 Date: c. 1880

 History: 114 Pelham appears to have been built c. 1880. By 1884, it was owned by Mrs. Margaret Bagnell, who lived there with John T. Bagnell , a hat maker, and William Bagnell, a wood turner. By 1901, Mrs. Bagnell was a widow (of William), and by 1906 the house was owned by her estate. William A. Bagnell (wood turner) and Minnie E. Bagnell (dressmaker), who had lived in the house with Mrs. Bagnell before she died, continued to reside there. The house remained in the Bagnell family until at least 1950 when it was the residence of Mary E. Bagnell. The street number changed from 58 Pelham to 114 Pelham c. 1924.

 Address: 125- 127 Pelham Street

 Date: c. 1890

 History: Originally numbered 65-67 Pelham Street, 125-127 Pelham was built c. 1890 as a double house. (This section of Pelham Street was renumbered c. 1924.) The first owner appears to have been Maurice Flahive, a watchman, who lived here by 1900, having lived on Broadway in 1885. Maurice died between 1926 and 1936, but the Flahive family continued to live in the house until at least 1936, when it was the residence of Catherine (or Katherine) Flahive and Franklin M. Flahive, a mill worker, who roomed here. Robert Jamieson, who worked at Arlington Mills, lived at number 67 in 1901 and 1904.

Name:

 Address: 193 Pelham Street

 Date: c. 1800

 History: Deed research done by the Methuen Historical Commission suggests that 193 Pelham Street was built c. 1800 by either Joseph or Benjamin Osgood. In 1799, the land, apparently with no dwelling, was conveyed to Jonathan Merrill and Benjamin Osgood by Amos Barker. The next conveyance occurred in 1829, when Joseph Osgood sold the house to Benjamin Webster. 193 Pelham Street remained in the Webster family for over one-hundred years until it was sold in 1944 through the estate of Flora E. Webster to Walter A. Colher . The Colher family owned the property until 1968, when it was sold to Fred and Shirley Wallace.

Name:

 Address: 207 Pelham Street

 Date: c. 1806

 History: The 1806 map of Methuen shows a house owned by Hibbard in the vicinity of 207 Pelham Street. From 1846 to at least 1900 the house was owned by Asa Harris. As early as 1885, the house was occupied by Albert Harris, a farmer and wood dealer. (Unlike the lower numbered addresses on the street, the 200 block of Pelham does not seem to have been renumbered in the 20th century.) In 1896, the only Harris on the street was Henry C., a hairdresser, whose specific address was not given. In 1901, 207 Pelham was the residence of Frank E. Cooney, a farmer, who was still there in 1905. By 1914, Thomas Haigh, a laborer, and Joseph Sicotte, a watchman occupied the house. Sicotte, who became a paper maker and then an operative, remained there until at least 1917. In 1921, 207 Pelham was the residence of Florence and Charles Trussell who lived there until at least 1944. Trussell was a sheet metal worker, then an operative, and later a town employee. From at least 1925, the Trussells shared the house with Margaret and Otis N. Trussell, a grocer, who probably had his business next door in what is now a variety store. By 1946, Charles and Florence Trussell had moved to 198 Pelham, and Albert Reinhold, who ran Reinhold's Variety store lived at 207. In 1972, the Reinholds were still living in the house, but another party appears to have been operating the store.

Name: Eliphalet Bodwell House

 Address: 231 Pelham Street

 Date: c. 1770

 History: Based on deeds researched by the Methuen Historical Commission, 231 Pelham appears to have been built c. 1770 for Eliphalet Bodwell. In 1778, Bodwell sold the property, apparently with a house, to Daniel Hibbard. The house was certainly there by 1806, when it is shown on the town map owned by Hibbard; the Hibbard family owned three other houses nearby. 231 Pelham remained in the Hibbard family until 1817, when Simon Hibbard sold it to Asa Palmer. Palmer kept it only three years, selling it in 1820 to Herman Harris, along with an additional parcel of land on the other side of the street. Harris's heir, Abner Stevens, sold it to Rebecca Harris in the 1840s. In 1860, it passed from Asa Harris (who also owned 207 Pelham) to Walter Stevens, who served several terms as a Methuen road commissioner. The 1885 city directory lists the address as the residence of Abner Stevens (who was then 83 years old), Mrs. A. Janet Stevens, and George F. Stevens (a farmer). The house remained in the Stevens family until 1945, passing to Walter's son Charles A. (farmer and milk dealer) and then to Charles's wife, Cora A. Stevens, who sold it to Walter Colher. The Colhers and their descendants (Bryce Colher to Winnifred M. Colher to Robert L. and Charlotte O. Colher) owned the house until 1970 when Leo and Jean A. Robillard Jr. purchased it.

