Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields:
Northeastern Massachusetts
© 2002, © 2008 by Paul Freeman. Revised 5/24/08.
Haverhill Dutton Airport (revised 5/24/08) - Haverhill Riverside Airport (revised 5/24/08)
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Haverhill Dutton Airport (8B6), Haverhill, MA
42.8 North / 71.06 West (North of Boston, MA)
Haverhill Airport, as depicted on the 1929 Rand-McNally Air Trails Map of Massachusetts (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
Not to be confused with the nearby Haverhill Riverside Airport,
the former Haverhill Dutton Airport is located northeast of the town of Haverhill,
just south of Interstate 495.
The date of construction of Haverhill Dutton Airport is unknown.
The earliest depiction of the field which has been located
was on the 1929 Rand-McNally Air Trails Map of Massachusetts (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It described Haverhill Airport as a commercial field, operated by E. L. Walker & H. P. Fall.
The field was said to be 3,000' x 2,000' in size.
The Airport Directory Company's 1933 Airport Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
described Haverhill as a commercial airport, located "2 miles northeast of the business section, near Lake Kenosa."
The field was said to consist of an irregularly-shaped 75-acre sod field, measuring 1,600' x 1,400'.
Haverhill Airport, as depicted on the 1934 U.S. Navy Aviation Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
An aerial view looking south at "Haverhill" Airport
from The Airport Directory Company's 1941 Airport Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
The directory described Haverhill as consisting of an irregularly-shaped 90-acre sandy loam area.
The November 1942 Regional Aeronautical chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
depicted "Haverhill" as a commercial airport.
The 1959 Boston Local Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
depicted Haverhill Airport as having a 1,700' unpaved runway.
"Haverhill" Airport, as depicted on the 1962 Boston Local Aeronautical chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe).
The 1962 AOPA Airport Directory listed the field under the name of "Haverhill (Dutton)" Airport,
and described it as having two 1,600' sod runways: 15/33 & 3/21.
The operator was listed as Howard Dutton.
The Aerodromes table on the 1965 Boston Sectional Chart (courtesy of John Voss)
described the field in much the same configuration.
"Haverhill" Airport, as depicted on the 1968 Boston Sectional chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe).
A 1971 aerial photo depicted Haverhill Dutton as having a northwest/southeast runway,
along with the remains of a former north/south runway.
Several small hangars were on the west side of the field,
around which were parked 14 light aircraft.
According to an article in the 3/4/98 issue of the Lawrence Eagle-Tribune (courtesy of Jonathan Westerling),
Howard Dutton, was a renowned aerobatic pilot.
Tragically, he perished in 1977 when his plane crashed into his own airport as he was flying inverted.
Dave Dantos recalled "I took my first lessons at Dutton, in 1979.
By then, there was a paved runway, and an adjacent, parallel, grass runway.
Departure from Dutton was generally (and maybe always) westbound,
over a string of high tension wires, and Route 495.
If that was not unnerving enough for a new student,
the arrival was (still westbound, of course) over a small hill.
Essentially, it was necessary to match the slope of the hill, on final."
The 1982 AOPA Airport Directory (courtesy of Ed Drury)
described Haverill Dutton as having a single 2,100' asphalt & gravel Runway 14/32.
The former Runway 3/21 was apparently abandoned.
Services offered included hangar storage, charter, flight instruction, and plane rental.
According to the Lawrence Eagle-Tribune, the airport closed in approximately 1986.
According to the assessor's office,
the property changed hands in 1983 from David Dutton (Howard Dutton's son) to 129 Realty Trust.
Plans to convert the land into an aquaculture farm were dashed because of pollution from years of use.
The field was labeled "Airport (Abandoned)" on the 1987 USGS topo map.
It was no longer depicted at all (even as an abandoned airfield) on 1998 aeronautical charts.
Since the field was closed, there have been a few episodes of pilots landing at the field,
either due to being lost, or in emergencies.
In 1998, a veteran flying instructor & a student pilot on a check flight walked away from their Cessna
after it crashed into a thicket of trees next to the old Dutton Airport.
Police said flight instructor Colin Cressman & student pilot Gretchen Aleman
had just taken off from Lawrence Airport.
When they reached 2,000 feet, the plane developed engine trouble.
Lawrence Airport contacted Haverhill that the plane would attempt to land
on the seldom used runway at the old Dutton Airport.
"It was too short," Deputy Fire Chief John Landers said.
"The plane was full of fuel, over-shot the runway, became airborne & nosed into the woods."
Approach paths from both sides have been obstructed significantly by trees over the years.
The 1998 USGS aerial photo of the former airport showed that the runway had remained in fairly good condition,
and at least one hangar was still standing, just west of the runway.
As seen in a circa 2001 aerial photo, Haverhill Dutton's runway remained in fairly good condition,
and at least one hangar was still standing, just west of the runway.
Haverhill Dutton Airport is located southeast of the intersection of Interstate 495 & Newton Road.
