Mechanics Hall

1912 photograph of Mechanics Hall in Lowell from Dutton Street.

Quick Facts

Location:

Lowell, MA

Significance:

Site along the underground railroad

MANAGED BY:

Community Teamwork Inc.

Mechanics Hall located at 303 Dutton Street in Lowell was built in 1835 by the Middlesex Mechanics Association. Originally, its purpose was a meeting place and library for skilled craftsmen, hosting lectures and fundraisers, while the first floor was dedicated to businesses. In 1844, an escape enslaved man named Nathaniel Booth bought space on the first floor and opened his own barbershop. His operation grew when he paired with Edwin Moore, another escaped enslaved man, and they built off of the lectures and fundraisers Mechanics Hall was meant for but catered to helping others escape enslavement. Through their efforts, this building became a hub for abolitionist sentiments and a hiding place for those running from slavery. For a long period of time after the Civil War, the building fell out of use, but in 2021 the outside was repainted by an organization called Beyond Walls to commemorate the important role Mechanics Hall played in the underground railroad in Lowell.