Lawrence, Mass. Engineering Department. City Sewers

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The material in this collection came into the Lawrence Public Library from Lawrence City Hall over a number of months at the beginning of 2009. These sewer plans are bound in twelve volumes measuring 66 x 53 cm. Each plan is hand drawn and lettered. They show the date they were accepted. Later additions are also dated. Some of the original drawings and additions are signed by the artist. There are occasional insertions. Scale and direction is illustrated. Included on each page is an indexing number that refers to a table at the engineer’s office.

Preceding the Engineering Department of today (2010) the original designation was a Commissioner of Streets. The first annual report was published in 1854, the first full year that Lawrence was a city. The Commissioner of Streets was responsible for streets: paving, watering, and general upkeep. He was also responsible for sewerage and sidewalks.

Arthur D. Marble became the first City Engineer in 1879. He was subservient to the Commissioner of Streets and sewers. In 1912, when the city charter changed so too did the hierarchy. Paul Hannagan became the Director of Engineering with these departments under his supervision: streets, sewers, sidewalks, paving, street watering, water works, bridges, and the city engineer.