Spicket Falls Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Spicket Falls Historic District
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The mill pond on the Spicket River
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | Methuen, Massachusetts |
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| Architect | Multiple |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian |
| MPS | Methuen MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 84002435 |
| Added to NRHP | June 20, 1984 |
The Spicket Falls Historic District is a special area in Methuen, Massachusetts. It shows the old factories and shops that were once the heart of the town. This area has some of the best-preserved 19th-century mill buildings near the Merrimack River.
The district is built around the waterfalls of the Spicket River. These waterfalls gave power to the textile mills in the 1800s. A textile mill is a factory where cloth is made. This historic area was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. It includes old shops and public buildings near Gaunt Square, which was the center of Methuen. It also covers both sides of the Spicket River, down to the old Boston and Maine Railroad tracks.
Contents
Discovering Spicket Falls History
The Spicket River falls were used for small industries even in the 1700s. But the area really started to grow into a town center in the 1820s. This is when bigger factories began to be built.
Early Mills and Factories
The oldest buildings still standing are made of brick. They were built in 1825 and 1826. This was when the main "A" mill was constructed. A mill is a building where raw materials are processed, like cotton into cloth.
More buildings were added in the 1840s. These included a wooden mill for processing cotton and a brick warehouse near the railroad tracks. Later, a businessman named David Nevins added six more buildings. He also built a new dam between 1879 and 1882. Dams help control water flow to power the mills.
Growing Town Center
The town center grew along Broadway and around Gaunt Square. This growth happened as the mills expanded. This area was always an important stop on the main north-south road.
Historic Buildings to See
You can still see old hotels and taverns from the mid-1800s. The Masonic Hall, for example, used to be a hotel. The old brick town hall was built in 1853. It has a style called Greek Revival, which looks like old Greek temples. From its parking lot, you can get great views of the Spicket valley.
Later, in the early 1900s, more important buildings were added. The central fire station was built in 1899 in a Romanesque Revival style. The Oddfellows' Hall, built in 1904, shows a Renaissance Revival style. Also, the railroad station was built in 1909. It has a Queen Anne style and was paid for by a kind person named Edward Searles.
