History and Location

Centralville lies across the Merrimack River, north of Downtown Lowell, and is bounded by Dracut to its north and Pawtucketville to its west. Centralville, similar to Pawtucketville, was once a part of Dracut. In the 1830s, the Central Bridge Compant bought and subdivided farmland into house lots. The Central Bridge (now the John E. Cox Bridge) opened as a toll bridge. The owners hope that skilled mill workers, who did not like company housing, would be attracted to the new lots across the river - the toll; however, hindered sales.

Lakeview Avenue dates from the 1840s. A few isolated houses were built here, but again, development was slow. African American families on River Street provided safe places for slaves escaping from the South. When the toll on the Central Bridge was discontinued, lots were developed and in 1851 Centralville was annexed to Lowell. Today, there are pockets of South American, Asian and African immigrants in the neighborhood which continue to make Centralville a diverse locale.

Demographics:

Population:  15,808 (Census 2000) 

Median Household Income: $38,063 (1999 Dollars)

Parks and Recreation:

• St. Louis Playground
• McPherson Park
• Gage Field
• McDermott Reservoir
• Ferry Landing Park
• Varnum Park                                                                                                                                                   
• First Street Playgound                                                                                                                                      
• Riverfront Park                                                                                                                                                           
• Monsignor Keenan Playground

Historical Landmarks:

• Varnum Building, 401 Bridge Street. Built in 1882.
• Varnum School, 103 Sixth Street. Build in 1857.
• Brown-Maynard House, 84 Tenth Street. Built 1852-53.

Neighborhood Groups:

• Centralville Neighborhood Action Group (CNAG). CNAG meets the third Monday of the month at the Dom Polski Club (10 Coburn Street) at 6:30 p.m. For more information, contact
  Sandy McNamara, President
  78 Beaulieu St. Lowell, MA 01851
  Tel: 978-866-7394
  sandrajmac@comcast.net
• Centralville Neighborhood Partnership. Meets as needed.  

• Projects: 
• MIT’s Envisioning Centralville Plan
• Moulton Square (completed)