A rest area on the south side of Interstate 495 sits adjacent to the north side of the airfield,
from which the airfield used to be visible.
A 2002 photo by Jonathan Westerling of a snowy scene, looking along the former runway at Haverhill Dutton Airport.
Jonathan Westerling visited the former airfield in 2002,
and reported that it was no longer visible from the 495 rest stop.
The runway was still visible from Newton Road, though.
He also reported that the former "hangar" still stood, although it looked more like a typical barn.
A circa 2005 aerial photo looking north at the former Haverhill Runway 14,
and the hangar at the bottom.
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Haverhill Riverside Airport & Seaplane Base (MA04), Haverhill, MA
42.77 North / 71.03 West (North of Boston, MA)
Haverhill Riverside Airport, as depicted on the 1960 Boston Local Aeronautical chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe).
Not to be confused with the nearby Haverhill Dutton Airport,
the former Haverhill Riverside Airport & Seaplane Base is located southeast of the town of Haverhill,
along the northern bank of the Merrimack River.
Haverhill Riverside Airport was apparently built at some point between 1959-60,
as it was not depicted on the 1959 Boston Local Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
The earliest reference to the field which has been located
was on the 1960 Boston Local Aeronautical chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe).
It described Haverhill Riverside Airport as having a single 1,900' turf runway.
The 1961 Boston Local Aeronautical chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe)
described the field in the same manner.
Within the next year, a "Haverhill Tideside" Airport apparently opened,
as it was depicted just to the northwest of Haverhill Riverside Airport
on the 1962 Boston Local Aeronautical chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe).
The Aerodromes table on the chart continued to describe Haverhill Riverside as having a single 1,900' turf runway,
while the new Haverhill Tideside Airport was described as having a single 1,300' turf runway.
The 1962 AOPA Airport Directory described Haverhill Riverside as having a single 1,900' sod Runway 9/27.
The operator was listed as William Slavit.
The seaplane base was described as having a 7,000' water landing area.
Sometime within the next three years, the runway at Haverhill Riverside was apparently paved,
as the Aerodromes table on the 1965 Boston Sectional Chart (courtesy of John Voss)
described the field as consisting of a single 1,700' asphalt runway.
The seaplane base was described as having a 5,500' water landing area.
The adjacent Haverhill Tideside Airport was evidently closed at some point between 1962-65,
as it was no longer depicted at all on the 1965 Sectional.
The Haverhill Riverside Airfield & Seaplane Base
were depicted on the 1968 Boston Sectional chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe).
Strangely, the adjacent Haverhill Tideside Airport had "reappeared" on the chart.
The only photo which has been located showing Haverhill Riverside Airport in operation was a 1971 aerial view.
It depicted the field as having a single northeast/southwest runway,
with a few small buildings & hangars on the southeast side, and 5 single-engine aircraft.
Haverhill Riverside had become a private airfield by the time of the 1982 AOPA Airport Directory (courtesy of Ed Drury),
and the runway had been shortened, to a 1,510' asphalt Runway 4/22.
Steve Pustell recalled, "When I got my license in 1982,
I flew into the Haverhill Riverside airport in my 1969 Cherokee 180.
It was short but fun. As I recall it was not staffed then, but you could still fly in & land, and aircraft were based there.
To me it felt very much like a one way airport... landing approach & departing approach both over the river."
USGS topo map 1987.
The 1994 Jeppesen Airport Directory depicted Haverhill Riverside as having two runways:
a 1,600' asphalt Runway 6R/24L & a 1,700' turf Runway 6L/24R.
Several hangars were depicted on the south side of the paved runway.
Derrell Lipman recalled, "We nearly purchased a house right next to this airfield in late 1995,
and it was still operating."
Haverhill Riverside Airport apparently closed at some point between 1995-98,
as it was depicted as a closed airfield on 1998 aeronautical charts.
The 1998 USGS aerial photo of the former airport shows that it was still largely intact,
with the runway still undisturbed & the long hangar still standing.
However, an aerial photo from 2001 shows that significant changes had since taken place at the site.
According to Jonathan Westerling, who visited the site in 2002,
"The property was purchased by a fellow who opened up a large marina & boat storage center on the spot.
The ramp still exists going down into the water.
The maintenance building has had its big main door converted into two smaller workshops [pictured above].
The runway area was covered (almost entirely!) with one long storage facility [pictured above].
The site is accessible off of Coffin Avenue (how appropriate?)."
A 2002 photo by Jonathan Westerling of the former hangar of Haverhill Riverside Airport, now reused as a boat workshop.
A 2003 photo by Lee Walus looking southwest at the site of the former Haverhill Riverside Airport.
A 2003 photo by Lee Walus of the former runway area of Haverhill Riverside Airport,
now covered almost entirely by long boat storage buildings.
Haverhill Riverside Airport is located at the northeastern terminus of Coffin Avenue,
along the northern bank of the Merrimack River.
Thanks to Lee Walus for pointing out this airfield.
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