Adventureland
Formerly at 1 Scotland Road, at the intersection with Route 95
In operation from the 1950s - 1969. A gentleman whose family rented the caretaker’s house following the park's closing describes Adventureland: As you face the State Police Station you are looking at what was once the parking lot of Adventureland. An oval-shaped driveway circled around the parking lot, with a road to the left which led to a house and the other to the Castle, which was the main entrance. As you passed through the Castle you could follow one of three roads. If you went to the right, you headed to the Old Lady in the Shoe Slide and The Three Bears’ House and on to the Lion Cages and then a fenced-in area with other animals. If you stayed straight there was a gingerbread house which served as a concession stand and then to Jack and the Beanstalk. If you went to the left, you passed the souvenir shops and then the ship which looked out over Route 95, then to Dodge City, the Railroad Ride, and then to Fort Apache. A little red schoolhouse and Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater were also in this vicinity. The road then looped around to the back of Jack and the Beanstalk to a roller coaster, merry-go-round, and other amusements. When Route 95 was expanded to a four-lane highway in the late 1970s, the state took the sign for Adventureland and the caretaker’s house. The rest of the property was sold to the state, which razed the entire park.
Byfield Woolen Mill formerly at the falls, Byfield
This mill was the first incorporated textile mill in Massachusetts, established in 1794. The first year it was open, one could visit the mill for 10 cents admission. Sleighing parties from all across the region made the trip to see the mill in production. The building was 100 feet long, 40 feet wide and three stories high, quite
a sight at a time when a typical village mill might be 45 feet long, 20 feet wide and only two stories high. In this same building, Jacob Perkins of Newburyport developed the first nails which were both cut and headed by machine in America. It was rebuilt after a fire in 1860, but a fire in 1932 leveled the entire building. All that is left today is the mill dam at the Central Street bridge over the Parker River and the foundation on the east side of Central Street.
Chipman Mine formerly off of Scotland Road
Silver was discovered in a large field off Scotland Road in 1878. The Chipman Silver Mine produced $500,000 worth of silver before it closed in 1925.
Fernald's Auto Inn formerly on High Road, south of Parker River Bridge
In the "lawn" photo, the Parker River Bridge begins its northbound river crossing behind the two women. Today Fernald's Marine can be found on this spot; they are the largest dealer of small boats in New England.
Larkin Mill formerly on Larkin Road, Byfield
Also known as the Wheeler-Tenney Mill and Larkin-Morrill Mill, little is known of its early history. As far back as 1697 we find recorded David Wheeler of Rowley conveying to his son Nathan 30 acres in Newbury, including the mill site. Nathan granted his son, Nathan Jr., the land in 1734. It is thought that the most current buidling was built sometime in the 1770s. In 1796 Nathan Jr.'s children, Sarah Sawyer of Newburyport and Rebecca Noyes of Newbury, sold the 70 acres to Joseph Pearson. In 1804 Pearson conveyed 2.25 acres "together with the mill standing thereon" to Deacon Samuel Tenny of Newbury. It is believed that Deacon Tenney converted the c. 1770s mill to snuff production shortly thereafter. An 1811 map lists "Tenney's Snuff Factory" on the site. Thomas Larkin and Orlando Morrill purchased the mill sometime between 1822 and 1837. In the 1870s, Gorham Tenney and Daniel Bailey purchased the major interest in the mill from Larkin's heirs. The mill was purchased by the Pearson Tobacco Company of Kittery, Maine in 1899, and was later known as the Byfield Snuff Company. During the 20th century the mill was also known as Byfield Snuff Factory No. 1 and snuff grinding continued at the site until 1951.
For many years the building lay dormant. In 1990 the building was purchased by the town of Newbury but the site was never developed. The building fell into severe disrepair and became a public safety hazard. It was razed in April 2012.