Planting Grounds

The Plantation at Haverhill was a beautiful landscape of rolling hills and sweeping meadows stretching from the west where Long Hill rose above the Little River, eastward to Great Pond and the riverbanks at Holts Rocks. It occupied an abundance of rich fertile if rocky soil, which was ideal for single family farms. Land ownership was prized and a man’s worth in relation to the amount of property he possessed determined the number of acres that was awarded to him. Under this arrangement house lots were granted in the village and meadowlands were assigned in the same exact proportion elsewhere. In many cases a meadow lot was several miles from the house of its owner as was the case with townsman Daniel Ladd.

Ladd had his house in the village while his planting grounds were in two separate locations. One was in the plain about two miles east of the village near today’s Riverside neighborhood while the second was up river just about as far to the west of the village near the present section of River Street that is now home to several car dealerships. His meadowlands were in seven separate lots in as many different directions. East meadow was in the easterly part of town, three miles from his home, while Spicket meadow was at least eight miles in the opposite direction. Pond meadow was two miles northeast; Hawke’s meadow some three miles west; Primrose swamp two miles northwest; and Mistake meadow somewhere in the westerly part of town.

The first homes were simple, cottage-like shelters about 16 feet long and 14 feet wide. Their walls were made of rough-hewn notched timber. The roofs were sloped to shed the snow. Some were thatched with long, tough grass, in the old English style. At first, chimneys were made of logs covered with clay, but fireproof brick chimneys were soon constructed. Later clapboards were used to cover the walls and roofs were shingled. Heavy wooden shutters were used instead of glass windowpanes.

One of the early objectives of the town was the building of a meetinghouse. Religion played an important role in Puritan life but religious meetings here were held mostly in private homes or outdoors under the canopy of an oak tree. In 1648 a house of worship was finally constructed that had no gallery and no cupola but occupied a prominent spot next to the burial ground and facing the river.

Soon the General Court ordered the town to establish a ferry for the convenience of passengers. The river was an obstacle to places south and the authorities wanted a passage to Andover and points beyond. The crossing was established at a place called Old Ferry Way. About that time a highway was laid out along the banks of the river that is now Water Street. No grants of land were permitted from the south side of the street to the river nor were improvements permitted in the plain between the village and the ferry, a deliberate action by the selectmen to keep the riverbanks unobstructed.