Methuen, Massachusetts

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Methuen (Template:IPAc-en[1]) is a 23-square-mile (60 km2) city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 53,059 at the 2020 census.[2] Methuen lies along the northwestern edge of Essex County, just east of Middlesex County and just south of Rockingham County, New Hampshire. The city is bordered by Haverhill to the northeast, North Andover to the southeast, Lawrence and Andover to the south, Dracut (Middlesex County) to the west, Pelham, New Hampshire (Hillsborough County) to the northwest, and Salem, New Hampshire (Rockingham County) to the north. Methuen is located Template:Convert southwest from Newburyport, Template:Convert north-northwest of Boston and Template:Convert south-southeast of Manchester, New Hampshire. The city is a part of the Merrimack Valley and its ZIP Code is 01844.

History

Methuen was first settled in 1642 and was officially incorporated in 1726. Methuen was originally part of Haverhill, Massachusetts. In 1724 Stephen Barker and others in the western part of that town petitioned the General Court to grant them permission to form a new town above Hawke's Meadow Brook. Although opposed by their fellow townsmen, the petition was approved the following year (December 8, 1725), and the General Court gave them an act of incorporation under the name of Methuen. The town was named for Sir Paul Methuen, a member of the King's Privy Council and friend of acting Provincial Governor William Dummer. The first town meeting was held on March 9, 1726, in the home of a resident. The land was set aside for a meetinghouse, which was erected later in 1726 on what is now Meetinghouse Hill Cemetery.[3]

The residents in the northern part of the new town of Methuen soon petitioned to have their own meetinghouse (a combination of town hall and puritan church), and in 1736 the north parish was set off. Land for a meetinghouse was donated by descendants of the original proprietors of Haverhill, and in 1738 the second Methuen meetinghouse was raised. The structure survives to this day, as the Salem N.H. Historical Society building. In 1741, with the fixing of the Northern boundary of Massachusetts, most of this new north parish was removed from Methuen and placed in New Hampshire. It was incorporated as Salem, New Hampshire in 1750.[3]

Industrial growth in the 1800s influenced Methuen's development. Construction of the Methuen Cotton Mills at the Spicket River falls in the 1820s and the increased manufacture of hats and shoes in small factories along the Spicket spurred the centralization of Methuen's economic, residential and cultural activities within the area around Osgood, Broadway, Hampshire and Pleasant streets. Three wealthy and prominent families—the Nevins, the Tenneys and the Searles—played a significant role in Methuen's history and development. These families were instrumental in the founding of many of Methuen's landmarks, including the Nevins Memorial Library, the Searles building, Tenney Gatehouse, Nevins Home, Spicket Falls, and the Civil War monument between Pleasant and Charles streets.[4]

In 1922, it was affected by the 1922 New England Textile Strike, shutting down the mills in the city over an attempted wage cut.[5][6]

Geography

Methuen is located at Template:Coord (42.730040, −71.179352).[7] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert, or 3.42%, is water.[8]

Methuen lies alongside the northern banks of the Merrimack River and is bisected by the Spicket (originally "Spigot") River,[9] as well as many brooks and streams. There are several ponds dotting the area as well, and the town is home to a town forest, a bird sanctuary, and a small state park (Tenney State Park). Pine Island, near the southern end of town in the Merrimack River, is also part of the town's land.

Transportation

Methuen lies at the northern end of Interstate 93 in Massachusetts, with three exits providing access. A portion of Interstate 495 crosses through the eastern side of town from Lawrence to Haverhill. Massachusetts Route 213, the "Loop Connector", provides highway access between the two, having three intermediate exits of its own, in addition to the exits for I-93 and I-495. The town is also crossed by Route 28, Route 110, and Route 113, the latter two meeting at I-93 Exit 43 (old exit 46). I-93 provides the town's only bridge across the Merrimack; there are several crossings in Lawrence, and several in neighboring Haverhill, but none for Template:Convert upstream from I-93 all the way to the eastern end of Lowell and also comes down from New Hampshire, providing the fastest route to both 25 minutes north to Manchester, New Hampshire, and 25–30 minutes south to Boston.

Methuen is served by the Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority's bus service. Daily intercity bus service to Worcester and New York City is provided by OurBus from the Methuen Park and Ride. The nearest rail stations are in South Lawrence and Haverhill, which are both part of the Haverhill/Reading Line of the MBTA Commuter Rail, providing service into Boston's North Station. Small plane service can be found at Lawrence Municipal Airport and the Merrimack Valley Seaplane Base, with the nearest national service being at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, and the nearest international service being at Logan International Airport.

Demographics

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As of the census[10] of 2000, there were 43,789 people, 16,532 households, and 11,539 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,954.7 persons per square mile (754.8/km2). There were 16,885 housing units, at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the city was 89.35% White, 1.35% African American, 0.22% Native American, 2.38% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 4.87% from other races, and 1.82% from two or more races. Hispanics and Latinos, of any race, were 9.64% of the population (8.4% Dominican, 5.7% Puerto Rican, 0.6% Guatemalan, 0.3% Ecuadorian, 0.3% Mexican, 0.3% Cuban). Methuen has a very diverse population and it has gotten more diverse over the years. For a very long time, Methuen and its neighboring city, Lawrence have always been, and still are home to a large number of Lebanese, French, and Italian communities. Methuen is also a major Hispanic/Latino community, including Dominicans.

There were 16,532 households, of which 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.3% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.2% were non-families. Of all households, 25.3% were made up of individuals, and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.17.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.7% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $49,627, and the median income for a family was $59,831. Males had a median income of $41,693 versus $31,864 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,305. About 5.8% of families and 7.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.7% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those aged 65 or over.

Government

Historically, Methuen had a town meeting-selectmen form of government and was known as the Town of Methuen until it adopted a charter replacing its traditional town meeting and selectmen with a council and manager. Even with a form of government that had historically and legally been exclusive to cities, the community, in a gesture of traditionalism, retained the name Town of Methuen in its charter.[11] However, because Massachusetts cities have self-governing powers not available to towns, it became known for legal purposes as "The City Known as the Town of Methuen". A subsequent charter, which adopted a strong mayor form of government, officially changed the community name to the "City of Methuen".

File:Nevins Memorial Library.jpg
Nevins Memorial Library

Methuen's city government consists of a mayor, three Councilors-at-Large, two East District councilors, two Central District councilors, two West District councilors, and six School Committee members. The following are the current members of Methuen's municipal government:[12]

  • The Mayor of Methuen is David DJ Beauregard, Jr.
  • The at-large city councilors are Nicholas Dizoglio and Jana Zanni Pesce.
  • The East District city councilors are Ronald Marsan and Neily Soto.
  • The Central District city councilors are Joyce Campagnone and Joel Faretra.
  • The West District city councilors are Allison Saffie and Patricia Valley.

Methuen is part of the Massachusetts Senate's 1st Essex district.[13]

Methuen presidential election results[14]
Year Democratic Republican Third parties Total Votes Margin
align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|2020 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|55.28% 14,328 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|42.93% 11,127 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|1.79% 464 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|25,919 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|12.35%
align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|2016 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|50.81% 11,662 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|44.60% 10,235 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|4.59% 1,054 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|22,951 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|6.22%
align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|2012 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|51.42% 11,092 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|47.27% 10,198 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|1.31% 282 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|21,572 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|4.14%
align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|2008 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|53.75% 11,263 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|44.39% 9,303 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|1.86% 390 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|20,956 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|9.35%
align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|2004 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|52.04% 10,037 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|47.05% 9,075 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.91% 175 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|19,287 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|4.99%
align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|2000 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|54.49% 9,465 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|38.87% 6,751 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|6.64% 1,153 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|17,369 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|15.63%
align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|1996 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|56.06% 9,450 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|31.72% 5,347 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|12.23% 2,061 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|16,858 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|24.34%
align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|1992 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|39.45% 7,727 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|35.50% 6,954 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|25.04% 4,905 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|19,586 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|3.95%
align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|1988 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|42.42% 7,765 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|55.90% 10,233 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|1.68% 308 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|18,306 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|13.48%
align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|1984 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|42.34% 7,323 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|57.25% 9,901 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.40% 70 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|17,294 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|14.91%
align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|1980 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|42.23% 7,358 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|45.62% 7,950 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|12.15% 2,117 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|17,425 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|3.40%
align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|1976 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|64.97% 11,476 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|32.65% 5,767 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|2.38% 420 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|17,663 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|32.32%
align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|1972 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|53.46% 9,184 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|45.78% 7,864 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.76% 131 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|17,179 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|7.68%
align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|1968 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|62.63% 9,891 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|33.56% 5,300 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|3.81% 602 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|15,793 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|29.07%
align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|1964 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|72.86% 11,232 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|26.63% 4,106 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.51% 78 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|15,416 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|46.22%
align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|1960 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|59.44% 8,872 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|40.37% 6,025 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.19% 29 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|14,926 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|19.07%
align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|1956 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|38.97% 5,384 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|60.79% 8,399 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.24% 33 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|13,816 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|21.82%
align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|1952 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|41.58% 5,565 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|58.01% 7,764 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.41% 55 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|13,384 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|16.43%
align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|1948 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|54.92% 6,206 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|42.73% 4,828 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|2.35% 266 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|11,300 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|12.19%
align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|1944 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|51.26% 5,264 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|48.52% 4,983 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.21% 22 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|10,269 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|2.74%
align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|1940 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|54.57% 5,902 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|44.77% 4,842 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.66% 71 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|10,815 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|9.80%
Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of October 17, 2018[15]
Party Number of Voters Percentage
Template:Party color cell Republican 4,031 11.56%
Template:Party color cell Democratic 11,322 32.46%
Template:Party color cell Unaffiliated 19,012 54.51%
Template:Party color cell Libertarian 124 0.36%
Total 34,881 100%

