Waldo House marking its 200th year

One of Methuen’s most beautiful and iconic buildings turns 200 years old this year. The historic Waldo House, currently known as the Kenneth H. Pollard Funeral Home at 233 Lawrence St., was built in 1825 by young Methuen merchant George A. Waldo for himself and his growing family.

George Augustus Waldo was born in Randolph, Vt., in 1800. He left the family farm by 1822 in search of employment in Methuen’s blossoming industrial village. At the time, the area around the cotton mill at the Spicket Falls was attracting farmers and others from a wide area of New England seeking work and a steady income. George got his start as a clerk and shoemaker in a thriving general store on Broadway.

He quickly established himself in his new community. In 1823, he married Almira Bodwell of Methuen. The first of their eight children was born the following year. In 1825, he purchased a vacant lot on what was then a sparsely settled town road with no name (later named Lawrence Street). He soon built a handsome two-story, colonial-style home on the lot. It was one of the finest homes in Methuen at the time.

By the early 1830s, George opened his own general store on the present site of 2 Charles Street. In 1835, he built a large, three-and-a-half-story commercial building known as the Waldo Block at the corner of Broadway and Hampshire Street. It was the largest building of its type in Methuen. It housed a variety of businesses over the years including retail stores, a butcher shop, a restaurant, a tailor shop, an apothecary and several shoe and hat-making shops. On the top floor was a large meeting hall used by various fraternal organizations. A small section of the building remains today at 300 Broadway.

In addition to his business interests, George also served as town meeting moderator, selectman and postmaster. He was only 51 years old and still very productive when he died of tuberculosis in 1851. His widow and most of his children moved to the Midwest soon after.

John Low purchased the Waldo home in 1863. He came to Methuen from Dunbarton, N.H., by 1833 and became what you could call a “man of many hats.” He ran a tavern, a livery stable and a coach service at the hotel that once stood at the present site of the Residences at the Masonic Lodge, 275 Broadway. He was also, at various times, a selectman, constable, fire warden, highway surveyor, lumber surveyor, field driver, fence viewer, justice of the peace, auctioneer, postmaster and director of the Spicket Falls National Bank.

John died in 1873 at age 68. His widow, Mary, continued to reside in the home with their adult daughter. She sold the property to her neighbor, Edward F. Searles in 1888, who graciously deeded her the right to remain in the house for the rest of her life. She died there in 1900 at age 92.

Searles had big plans to turn the property into a grand entrance to his magnificent Pine Lodge estate. He surrounded the grounds with an elegant stone wall and had a handsome gate and two tall granite torches installed along what was to be his main driveway off of Park Street. The home was to be a guest house. However, he was unable to purchase a small triangle of land at the corner of Park Street from the First Baptist Church, and his plan never materialized.

Nevertheless, Searles completely renovated the house, adding many elegant features to the exterior. In 1904, he leased it to the Methuen Historical Society. The impressive-looking structure was often featured during tours of Methuen’s many beautiful buildings and estates.

Edward died childless in 1920. In his will, he turned over his Pine Lodge estate and the former Waldo House to Benjamin Allen Rowland, then the 10-year-old son of his cousin, Mary Rowland. She served as guardian of the estate until the young boy reached legal age.

The historical society occupied the Waldo House until 1930. Kenneth H. and Betty Pollard bought the property in 1960 and turned it into an elegant and very successful funeral home. They sold it in 1993 to their son, Michael, and his wife, Maureen.

Mike and Maureen retired in 2021 and sold the property and business to Robert and Sabrina Chase. The new owners have since undertaken several renovation and enhancement projects both inside and out. They continue to proudly operate the funeral home in the fine tradition established by the Pollard family. They plan to rename it the Methuen Family Funeral Home in September.

Even after 200 years, the Waldo House remains one of the finest historical homes in Methuen.

New owners invest in various renovations

Since purchasing the property and taking over the Pollard Funeral Home, Rob and Sabrina Chase have renovated and updated a handful of projects around the property:

• Replaced the central air conditioning.
• Renovated one of the rooms with new hardwood flooring and furniture (allowing families to use the room for refreshments).
• Replaced all of the carpeting.
• Repaired and replaced sections of the building’s flat roof.
• Replaced most of the table and standing lamps.
• Repaired and reupholstered several antique chairs and sofas.
• Replaced the broken outside fountain with a new trinity water feature.

“What we like most about the property would be its long history,” said Rob. “People who visit the funeral home often ask about its history. The pillars in the parking lot often elicit questions about the property. My wife and I also love the look of the property, from the exterior gardens to the architecture of the interior woodwork. It has a comfortable feeling to it, which I realize sounds strange when referring to a funeral home. I have often overheard many people make the same observations regarding both the gardens and the interior. I am glad that we have been able to create a more comfortable place for people when they are going through one of the worst things we can endure … the loss of someone close to us. My wife and I plan on living here for as long as we are able.”
Rob expects the name change to Methuen Family Funeral Home to be approved by the city in early August.

~ Steve Whipple