Merrimac is a small
town
A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world.
Origin and use
The word "town" shares an ori ...
in
Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, and on the southeastern border of
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the nor ...
, approximately northeast of
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
and west of the
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...
. It was incorporated on April 11, 1876. It is situated along the north bank of the
Merrimack River
The Merrimack River (or Merrimac River, an occasional earlier spelling) is a river in the northeastern United States. It rises at the confluence of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers in Franklin, New Hampshire, flows southward into M ...
in the
Merrimack Valley
The Merrimack Valley is a bi-state region along the Merrimack River in the U.S. states of New Hampshire and Massachusetts. The Merrimack is one of the larger waterways in New England and has helped to define the livelihood and culture of those ...
. The population was 6,723 at the
2020 census.
Historically a
mill town, it has long since become a largely
residential community. It is part of the
Greater Boston
Greater Boston is the metropolitan region of New England encompassing the municipality of Boston (the capital of the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the most populous city in New England) and its surrounding areas. The region forms the northern a ...
metropolitan area.
History
Settled by the English in 1638 as a part of
Salisbury
Salisbury ( ) is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers Avon, Nadder and Bourne. The city is approximately from Southampton and from Bath.
Salisbury is in the southeast of ...
and later as a part of
Amesbury around the village of
Merrimacport, it was known throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries as an agricultural and fishing community, with a small amount of shipbuilding. When Amesbury separated from Salisbury in 1666, Merrimac was referred to as the West Parish of Amesbury, or simply West Amesbury, although it was unincorporated. When a border dispute between the Massachusetts and New Hampshire colonies was settled in 1741, the new border sliced off the parts of Amesbury that were further from the Merrimack River, with the area then associated with West Amesbury becoming the "new town" of
Newton, New Hampshire
Newton is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,820 at the 2020 census.
History
The sixth town to be granted from the Masonian land purchase of 1746, Newton was originally part of Salisbury, Massachu ...
.
In 1771, the West Parish of Amesbury (present-day Merrimac) had a population of at least four enslaved Africans. They were held in bondage by town residents Isaac Merrill, Benjamin Morse, and Wells Chase. At least one former enslaved African, "Forte," who was sold by an unknown West Newbury slaver to Christopher Sargent, became locally famous for his fiddling after the abolition of slavery in Massachusetts.
In the nineteenth century, benefiting from a manufacturing boom following the establishment of some of the first planned industrial cities in the United States, nearby
Lawrence
Lawrence may refer to:
Education Colleges and universities
* Lawrence Technological University, a university in Southfield, Michigan, United States
* Lawrence University, a liberal arts university in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States
Preparator ...
and
Lowell, Merrimac came to be known worldwide for its horse-drawn carriage industry. During this period, the town proper of Merrimac, centered around
Merrimac Square, expanded separately from the village of Merrimacport. In 1876, Merrimac, including Merrimacport, separated from Amesbury and officially incorporated itself as a town. It is believed that the town, as well as the river that runs along its southern border, are both named for the
American Indian tribe that occupied the region. "Merrimac" (or ''Merrimack'') means "swift water place" in the language of this tribe. This town center consists of the typical brick buildings and
Victorian architecture
Victorian architecture is a series of architectural revival styles in the mid-to-late 19th century. ''Victorian'' refers to the reign of Queen Victoria (1837–1901), called the Victorian era, during which period the styles known as Victorian we ...
of the late nineteenth century, and it is surrounded by much of the town's population.
Interstate 495 now divides Merrimacport from Merrimac. At the beginning of the twentieth century, as with the rest of the
New England
New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the Can ...
, it went through a period of deindustrialization as the region's industry relocated to the
Midwest. The communities of the Merrimack Valley, including Merrimac, were particularly affected by this long period of economic decline and have never fully recovered.
Today, Merrimac is a typical small New England community. It went through numerous growth spurts throughout the 1990s and the beginning of the twenty-first century as it was absorbed into the
Lawrence
Lawrence may refer to:
Education Colleges and universities
* Lawrence Technological University, a university in Southfield, Michigan, United States
* Lawrence University, a liberal arts university in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States
Preparator ...
metropolitan area.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...
, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 4.48%, is water. Merrimac is drained by the
Merrimack River
The Merrimack River (or Merrimac River, an occasional earlier spelling) is a river in the northeastern United States. It rises at the confluence of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers in Franklin, New Hampshire, flows southward into M ...
, whose north bank the town lies on. Located in the Merrimack River Valley and on the coastal plain of Massachusetts, Merrimac's land consists mainly of small, forested hills (before the twentieth century, it was mostly pasture). The town also has several ponds, streams and
Lake Attitash (which is located partially in Merrimac, and partially in neighboring Amesbury).
Merrimac is roughly diamond-shaped, and is bordered by
Amesbury and
Lake Attitash to the northeast,
West Newbury
West Newbury is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. Situated on the Merrimack River, its population was 4,500 at the 2020 census.
History
Originally inhabited by Agawam or Naumkeag peoples, West Newbury was settled by Eng ...
to the southeast,
Haverhill to the southwest,
Newton, New Hampshire
Newton is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,820 at the 2020 census.
History
The sixth town to be granted from the Masonian land purchase of 1746, Newton was originally part of Salisbury, Massachu ...
, to the north and northwest,
South Hampton, New Hampshire, to the far northeast, and
Plaistow, New Hampshire
Plaistow (, ) is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 7,830 at the 2020 census.
History
Plaistow was officially established as a town in 1749 after the 1739 resolution ...
, on the western corner. The town is northeast of
Lawrence
Lawrence may refer to:
Education Colleges and universities
* Lawrence Technological University, a university in Southfield, Michigan, United States
* Lawrence University, a liberal arts university in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States
Preparator ...
