From the Executive Director's Desk - An Evening at the Poyen House
Among many exciting programs ACM has had the pleasure of debuting this year, we are delighted to announce our first visit to a local private home, rich with the history of the carriage industry! You may have seen the grand home at 177 Main Street, which is currently on the market with Keller Williams.
The 1880s Queen Anne style home was built by John S. Poyen, Jr. Poyen was a major supplier of carriage hardware and finishing trims. The business was founded in the 1850s in Merrimac by Poyen, Sr. It grew to include two large brick business blocks, one in Merrimac, and one at 77 Elm Street in Amesbury.
The thriving Amesbury carriage industry bolstered the Poyen family finances, and Poyen, Jr. married Fannie Huntington, the eldest daughter of Jacob R. Huntington (the founder of Amesbury carriage making). In the 1880s, Poyen found himself building a home along Main Street, in an area that became a "who's who" of the carriage industry in Amesbury. His neighbors included Huntington, John Hume, William E. Biddle, Robert O. Patten, S.R. Bailey, and George W. Osgood, as well as Merrills, Dennetts, Curriers, and Morrills.
Photograph of 177 Main Street, 1884-1885. (Courtesy of Barry Simpson.) John S. Poyen & Co. advertisement in The Amesbury Vehicle, November, 1890. (From the Collection of The Amesbury Carriage Museum.) Portrait of John S. Poyen, Jr., in The Amesbury Daily, Souvenir Edition, January 29th, 1891. (From the Collection of The Amesbury Carriage Museum.)
Join us on Friday, August 4th from 6:00 to 7:30 PM, at 177 Main Street, to enjoy refreshments, and to step back in time to this heyday of the Amesbury carriage industry. John S. Poyen, Jr.'s story will continue with a presentation and a special guided tour of the home with the current homeowners.
Members are free. Non-members: $10
All attendees register HERE.
An Evening at the John S. Poyen Home is sponsored by Barb Cullen of Keller Williams and Linda and Barry Simpson.
Kelly Daniell
Executive Director