Rowley, Massachusetts

Rowley is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,161 at the 2020 census.

Part of the town comprises the census-designated place of Rowley.

The area was inhabited by the Agawam people under sachem Masconomet. Although the area that would become Rowley was colonized by English settlers starting in 1639, it was not until 1700 that the town would pay Masoconomet's heirs nine pounds for a quitclaim deed.

In spring of 1638 Rowley was originally colonized as a plantation by Reverend Ezekiel Rogers, who had arrived from England on the ship John of London with approximately twenty families. Thomas Tenney was a co-founder of Rowley, Massachusetts, and was part of the group led by Reverend Ezekiel Rogers that settled the town in 1639. He came from Rowley, East Yorkshire, England, with his wife Ann, and was an original settler of the area, which was first known as Rogers Plantation. The John of London also brought over the first printing press in the colonies, which was later brought to Harvard University.

The following fall, on September 4, 1639, the town was incorporated, and included portions of modern-day Byfield, Groveland, Georgetown, and Haverhill. The town was named after Rowley, East Riding of Yorkshire, where Rogers had served as pastor for twenty years before his suspension due to non-conformist Puritan beliefs. Rogers was installed as Rowley's pastor on December 3.

1643 and 1645 saw the construction of a fulling mill and grist mill, respectively. The town became known for its hemp and flax cloth, as well as cotton. In 1642, a keystone arch bridge and a dam were built on the Mill River for the fulling mill, the first such in the colonies. The bridge was the first stone arch bridge in North America, constructed entirely of hand-chiseled granite and contained no mortar. It was rebuilt in the mid-19th century. In 1669, a sawmill was established in town and is still in business today. A wagon factory was built in 1868 by Moses E. Daniels. Later, at the start of the 20th century, the town had a booming shoe industry, as well as successful boat building businesses.

One public elementary school serves Rowley, the Pine Grove Elementary School, located in town center. Middle school students attend Triton Regional Middle School, and high school students attend Triton Regional High School along with Newbury, and Salisbury.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 20.3 square miles (52.7 km²), of which 18.2 square miles (47.1 km²) is land and 2.2 square miles (5.6 km²), or 10.56%, is water. Rowley lies along the Atlantic Ocean north of Cape Ann, the mainland separated from the ocean by a small portion of Plum Island and Plum Island Sound. The island and a portion of the marshes south of Mud Creek (part of the town's northern border) are protected as part of the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge.