History of Rowley, Massachusetts, USA

The bridge was the first stone arch bridge in North America, constructed entirely of hand-chiseled granite and contained no mortar.

Rowley, Massachusetts
Essex county. This town was first settled by a party of industrious and pious persons from Yorkshire, Eng., in 1639. They erected the first fulling mill in New England, and manufactured the first cloth in North America. There are a great variety of soils in the town; a large part is salt meadow, and the residue is fertile and productive. It comprises a part of Plum island, and large tracts of wood land. It is watered by Rowley river, which rises from several ponds in Boxford. This river affords a water power, and before its junction with Plum Island Sound, forms a harbor for vessels of moderate draught of water, and in which many vessels have been built.

Ancient Rowley was divided in 1838: its western part was detached and incorporated by the name of Georgetown. Since this division Rowley possesses but little manufacturing interest, but a valuable agricultural one, to which its inhabitants are principally devoted.

This ancient town is very pleasant, and...

Rowley was named in honor of its first minister, who had previously been settled at Rowley in England, and who afterwards left a considerable legacy to the town.

Rowley once included Bradford, Boxford, and Georgetown.

Rowley, a post-village in Essex co., Massachusetts, on the Eastern railroad, 29 miles N. N. E. from Boston, contains several churches. Pop. of the township, 1075.

Rowley, lying in the eastern part of Essex County, is territorially long and narrow, extending from the ocean, between Newbury and Georgetown on the north, and Ipswich. on, the south, some ten miles to Boxford, on the southwest.

The eastern part (including a section of Plum Island) is marshy, nearly 2,000 acres being annually mown, yielding about the same number of tons of hay. Westward the land is, in different parts, level and undulating. Prospect Hill, 264 feet high, rises near on the southwest of the village, and Bradford Street Hill on the west; with one or two small hills beyond these. The geological formation is alluvium, sienite and porphyry. The principal streams are Mill River, with its affluents; Great Swamp Brook and smaller streams, flowing northeasterly into Parker's River; and Rowley River, forming part of the southern line, and navigable for small vessels nearly to Rowley village, near the middle line and south side of the town.

The assessed area is 10,371 acres. ...

Rowley, a post-village in Rowley township, Essex co, Mass., on the Eastern Railroad, 31 miles N.N.E. of Boston. It has 2 churches, a hotel, and manufactures of boots, shoes, &c. The township is bounded E. by the Atlantic, and contains extensive salt-marshes, Pop. of township, 1162.