Lawrence, Massachusetts
Lawrence, Massachusetts, the middle of the three major mill cities on the Merrimack River, has been a city of immigrants and industry for its entire history. Built in the 1840's, it was the nation's first planned industrial city. Today, it continues to be primarily an urban center focused on manufacturing.
The larger Greater Lawrence area also includes a several attractive residential communities, including Andover, North Andover, and Methuen.
Like its sister cities of Lowell and Haverhill, Lawrence was at its zenith as a textile mill town in the roughly one-hundred-year period ending in the 1950's. Surprisingly, some textile manufacturing still exists to this day, although the current emphasis is in the high-tech and health care industries. The city's proximity to Routes 495 and 93, providing easy access to Boston and other markets, adds to its appeal as an industrial center.
Given this long history of manufacturing, it stands to reason that Lawrence would be known as the "Immigrant City." Since its founding, wave after wave of immigrant workers have populated Lawrence, beginning with the Irish and continuing today with people from Vietnam and Cambodia. The current population of around 70,000 is sixty percent Hispanic, giving the city's economy and culture a decided Latino flavor.
This multi-cultural, multi-ethnic makeup brings Lawrence a special energy. The city enjoys a high level of commitment within the neighborhoods, and the quality of life has been greatly enhanced in recent years by the activism within the community. This is exhibited in part by the large number of ethnic festivals – Irish, Italian, Hispanic, and others - held throughout the year. One notable example is the Bread and Roses Festival, held on Labor Day at the Lawrence Heritage State Park. Celebrating the city's ethnic diversity and labor history, the festival is named for the 1912 strike that spawned the birth of the organized labor movement.
There is no question that Lawrence has experienced a great degree of difficulty since the decline of the mills. But a forward-thinking and optimistic attitude and a substantial amount of private redevelopment investment make the future of the city appear much brighter.=
Sources:
 |
||
|
new hampshire
|
||
|
|
Innovative Realty Corporate Office
|
|
|
|
66 Gilcreast, Londonderry, New Hampshire 03053
|
|
|
Phone| 603-434-4101
|
Toll Free | 800-746-8448
|
FAX | 603-434-7342
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
||
|
Website by Nashua Web Design
|
||