Methuen, Industrial city in Essex County, Massachusetts
Methuen is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, situated where the Merrimack and Spicket Rivers meet. The town spans about 23 square miles and sits as a natural boundary between Lawrence and Haverhill.
The settlement began in 1642 as part of Haverhill and became independent when it incorporated in 1725. It was named after Sir Paul Methuen, a British diplomat, reflecting the region's early ties to Britain.
You will find a concert hall from 1893 that houses one of the country's oldest surviving pipe organs with an ornately carved case. The building reflects how wealthy industrial families once invested in arts and music, making this a center for cultural life in the region.
Interstate highways 93 and 495 provide quick access to Boston and Manchester from the city. Local bus services operated by the Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority connect different parts of town and nearby communities.
A historic district preserves many houses from the 1800s that were built by wealthy factory owners and industrial families. These buildings reveal how prosperous the area once was and how much power industrialists held in the region.
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