History of Amesbury - Merrill.org

HISTORY OF AMESBURY. 39 1
At the presidential election in November there were four
hundred and seventy-five Republican and one hundred and
ninety-five Democratic votes cast.
An appropriation of $200 was made to paint the Merrimac
Engine house.
Rev. E. M. Bartlett was installed pastor of the Baptist church
and society at West Amesbury in October of this year.
Rev. Samuel S. Spear was elected rector of St. James church
and retained till 1877.
The Salisbury Mills Company commenced building a dam late
in the season last year and completed the work this year. It
is a massive dam, substantially built, and will not be likely to
wash away soon. It is situated a little below the Joppa dam,
crossing the Powow river at the base of Powow hill, and is of
sufficient height to flow back to the state line, making a pond
of some three hundred acres, known as lake " Gardner." The
erection of this dam affords the company an opportunity to
build one or more mills, which if built would greatly advance
the price of real estate in that section. A long period of pros-
perous business had enabled the company to lay by a large
surplus, some $60,000 of which was expended in the erection
of this dam and expense of flowage.
Lake Gardner in the summer season is a beautiful sheet of
water and a place of very general resort. It is well stocked
with fish of various kinds.
The Merrimac Opera hall at the Mills was built this year by
Messrs. Kelley and Woods at an expense of $19,242. It is very
generally used for lectures and exhibitions, and is of sufficient
capacity to hold a very large assembly. Town meetings are, also,
held in it and it supplies a want not before provided for.
1873.
The interior of the Congregational church at the Mills was
greatly improved this year by new walls, frescoing and reseating.
The exterior was, also, repaired and the whole expense was
about $7,000.
The history of this house is not without interest at the pres-
ent time. It was built by the Unitarians, some of whom had
been holding meetings in the Academy and, probably, some