{"nrhp_refnum":"84002403","name":"Methuen Water Works","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"Cross St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Methuen","county":"Essex County","state":"MA","lat":42.73976058300008,"lon":-71.21413714199997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1984-01-20","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A brick waterworks building on Cross Street in Methuen, Massachusetts, built in 1893 to a design by E. F. Boyden of Boston. It contains an engine room and a boiler room and is still used as a waterworks.","why_significant":"The nomination presents it as a well-conserved late 19th century example of Romanesque Revival style, applied to a functional utility building. It also marks a major undertaking for the town, built after the 1893 establishment of a Water Board and supported by donations from leading citizens. The form says it meets criteria A and C.","narrative":"Built in 1893 on Cross Street in Methuen, this red brick waterworks was designed by Boston architect E. F. Boyden in the Romanesque Revival style. The building holds a 27 by 33 foot engine room and a 27 by 34 foot boiler room. Slate-covered conical and hip roofs, the latter topped by a shingled cupola, are well executed, and round-arched and rectangular windows have granite sills. The site near the junction of the Spicket River and Harris Pond Brook was chosen as the most favorable after a Water Board was established in 1893. E. Worthington, Jr. and Company of Boston surveyed the site and drove the wells, and a reservoir was built on Foster's Hill. Completing the system was a significant undertaking for the town, aided by donations from leading citizens including Daniel W. Tenney, E. J. Castle and Charles Mann. It remains in use as a waterworks and retains integrity of location, design, setting and workmanship.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"E. F. Boyden, Boston (architect)","architectural_style":"Romanesque Revival","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Still used as a waterworks; a small addition was made at the rear.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:56.348555-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/10/7901/63790110/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/84002403.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/84002403/cd5ac6c0ad-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/84002403/cd5ac6c0ad-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"EraserGirl","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Methuen_water_department.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">EraserGirl</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Methuen_water_department.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63790110","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methuen_Water_Works","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6823909"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/essex-county/methuen-water-works-84002403/"}