, southeast of
Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester is a city in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. It is the most populous city in New Hampshire. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 115,644.
Manchester is, along with Nashua, one of two seats of New Ha ...
, and north of Boston. Merrimac lies along
Interstate 495, with Exit 53 giving access to the town.
Massachusetts Route 110
Route 110 is a southwest–northeast state route in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. Route 110’s western terminus is at a concurrency of Route 12 and Route 140 in West Boylston, and its eastern terminus is at the junction of U.S. 1 and Rou ...
also passes through the town, just north of I-495. There are no bridges crossing the Merrimack directly into the town; the Rocks Village Bridge lies just to the south of town in Haverhill, and the nearest downstream crossing is the Whittier Memorial Bridge in Amesbury.
Demographics
As of the census
of 2000, there were 6,138 people, 2,233 households, and 1,699 families residing in the town. The population density was 719.6 people per square mile (277.8/km). There were 2,295 housing units at an average density of 269.1 per square mile (103.9/km). The racial makeup of the town was 98.27%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
, 0.39%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.11%
Native American, 0.28%
Asian, 0.29% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 0.65% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
or
Latino of any race were 0.90% of the population.
There were 2,233 households, out of which 40.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.8% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.9% were non-families. 19.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.16.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 29.0% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $58,692, versus $65,401 statewide, and the median income for a family was $69,118. Males had a median income of $48,718 versus $35,325 for females. The per capita income for the town was $24,869. About 1.9% of families and 2.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.7% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Merrimac is governed by the
New England town meeting form of government, a kind of participatory
direct democracy. Three
selectmen are elected to administer the government, but all major decisions, as well as many minor decisions, are handled during the town's
annual town meeting, as well as
special town meetings, if required. The board of selectman has three seats. The current chair of the board is Ben Beaulieu, Chris Manni is the clerk, and the other member is Joel Breen.
Per the constitution of the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
, any resident of Merrimac may introduce legislation with the support of 10 registered voters.
Merrimac is part of the
Massachusetts Senate's 1st Essex district.
Education
The following schools in the
Pentucket Regional School District serve the town of Merrimac. All regional schools, however, are located in neighboring
West Newbury
West Newbury is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. Situated on the Merrimack River, its population was 4,500 at the 2020 census.
History
Originally inhabited by Agawam or Naumkeag peoples, West Newbury was settled by Eng ...
. Merrimac High School operated until 1958, but closed when
Pentucket Regional High School opened.
* Frederick N. Sweetsir School – named for a doctor who practiced in Merrimac
* Helen R. Donaghue School – named for a former principal of the school
* Pentucket Regional Middle School
*
Pentucket Regional High School
For high school, students also have the option of attending the following vocational/agricultural schools.
*
Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School
*
Essex Agricultural and Technical High School
Notable people
*
Dennis Berran, outfielder for the
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...
*
Pat Freiermuth, Tight End for the
NFL's
Pittsburgh Steelers, drafted 55th overall in 2021
*
Richard P. Gabriel, computer scientist known for his contributions to the
Lisp programming language
Lisp (historically LISP) is a family of programming languages with a long history and a distinctive, fully parenthesized prefix notation.
Originally specified in 1960, Lisp is the second-oldest high-level programming language still in common u ...
community
*
Ephraim Morse
Ephraim W. Morse (October 16, 1823 – January 17, 1906) was an early settler of the city of San Diego, and was partially responsible for many of its expansions as a city, such as attracting the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and proposing B ...
, early settler of
San Diego, California
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United Stat ...
and one of the founders of
Balboa Park
*
Henry Boynton Smith, Presbyterian theologian
*
Kevin J. Sullivan, Massachusetts politician and former mayor of
Lawrence
Lawrence may refer to:
Education Colleges and universities
* Lawrence Technological University, a university in Southfield, Michigan, United States
* Lawrence University, a liberal arts university in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States
Preparator ...
*
George W. Weymouth, Massachusetts politician and former
U.S. Representative
Sites of interest
*
Lake Attitash (and Indian Head Park)
* The Merrimac Public Library, which is part of the
Merrimack Valley Library Consortium.
*
Merrimac Square
*
Merrimac Town Forest
* Merrimac Training Field
*
Merrimacport
Annual events
Merrimac is home to several regional events:
* The Merrimac Santa Parade
*
Merrimac Old Home Days
Image:Merrimac Town Hall, MA.jpg, Town Hall on the Square
Image:Pilgrim Congregational Church, Merrimac MA.jpg, Pilgrim Congregational Church
Image:Merrimac-westnewbury-aerial.jpg, Aerial view of Merrimac and neighboring West Newbury
References
External links
Town of Merrimac official websiteMerrimac Public Library1872 Map of Amesbury(Merrimac was then known as West Amesbury) from plate 9 of the 1872 Atlas of Essex County.
1884 Map of Merrimacfrom plate 172 of the 1884 Atlas of Essex County.
1884 Map of Merrimacportfrom plate 154 of the 1884 Atlas of Essex County.
1884 Map of Merrimac Villagefrom plate 151 of the 1884 Atlas of Essex county.
1888 Merrimac articleby William T. Davis on pages 1535–1556 in Volume II of the History of Essex County Massachusetts with Biographical Sketches, published by D. Hamilton Hurd in 1888.
1922 Merrimac articleChapter 30 on pages 313–318 of Volume I of the Municipal History of Essex County, edited by Benjamin F. Arrington, published 1922 by Lewis Historical Publishing.
{{authority control
Towns in Essex County, Massachusetts
Towns in Massachusetts
Massachusetts populated places on the Merrimack River