Name:

 Address: 237 Pelham Street

 Date: c. 1915.

 History: It appears that 237 Pelham was built c. 1915. The earliest occupant to be identified is Wesley L. Messer, a laborer, who lived here by 1918. By 1925 and until at least 1938, Gordon N. Cossar, a laborer, occupied the house.

Name:

 Address: 262-264 Pelham Street

 Date: c. 1920

 History: 262-264 Pelham Street is significant as a well preserved example of the use of concrete products in residential construction and is associated with Methuen's major period of redidential development in the early 20th century. This building possesses integrity of location, design, setting, materials, and workmanship and meets the criteria of the National Register of Historic Places.

 Address: 311 Pelham Street

 Date: 1762

 History: The Moses Morse House is an early farmstead representative of the development of 18th century architecture in rural Methuen. Such dwellings were constructed by farmers such as Moses Morse who sold their produce to markets in Salem and Newburyport, and later Lowell and Lawrence. This building possesses integrity of location, design, setting, materials, and workmanship and meets the criteria of the National Register of Historic Places.

 Address: 315 Pelham Street

 Date: c. 1850

 History: According to the previous inventory form, a portion of this building was originally a school (probably a mid-19th century wood-frame one-room school) which was purchased from the town in 1875 an moved to this site. It was used as a Sunday School by the Methodist Church until 1910. The building was vacant from 1910 until 1913. It was then taken over by the Marsh Corner Union Sunday School Society who began holding services in the former school in 1922. In 1924 the building took on its present appearance when the building was raised, a new cellar added, and the entry portico built. The existing fabric and appearance date largely to 1924 when it was redesigned as the Marsh Corner Community Church by Lawrence architect T.E. Martin.

 Address: 349 Pelham Street

 Date: pre-1846

 History: The first owner of 349 Pelham Street (situated at the fork of Salem and Pelham) that can be identified from city maps is Joseph Emerson recorded on the 1846 atlas. The property remained in the Emerson family until at least 1912, being the residence of Millard F. Emerson in 1885. Emerson manufactured and sold lumber and cider. Lumber may have been a family business going back several generations, since a saw mill was erected across Salem Street from the house between 1846 and 1856. By 1896, Millard Emerson ran a cider mill and was sharing the house with Samuel Emerson, a milk dealer. In 1912, Millard and Samuel Emerson conveyed the house to Maude Bradstreet and Clara J. Emerson. Thereafter, title passed from Bradstreet to Gloddy to Fuller to John G. and Irene Vater, who owned it from 1938 to 1970.

 Address: 423 Pelham Street

 Date: 1934

 History: The Town Infirmary was constructed in 1934 to replace the overcrowded Poor Farm on the opposite side of the street. The first residents were transferred in October of 1935. Prior to that they had occupied all floors of the Poor Farm even though the third floor was unheated. The exterior of the infirmary has been altered very little from its original design although it was converted to use as apartments in the 1960s.

 Address: 430 Pelham Street

 Date: c. 1845

 History: The "Town Poor Farm" was Methuen's second. Its construction was necessitated by the incorporation of Lawrence in 1845 from lands formerly belonging to Methuen; the original poor farm was lost to Lawrence. Town records do not indicate the architect; the other important building of the period built by the town was the 1853 Town Hall, a structure which was to provide housing for the town's indegent, among other functions. The end-wall treatment is not seen elsewhere in Methuen.

The Town Poor Farm building possesses integrity of location, design, setting, materials, and workmanship. It is significant as an early and unusual Town building and meets the criteria of the National Register of Historic Places.

Last Updated 9/4/07

 

Site Maintained by Dan Gagnon

Hosted by Valcom

©2001 Dan Gagnon