Lawrence Street Cemetery
Why it's listed
Lawrence Street Cemetery is a 1.6-acre municipal burial ground in Methuen, Massachusetts, laid out on a grassy, relatively flat lot dotted with mature conifers. The town bought the land in 1832, southeast of the Spicket River Falls and the Medford-Andover Turnpike, as the town center moved from Meetinghouse Hill to present-day Gaunt Square. About 200 stones survive, mostly slate or marble with rectangular or arched tops. The earliest are carved with willow motifs, while later ones carry sentimental Victorian inscriptions. In 1891 Edward F. Searles, whose estate stood across the street, built an eight-foot granite wall around the north and west sides, a granite gatehouse and a tomb for his wife, all in rough-faced coursed granite with French Medieval influences. The cemetery was listed for its integrity and for its links to the growth of Methuen Center and to the Searles family. It remains in generally good condition.
Significance in brief: The cemetery reflects the shift of Methuen's town center from Meetinghouse Hill to present-day Gaunt Square and retains integrity of location, design, setting, materials and workmanship. It is also associated with Edward F. Searles, who added the granite wall, gatehouse and a tomb for his wife in 1891. It was found to meet criteria A and B.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 84002399, listed January 20, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Lawrence St., Methuen |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | January 20, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002399 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Architect / builder | Edward F. Searles (commissioned the 1891 wall, gatehouse and tomb) |
| Architectural style | French Medieval design influences (Tenny tomb, gatehouse and wall, rough-faced coursed granite) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as generally in good condition, with few broken or overturned stones; owned by the Town of Methuen. |
| Acreage | 1.6 |
| Coordinates | 42.72750, -71.18194 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Sites (archaeological sites, battlefields, landscapes) are often listed with a restricted address to protect them from looting or disturbance. Listing is honorary for private owners; federal undertakings on or near the site go through Section 106 review, and state laws may protect burials and artefacts regardless of listing.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 84002399.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6504614
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.