5 minute read
Haverhill, A Hive of Activity Haverhill
Above: Architect's rendering of a versatile collaboration space under development on the ground floor of the Burgess Building at the Haverhill Center. designLAB, 2024.
by CARISSA DEMORE, Team Leader for Preservation Services
When William Burgess and Howard Lang opened the world’s largest concrete shoe factories in downtown Haverhill, Massachusetts, a century ago, they had many reasons to be excited: the beautiful brick buildings of Haverhill’s bustling downtown, the easy connections to the train station and major roadways, and of course the space and flexibility the new factory buildings offered to support a variety of uses. Today, these same features provide the foundation for Historic New England’s most ambitious project in our 114-year history: using our preservation expertise and our unparalleled object and archival collections to create a cultural destination and vibrant mixed-use district in the heart of the New England region.
In 1914, Haverhill was a thriving manufacturing center, with hundreds of shoe-related businesses producing tens of thousands of pairs of shoes daily. Burgess and Lang envisioned the two factories on Essex Street as parts of a whole—a beehive of industrial activity. Last summer, Historic New England reunited this urban beehive by securing our ownership of both buildings and three open lots across Essex Street, a main thoroughfare into downtown Haverhill. Together, these properties will become a living archive, with space to explore the collections, permanent and changing exhibitions, and educational and communal spaces. The scale of the campus creates opportunities for complementary development, such as a hotel, housing, and commercial and retail activity that will bring life to an enhanced streetscape.
Our vision for the future of this complex is generating enormous interest and hundreds of people have been visiting, learning, and partnering with us as we move forward with our plans. Last summer and fall, Historic New England hosted vibrant programs in our outdoor spaces, led tours of the collections in storage, and held events to bring people together to talk about the future of Historic New England in Haverhill. This summer, we’re taking an exciting step to invite even more people into the process as we develop a dynamic Welcome Center on the ground floor of the Burgess building.
It will take many years to realize the full potential of the campus as a center of creativity and cultural connection, and the Welcome Center is an important way to build toward that goal. Compared to our thirty-eight museum properties, the Haverhill factories present a very different way for people to engage with community history, Historic New England, and our unfolding plans for the future. We’re thrilled to strip out the 1980s partition walls and tired carpet, bringing the Burgess building back to its raw, industrial foundations. Then, working with a team of architects and contractors, we will build a flexible and accessible Welcome Center that connects the rich history of the collections with exciting digital media and public programs. The goal is to create a space that engages with the alley between the buildings, the sidewalk, and even the train station (a mere 250 feet away!).
In the century since Burgess and Lang established their shoe factories in downtown Haverhill, the landscape has transformed, yet their legacy continues. As we move forward with our plans in Haverhill, we are reminded that while our journey may span years, the impact will resonate for generations to come. Together, we are shaping not just a destination, but a community built on inclusivity, creativity, and connection. We look forward to welcoming you to the future of Haverhill, where history meets innovation and the spirit of collaboration propels us forward.
For more information on the Historic New England Center for Preservation and Collections, including event listings and sponsorship opportunities, visit HaverhillCenter.org.
