10.24.08
Posted in History at 4:10 pm by Administrator
A visit to a new friend turned into an excursion for us, and a trip down memory lane for her. For many years, she had summered in North Groton, New Hampshire. If you ask a Yankee where that is, you might get one of a few answers: “Never heard of it,” or “It’s just a stone’s throw away,” or maybe, “You ain’t from around these parts, are ya?” On a good day, you would get an eloquent person who is adept at giving directions, but actually with a good map, or a good direction-giver in the car, it’s no trouble at all to find the place.
After passing one of the famed Mary Baker Eddy residences (she founded Christian Science), we traveled a little further to see the outside and inside of the Groton Historical Society Building (seen below). This is an interesting structure. The foundation was created with unmortared stones just laid one on top of the other.
There is a bell enclosed by stonework. It was moved to the site after the North Groton Church collapsed. While we are mentioning that, we will show you the plaque marker which is only a short distance away.
The plaque says this:
North Groton Church
Mary Baker Eddy, who as a young woman lived in North Groton between 1855 and 1860, attended the church formerly on this site and on occasion led the congregation in prayer.
This church was established in 1840 as a Union Meetinghouse for several denominations from 1913 to 1964. It was preserved by the New Hampshire Congregational Christian Conference.
In 1966, the church was taken under the sponsorship of Longyear Historical Society in recognition of the hundredth anniversary of the founding of Christian Science by Mary Baker Eddy.
During the severe winter of 1968-1969 the Church collapsed under the heavy weight of snow.
Mary Baker Eddy Historic Site, Maintained by Longyear Historical Society, Inc. (of New Hampshire).
Jim climbed up a ledge to try ringing the bell that sits right next to the Groton Historical Society. At the suggestion of our host, he also decided to take a photo of us from that vantage point.
Here is another shot of the bell.
One photo taken inside the former schoolhouse:
The Perpetual Lesson
Groton is a quiet town. Spectacle Pond seems to be a great gathering spot for fishermen and boaters in the summer. As far as we can tell, the town is not on the way to anywhere else, in terms of major destinations, although it is close in proximity to Plymouth, NH with its Plymouth University.
We thank Louise Traunstein for showing us around and for pointing out a couple of homes whose photos appear in our book about Ellen Webster. Mrs. “T,” as some of her friends call her, gave valuable assistance in our pursuit of information while writing the book, as Groton borders Hebron, the town where Ellen Webster was born. A retired school teacher, Louise volunteers as Archivist for the Groton Historical Society. She is a snowbird who wings her way to Arkansas, each year, until warmer weather again returns to New Hampshire.
Patricia Cummings
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09.12.08
Posted in History at 12:21 am by Administrator
Funny, how things can get away from us … like time. Today, as I was writing the date in a museum guest book, I asked innocently enough, what day it is. When one is self-employed, one does not always keep up with such things. The answer came back as, “September the 11th,” and along with it, a flood of memories. That pivotal date of confusion and fear, when our homeland was under attack, will never be erased from memory.
On 9-11-2008, all the immediate tears already have been shed. Some people, who were left widowed, have remarried. The injured have returned to work, in some cases, and the New York site looks as if there had never been buildings there at all.
Many children have to rely on photos to “remember” Daddy or Mommy. In that one day, the dreams and hopes of many individuals were forever dashed, but some lucky ones escaped with their lives and the terrifying thoughts that they might not see another day.
“Where Were You When The World Stopped Turning?” is a song that we do not hear often now, on the radio. Perhaps it should be played more often.
For many, the nightmare goes on, one begun by religious radicals whose God seems to think it is ok to kill and maim. The war is continued by self-proclaimed Christians who think it is their God-appointed duty to get the bad guys. The only trouble is this: when you are killing children and women, and men who are not of the same ilk as the terrorists, then why are you killing, exactly? There have been “mistakes” made, and innocent people have been wounded or slaughtered on all sides.
Are we fighting wars that cannot be won? How does one define a win, when it comes to death, destruction, and misery? In the end, what has been won? … More disabled veterans to fill up the inadequate military hospitals? More people to lie in a hero’s grave?
I fervently believe that we need to get past all of the stupid rhetoric that politicians throw out there, just to get elected. I don’t mean to sound like Pollyanna when I say that minding one’s own business would be a huge step toward world peace. That is what we are trying to achieve, is it not? I have heard “whirled peas” offered as an alternative. Perhaps we should all get out our blenders. The latter would be easier to achieve.
Driving along the easy back roads of Vermont today, adjacent to babbling brooks and covered bridges, with New England Asters adorning the roadsides, we found our own peace today. We were away from the phone, the computer, and the noise of littering teenagers, cluttering up our front yard and sidewalk with their candy wrappers and debris. Civilization is a good thing, in measured doses.
In 1899, Sam Walter Foss, originally from New Hampshire, wrote a poem in which these recurrent lines are featured: “… let me live by the side of the road, And be a friend to man.” That sounds like an ideal endeavor, were it only possible!
In New York, the congestion of so many people huddled together for work and business made the area a prime target. We can’t crow too loudly about the absence of another attack. Whether we like to give credit or not to the Commander-in chief,” there has not been another hit on American soil since that horrendous day of darkening smoke, when pilots went to heaven to meet their allotted number of virgins, the gift for being villains and killing, en masse, in the name of “religion.”
God bless us and keep us safe from those misguided souls who hate all Americans. If it’s a race for heaven, let’s hope they reach their destination first. Heaven can wait!
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08.14.08
Posted in History, Travel at 3:52 am by Administrator
Today, we visited the Moffatt-Ladd House in Portsmouth, NH, built in 1763 and with a long history. Above is a side view. We were not allowed to take photos inside the spacious and well-decorated home. You can see a few pictures of the interior at this website, managed by the Colonial Dames of New Hampshire:
http://www.moffattladd.org/home.html
Ideas I took home with me: The bed hangings, etc. in the yellow (bedroom) are made of wool damask. The spools of the main stairway consisted of hand-turned wooden designs, set in repeats of three, with each set having a different style of design. This house was built and owned by a rich, shipping magnet of the day, and his home reflects high-style wall-coverings and furniture. The opulent interior was decorated in direct contrast to the sparsely-furnished quarters where the black servants lived on the 3rd floor, with a short, rope bed, and broken or mismatched pottery in the room.
The garden was absolutely lovely. A Horsechestnut tree, planted in 1776, stands on one edge of the property. With a spread of about 70 feet, according to a postcard, this tree is the “Milennium Landmark Tree for the State of New Hampshire.” What I also noticed right away was the gift shop with its enticing items, including one that is a constant lure for me: books.
The staff was pleasant, and our guide, Gwen, was very knowledgeable. There were many painted portraits on the walls and she knew the names of everyone and how they were related, and moreover, how many children they had, and all the internal workings of relationships.
We thoroughly enjoyed seeing the interior furnishings. It was surprising to learn that James Whipple was one of three people from New Hampshire who signed the Declaration of Independence. This historic site is well worth the trip, as is Portsmouth, in general, with its ocean views, Portsmouth Fabric Co., Strawbery Banke Museum, and seafood restaurants. We love the old architecture there, and we especially note the wide doorways to accomodate flowing skirts of the era, and the “Widow’s Walk” that you can see atop the roof in the first photo here.
Patricia Cummings
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