Methuen

By Methuen Historical Commission

Methuen is located in the Merrimack Valley in northeastern Massachusetts. Thirty miles north of Boston, Methuen grew out of the Spicket Falls community during the 1800s as the Industrial Revolution arrived in this agricultural community.
During this century, the town s wealthiest families, the Searles, the Tenneys, and the Nevins, brought both economic and cultural growth by building numerous mills, churches, schools, and museums in the area. The citizens, immigrants, and Yankees alike
formed the backbone and built the character of Methuen that can still be seen today. Methuen brings together many never-before-seen photographs dating from the earliest days of photography to the 1960s.
The history of the town is the story of its people, from the farmers and mill workers to the millionaires and their descendants. Their stories are intertwined with the images of the changing landscape of Methuen, including landmarks, storefronts, schools, and houses of worship. Some can still be seen today, while others exist only in memories.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Release date: Sep 23, 1999
• ISBN: 9781439636947

Methuen Historical Commission

The Methuen Historical Commission is a committee of local citizens who have combined their knowledge with photographs from the town�s archives as well as numerous private collections to bring us this lovingly crafted tribute to Methuen�s past. Methuen is sure to inspire a wealth of stories for all who read it, and will educate and entertain its readers for generations to come.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

INTRODUCTION

The history of Methuen is the story of its people. From its farmers producing food and immigrants toiling in the factories to the millionaires building opulent mansions, each has left a mark on the community.

The area, which is now Methuen, was once inhabited by members of the Penacook tribe. They were members of the Algonquin Federation, and by the late 1600s all but disappeared from the area. In 1725, the residents petitioned for, and received, permission to create a new town from a part of Haverhill and some unincorporated land to the west.

The area was mostly agricultural, and in the early 1800s, there were some attempts to take advantage of the 40-foot drop of water on the Spicket River by building gristmills and early spinning mills. It wasn’t until 1826 that the first large-scale textile mill was built, bringing Methuen into the Industrial Age.

As workers came to labor in the mills and a commercial district formed nearby, the social and commercial focus of the community shifted from the East End to the Spicket Falls area. As a result, the spiritual center of the community, the First Church Congregational, moved to the Spicket falls area also. With this final move in 1832, the Spicket Falls became the true center of the community.

The nineteenth century was a time of rapid change influenced by the establishment of the mill city of Lawrence and the increase in industrial production in Methuen. With this increase came a larger demand for workers. Farms increased, homes were built, and services expanded to meet this need. Methuen’s population increased from about 1,400 in 1806 to 6,000 in 1898.

Prosperity brought about the establishment of social and educational organizations. Fraternal clubs such as the Masons, the Redmen, Knights of Pythias, and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows were formed to foster camaraderie and brotherhood. Meanwhile educational institutions like the Methuen Social Library, Democratic Society, and the Methuen Lyceum were created to satisfy an increased interest in science, philosophy, and mathematics, not only for men but for women as well.

A study of Methuen would not be complete without mentioning the three millionaires— Searles, Tenney, and Nevins. Edward Searles, the wealthiest of the three, had a great interest in fine art and architecture, donating many buildings, bridges, and churches to the community. Methuen is a richer place because of his generosity. Charles Tenney made his fortune manufacturing hats, and he demonstrated a special fondness for Methuen by building a magnificent summer home here and sharing his landscaped grounds with the public on weekends. David Nevins invested in the community by quadrupling the size of his cotton mill and employing hundreds of people. After his death, the family built a library for the community and later built a home for the aged.

It is the legacy of these people, the farmers, factory workers, and millionaires, that has influenced the Methuen of today. Their generosity, sacrifice, and commitment to their community has left a lasting mark. They are the reason and inspiration for the creation of this work.

One

THE BIG THREE

Methuen was blessed to have had three wealthy families among its residents—Searles, Tenney, and Nevins. These generous families left a legacy of buildings, parks, and statues in the community.

This photo shows the walls on Lawrence Street looking toward Broadway. The walls were designed by famed architect Henry Vaughan and built by unemployed immigrants who flocked to neighboring Lawrence from about 1890 to 1910. The immigrants gathered stones from the Searles’ expansive farmlands and quarry, and assisted the masons with the building of the walls.

Shortly after his wife’s death, Searles began planning, changing, and adding to his Methuen home, known as Pine Lodge. This undated photograph shows the estate along the old section of East Street. The photograph below shows Mr. Searles at the time of his marriage.

Edward Francis Searles was born on July 4, 1841, to Sarah Littlefield Searles and Jesse Gould Searles. Though Edward’s father died when Edward was very young, Edward grew up to become a successful interior designer with a New York City firm. In 1887, Searles married Mary Frances Sherwood Hopkins, the widow of Mark Hopkins. Mrs. Hopkins was 22 years older than Mr. Searles and died four years after they were married. She left her entire estate to her husband, disinheriting her adopted son, Timothy Hopkins.

The old East Street passed directly through the Searles Estate; intersecting Lawrence Street at the burial ground. Mr. Searles had a concourse built over the street so that he could travel between Pine Lodge and Oakside Farm without being bothered by newspaper reporters or curiosity seekers. In 1913, Mr. Searles rerouted the lower end of East Street so that it intersected Lawrence Street near Brown Street.

This view, from Park Street, shows Searles chime tower and chapel. The chime tower, at center, was built in 1895 and housed a set of tubular bells from Mr. Searles’s United States Tubular Bell Company on Broadway. The chapel, to the right, was built in 1915 as a scale replica of the parish church in Stanton-Harcourt, England, where Mr. Searles’s ancestors had lived. Mr. Searles is buried in the crypt two floors below the chapel. Both of these buildings were designed by Henry Vaughan.

In 1897, Edward F. Searles acquired the property of S.Q. Hersey including the Exchange Hotel on Broadway, the