Buttonwoods Museum

The Buttonwoods Museum is named for the Buttonwoods or sycamore trees planted on the property in the early 1740’s by Haverhill’s first Irish immigrant, Hugh Tallent. Mr. Tallent worked for the Saltonstall family, who once owned the property. In 1814, the Duncan family, prosperous merchants, built a fine example of a rural Federal style mansion on the site. Mary Duncan Harris gave “The Buttonwoods” to the Haverhill Historical Society in 1903 and the Museum opened in 1904. The Buttonwoods Museum houses furniture, ceramics, glassware, quilts, dolls and toys. A visit to the Duncan House illustrates the importance of the Merrimack River in trade, commerce and travel.

The Buttonwoods Museum showcases over 375 years of historyand preserves a collection of property, artifacts, and landscapewith historical significance to Greater Haverhill.
The museum is anchored by three important properties:  the 1814 Duncan House, the 1859 Daniel Hunkins Shoe Shop,and the 1710-1810 John Ward House.
Some of the collections on view include domestic objects,decorative arts, textiles, furnishings, military artifacts, shoesand other items from Haverhill shoe industry, archaeologicalartifacts of the Frederick A. Luce Collection, and the MoodyCollection pertaining to the Supreme Court JusticeWilliam Moody.