Mechanics Block Historic District (Boundary Increase)

Eight attached brick rowhouses at 38-52 Union Street in Lawrence, Massachusetts, form the eastern end of the Mechanics Block and were added to the existing historic district. The Essex Company, founder of the city, built the single-family houses in 1847 for mechanics employed in its machine shop. They are typically 2½ stories, three bays wide, with granite lintels and sills, paired doorways with sidelights and transoms, and rear ells for kitchens. Deed restrictions reserved the houses for skilled craftsmen of the Lawrence Machine Company, and later owners such as the Everett Mills and Washington Mills kept that tradition. Over time the occupants shifted from English, Scottish and native-born workers to Irish and eventually Italian-American families. Some alterations have occurred, including new roofing, removed chimneys and a storefront. The block is valued as an example of New England factory housing, and the addition preserves the design integrity of the district.