Education

File:Methuen High School, Methuen MA.jpg
Methuen High School

Public schools

  • Methuen High School
  • Comprehensive Grammar School
  • Tenney Grammar School
  • Timony Grammar School
  • Marsh Grammar School

Private schools

  • Saint Monica's is a Catholic for pre-K to 8th grade.
  • St. Ann's Home and School provides residential, outpatient, and private day school options for a wide range of learning disabilities and/or behavioral and emotional disorders. All programs are designed to provide a continuum of special needs services to assist children and adolescents who need intensive and comprehensive help for themselves and their families. The Day School program offers education for children and adolescents with special emotional needs, complemented by a strong therapeutic component. Children are transported to St. Ann's from communities in a one-hour radius. Referrals come from school districts seeking an academically focused, clinically supported school setting for students with significant emotional, developmental, behavioral, and learning needs.[16]
  • Presentation of Mary Academy was a private Catholic high school founded in 1958. The academy is on a Template:Convert campus formerly known as the Edward F. Searles Estate. The school was originally for young women in grades 9–12 but went co-educational with the 2011–2012 school year. Due to financial difficulties, the school closed in 2020.

Sports

File:Nicholson Stadium.jpg
Nicholson Stadium, home of the Methuen Rangers

Methuen High School's athletic teams play in the Merrimack Valley Conference. Their big rivals are the Andover Golden Warriors, the Central Catholic Raiders of Lawrence, and the Haverhill Hillies. On Thanksgiving Day, the football team plays fellow Merrimack Valley foe the Dracut Middies. The teams first met in a non-Thanksgiving Day game in 1935 and did not play again until the Thanksgiving series started in 1963. The school colors are blue and white, and their mascot is the Ranger, named after Rogers' Rangers, the precursor of the U.S. Army Rangers, which was founded by town resident Robert Rogers.

Historic district

File:Methuen Organ Hall.jpg
Methuen Memorial Music Hall

The Searles Tenney Nevins Historic District, established by the city in 1992 to preserve the "distinctive architecture and rich character of one of Massachusetts' most unique neighborhoods", is named after the three Methuen city fathers: David C. Nevins, Edward F. Searles and Charles H. Tenney.

From the City of Methuen:

Today, the trio's collective vision can be seen in mills, housing, schools, mansions, churches, monuments, playgrounds, the library, and the architectural fantasies that resulted from their artistic rivalry. The historic district boundaries were established to include properties and buildings constructed or used by the Searles, Tenney and Nevins families and the people who worked for them.[17]

The historic district is administered by the Methuen Historic District Commission, which protects the district from alterations that might compromise its historic integrity. Property owners within the historic district must obey the Rules and Regulations of the Historic District Commission. The rules and regulations specify general criteria for materials used, size and proportions of the buildings, colors, as well as other features. Any violation of the rules and regulations can result in fines and other possible legal action.[18]

Bounded within the Searles Tenney Nevins Historic District are the Spicket Falls Historic District and the Pleasant-High Historic District. Both are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as are many of the other buildings within the area.[19]

Points of interest

Notable people

See also

References

Template:Reflist

External links

Template:Sister project

Template:Geographic location Template:US state navigation box Template:Essex County, Massachusetts Template:Greater Boston Template:Merrimack River Template:Authority control

  1. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  3. ↑ a b Gilbert's History of Salem, N.H. (1907)
  4. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ Although it is called the "Town of Methuen," it is a statutory city of Massachusetts. See Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth.
  12. ↑ Current members of government "2019 Municipal Election Certified Results"Template:Dead link, City of Methuen, February 9, 2019
  13. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  15. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  16. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  18. ↑ "Rules and Regulations of the Historic District Commission"
  19. ↑ Template:NRISref
  20. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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