HISTORY

For much of its history beginning from the time of its settlement in 1642, Amesbury has been a center of manufacturing. The city was home to a once-thriving hat-making industry and was the country's leading manufacturing center for horse-drawn carriages. Many mills in Amesbury were powered by the Powow River which descends through the Upper Millyard, flowing through Market Square to the Lower Millyard before merging with the Merrimac River.

The migration of manufacturing to the South and the advent of the automobile causing the demise of the carriage left under-utilized mill buildings along both rivers. During the past three decades much of the remaining industrial activity in Amesbury has moved away from the urban core, replaced with a mix of uses that take reflect the best attributes of new urbanism - an historic town center with a diversify of businesses and uses with the recreational benefits and scenic beauty of a tidal river and easy access by foot and automobile