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Amesbury
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Amesbury is a suburban community with an unusual industrial and
manufacturing history. First settled by Europeans in 1645, the town's
earliest industries included mills, shipyards and a heavily used ferry
operation across the Merimac River to Newburyport. There were always
scattered farms in the community, but unlike most Colonial settlements,
agriculture was secondary to an aggressive maritime and industrial
economy.
By the 19th century, the shipbuilding, shipping and fishing which had
employed most of the population was giving way to textiles, ironworks,
saw and grist mills that had been established on a 90' drop of the Powow
River, which provided crucial water power.
Among the most interesting of Amesbury's products were the carriages
wheich achieved some renown in the area. The same company made the
transition into the 20th century by converting its production into
making automobile bodies, and until the Great Depression of 1929, auto
body making was a major industry in the town. The same handsome stone
industrial buildings that once made nails and cloth are now filled with
a diversity of manufactured products and the situation of Amesbury at a
transportation crossroads of Interstate 95 and 495 gives the town a good
competitive edge for both residential and commercial development. Along
with the sturdy 19th century commercial buildings, Amesbury is also rich
in Federal-period residences, which the community carefully preserves as
its link with the past.
Narrative based on information provided by the Massachusetts Historical
Commission
Department of Housing and Community
Development Mitt Romney, Governoer, Jane Wallis Gumble, Director
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LOCATION:
Northeastern Massachusetts, bordered by Merrimac on the west; South
Hampton, New Hampshire, on the north; Salisbury on the east; and
Newburyport and West Newbury on the south. Amesbury is located on the
Merrimack River 10 miles northeast of Haverhill, 43 miles north of
Boston, and 260 miles from New York City.
Total Area: 13.65 sq miles
Land Area: 12,41 sq miles
Population: 16,450
Average Home Price: $367,217
Tax Rate: $15.76
Click here to visit official Town site
FORM OF GOVERNMENT:
Board of Selectmen
Town Manager Representative Town Meeting
YEAR INCORPORATED
As a town: 1668
TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS:
The development of transportation resources in the Merrimack River
Valley, where Amesbury is situated, was shaped by the history of the
region as a major site of American industrial development in the
nineteenth century. The area has exceptionally good highway and rail
facilities linking t he major cities and towns to each other and to the
port, airport, and intermodal facilities of Boston.
MAJOR HIGHWAYS
The principal highways serving the area are Interstate 95, which runs
from Maine to Florida, and Interstate 495, the Outer Belt around Boston.
RAIL:
There is no passenger or freight rail service in Amesbury, but the
network of intermodal facilities serving Massachusetts is easily
accessible.
BUS:
Amesbury is a member of the Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority
(MVRTA). which provides fixed route service between Haverhill, Amesbury,
and Newburyport. By the end of the 1994 the town expects to receive
paratransit service from the MVRTA.
OTHER
The Newburyport-Plum Island Airport, a privately owned public-use
facility, is easily accessible from Amesbury. It has a 2,520'x 50'
asphalt runway. Instrument approaches available: Non-precision.
*(Information from the Mass.gov website) |
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