Homes for Sale in Merrimac

Living In Merrimac, Massachusetts ……….

The Story of  Merrimac, Massachusetts  ~ Approximately 42 miles from Boston,  Merrimac sits on the west side of the Merrimack River and is bordered by the Merrimack River, Haverhill, New Hampshire. This area, a two distinct areas because the town is bifurcated by the I-495 highway. The area that runs from the I-495 to the Merrimac Rivers has large lots with big estate homes that front a long the river in some cases and the area that is west of the 495 is more of where the commercial hub and activity is especially along the Rotary area. Merrimac is a small town and is located within easy distance to NH and lots of recreational areas like Plumb Island.

Depending on your housing needs the Merrimac real estate market offers many home options. Primarily Merrimac is a single family suburb with a few two-family homes and some condos as well. Anyone considering Merrimac real estate needs to ask: Is the neighborhood the right fit?

Town of Merrimac, Ma 
This town used to be part of Salisbury and then when Amesbury broke off from Salisbury and Merrimac was know as the West Parish of Amesbury but then border disputes between NH and Amesbury, eventually Merrimac formed as their own town in 1876. As we have talked about on other town sites there was a lot of farming in the area but in this town it became famous for making horse drawn carriages especially with the proximity to Lawrence, which was a mill town for a long time. Once the “mills” moved to the Mid-West these industries left the area and only the history remains.

Residential Neighborhoods Merrimac is a newer town so, there are some antique homes but also new development which blend the old and new quite well from an urban planning perspective. The town offers long streets with houses along them and newer developments offer small cul-de-sac neighborhoods.

Merrimac Riverfront  Like the West Newbury riverfront , the Merrimac waterfront is sleepy and beautiful too. Being on the west side of the river Merrimac get the morning sun which is great for early birds.

Commuting from Merrimac, Ma 
Commuters from Merrimac needing to get into Boston have several options as I-495 , I-95 and Route 1 are all within close proximity but typically if you live out in this area you need to get somewhere between Amesbury/Newburyport and Lowell so typically the car would be used. Using the Commuter Rail line would be best if you were to take it from the MBTA Commuter Haverhill Line.

Population of Merrimac, MA 
Merrimac’s population has increased over time and the population boom was like much of the area where there was double digit growth between 1950 – 11970 same as the United States Population boom. Today there are approximately 6,700 residents which will surely increase as additional housing developments have been built.

Government of Merrimac, Ma 
The town operates with a Board of Selectman government and there are lots of committees in which to participate. The Selectmen appoint a Town Administrator to keep the business of the town running efficiently.

Water Supply and Sewage Treatment of Merrimac, MA 
The public water supply in Merrimac comes from two wells that are secured through and inspected by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP). MassDEP inspects the system to insure high quality water is available. Recently upgrades included leak detection and look for new water sources. The third Booster Station went online on West Main Street to help keep up with the increase in water flows due to the new residential development that went recently. Additionally replacing the 40+ year old wells at Sargent’s Pit remains a priority.

Trash Pick-up in Merrimac, Ma The Public Works Department asks that trash and recycling be out at the curb by 6:30 a.m. the day of collection.  Both curb-side trash and recycling are offered as well as a recycling center. Additionally, there is a dump in close by Georgetown for all kinds of things such as construction debris.

Electric Service in Merrimac, Ma Electric and Natural Gas Service is provided by  National Grid.

Education of Merrimac, Ma The Merrimac Public School District is part of the Pentucket Regional School District formed by the towns of Groveland, Merrimac, and West Newbury. Each town provides their own elementary school and for Merrimac the Elementary Schools are the Frederick N. Sweetsir School – named for a doctor who practiced in Merrimac and the Helen R. Donaghue School – named for a former principal of the school.

With an option of also attending a charter school in Newburyport: River Valley Charter School. The middle and high school campus for Pentucket are located in both West Newbury and Groveland. The schools give students the option to learn one of three languages: Spanish, German, and Latin. Every year the State of Massachusetts requires public school districts to participate in Standardized Testing called the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS). The test scores are published in the  Boston Globe  &  State of Massachusetts Elementary and Secondary Education Massachusetts offers a program entitled “School Choice” which allows students from neighboring towns to attend the local public school if there are spaces available and if the local School Committee decides this is in the best interest of the district. If there are spaces available, a notice is published in the local paper. There has been some discussion as to parents of children exercising this option to provide some compensation to the schools district. Each district is different so, please check with administration officials for the current policy.

For high school, students also have the options of attending Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School  offering students specializations in trades such as Automotive training, Autobody (collision repair and exterior designing of automotive vehicles), CAD/Drafting, Carpentry, Child Care, Cosmetology, Culinary, Design and Visual Communications, Electrical, Electronics/Robotics, Graphic Arts/Printing, Health Occupations (Nursing/Medical and Dental Training), HVAC, Machine Technology, Masonry, Marketing, Metal Fabrication, Office Technology (Microsoft Office training), Plumbing (Pipe Laying Master Certificate) and there is also the Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School in Danvers.

Private schools include The Governor’s Academy, Phillips Exeter Academy, Phillips Academy, Waring School, Central Catholic High School, St. John’s Preparatory School, Pingree School, and Shore Country Day School.

Library System in Merrimac, Ma 
The Merrimac Public Library hosts many programs conducted that are worth exploring.

Terrain of Merrimac, Ma 
West Newbury is a beautiful location sitting along the banks of the Merrimack River and encompasses 8.8 square miles, .4 square miles is water. The town climbs in elevation from the river to Market Square where the commercial activity is located.

Points of Interest located in Merrimac, Ma

Lake Attitash is a lake located on the border of Merrimac, Massachusetts and Amesbury, Massachusetts. There are beaches both on the Amesbury and Merrimac shores. Merrimac’s beach is known as Indian Head Park. The lake was formerly known as “Kimball’s Pond”. Motorized boats are allowed on the lake but know the depth is about 30′ with an average depth of 11′ with lots of docks and cottages around the perimeter .

Merrimac Square is where the rotary is in the center of town and is where the hustle and bustle happen for this area.

Merrimacport is an unincorporated village and the oldest section of the town of located along the Merrimack River it goes from the Southern Border of Amesbury to Locust Street.

Homes For Sale In Merrimac, Massachusetts

There are many types of homes for sale in Merrimac, Massachusetts!  Each Month we publish a “E-Newsletter” that details the number of sales so you can see the raw data.  Sign up for our “E-Newsletter” and get the housing scoop.  Additionally we will set up an IDX feed for homes that are for sale in Amesbury that you are specifically interested in.  For example if you only want o see home with “in-law units” then we will custom make your home search.  Just fill out the inquiry so we can get the information to you.

Housing Market in Merrimac, Massachusetts

What happened in 2020?  In this video we uncover what happened in Essex County and more! If you would like additional information and/or specific to Merrimac we have those numbers too! Just reach out whenever you are ready.

Why Work With Hottel Real Estate?

We only represent you in the transaction.  A lot of real estate agents will represent both sides and, we think that is a conflict of interest. Our clients consistently get a lower price than expected and make a good long term investment when they are a buyer.      Our sellers get the highest price because we help you get the property for sale and we implement cutting edge marketing programs.  Having been an urban planner, background in appraising and a Masters in Historic Preservation we bring knowledge that other agents and companies don’t have.  We are constantly pushing the envelope with marketing because if we don’t’ get the results you are looking for, we don’t have a business.  When you commit to us we commit to you so, when the time is right for you to buy, sell, rent or invest we are here to serve you.  We will be doing this for a long time so, you and your schedule is our time frame.  Welcome to the Hottel Real Estate Family!