History

Presidents’ Day in Lowell

Contemporary readers might be surprised to learn that of the 47 individuals who have served as President of the United States, at least 15 of them have visited Lowell. Below is my list of the names and dates of these visits. If anyone knows of anymore, please let us know…

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The Lowell City School Library – 1844

From the Pollard Memorial Library’s “Library History” webpage: Lowell’s public library was founded on May 20, 1844 by an enactment of the Lowell City Council. At the time, the idea of “free” public libraries supported by solely by municipalities was a relatively new one, but the leaders of Lowell clearly…

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The Beatles in Haverhill, 1964

A Catholic Schoolboy Discovers The Beatles (Haverhill, Mass., 1964) By Mike McCormick THE AIR CRACKLED as my fifth-grade classmates hung up their coats on the metal racks in the back of the room at St. James School. “Did you see Ringo’s rings?” “I love ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand!’” “Who’s…

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Lowell’s Mid-Century Modern Architecture: Eugene Weisberg

Lowell’s Mid-Century Modern Architecture: Eugene Weisberg By Marie Frank Marie Frank is the Director of the Art History and Architectural Studies Programs at University of Massachusetts Lowell. She holds a doctorate in Architectural History from the University of Virginia. Lowell’s nineteenth-century architecture dominates its skyline and the history books. But…

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Racist Deed Restrictions

On Sunday, WBUR (Boston’s NPR radio station) posted a story about race or ethnic-based restrictive covenants in Massachusetts land records. The story also ran in Sunday’s Lowell Sun and was on the air and online from WBUR on Monday. Today I’ll supplement that story with additional information about the documents…

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