Haverhill, Massachusetts
Haverhill, the easternmost of the "big three" mill towns along the Merrimack River, is possibly the quirkiest and most interesting. If Lowell is characterized by its national park and Lawrence by its immigrant heritage, Haverhill could be characterized by variety, in its landscape and its culture.
Smaller than its two sisters, with an estimated 2006 population of around 60,000, Haverhill is a city of contrasts. The central city retains much of its mill era character, but there are also rural areas with active agriculture with the city's borders. The downtown is notable for its large number of antiques dealers and its growing arts and crafts district along Wingate Street.
Originally settled in the mid-seventeenth century as a farmland, the area quickly began to involve into an industrial center, first with boat building and tanneries and culminating in the 1820's with the shoe industry, which dominated the economy for almost 200 years. In 1910, Haverhill, then known as the "Queen Slipper City," manufactured no less than 10 percent of all of the shoes in America. Today, industry is varied but dominated by computer tech and research companies, occupying space in seven industrial parks and several business districts including the rehabilitated central business district downtown.
The number of lifestyle options in and around Haverhill makes the area appealing. In addition to the variety of choices – rural to urban – within the city limits, the city also is circled by a number of attractive suburban communities like Groveland, Methuen, and Merrimac, MA and Plaistow, Atkinson, and Newton, NH.
Haverhill also offers easy access to Boston, both by car and rail. The Haverhill Commuter Rail station is also an Amtrak stop, where riders can catch the extremely popular Downeaster train to Portland, Maine.
Another part of Haverhill's appeal is its access to recreation. The city has four golf courses, a downhill ski area, and a skating rink, plus lots of opportunities for boating and walking along the banks of the river, where a growing population of American bald eagles can be seen. The city's historical society also maintains the Buttonwood Museum, an historical site overlooking the river, where it offers hands-on programs to trace the history of the area from Native American settlements to the present.
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Innovative Realty Corporate Office
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66 Gilcreast, Londonderry, New Hampshire 03053
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Phone| 603-434-4101
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Toll Free | 800-746-8448
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FAX | 603-434-7342
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