Take A Step Back In Time with me and let me show you parts of my historic New England town. I’m sure you have all heard stories about a little red school house but have you ever seen one? I can walk to ours just as children did for many years in the past.
The first school house was built in 1780. It burned down and was rebuilt in the early 1800’s. I have peeked through the windows of this one room schoolhouse and I would love to be able to go inside as it still has some of its classroom desks.
As the little town grew over the years, a second school house was built in 1834. I have been inside this school during Old Home Day celebrations. It was built with a slanted floor like in a movie theater so that each child could see the front of the classroom easily.
In 1895, the town built a third school for grades one through eight. After 1939, the school was used as the town library and is now owned by the historical society and is used as a museum. Inside the museum, I found a copy of an early hand drawn map from the 1760’s.
As you know, our home is from the early 1700’s and there it was marked on the center of the map. It was owned at the time by Gideon Sawyer. It was originally built as a two over two, meaning two rooms on the first floor and two rooms on the second floor with a center chimney. We found evidence that the color it is now is very similar to the original color. Hopefully, previous owners would approve of our restoration of this lovely home.
Gideon Sawyer is buried in the first cemetery in town. Other people who have lived in our home are buried there as well but time has erased most of the names on the markers.
Across the road from the historical society’s school-house museum is the Sawyer cooperage shop where two brothers made barrel staves and ladder back chairs. The society has just had the building’s sills repaired which will help preserve the building.
Across from the cooperage is the Union church built in 1850 by the Union Religious Society. It was used on different weeks by Baptists, Methodists and Congregationalists as none of them could afford to build their own church. It is opened several times each year for a service. The church has a kerosene chandelier which is still used at some evening services. We were invited by friends who had their wedding in this historic church and it was a lovely event.
The Webster stagecoach stop and store is the only documented example of a rural stagecoach stop in New Hampshire. Our town has worked very hard to preserve its history. They have had the wonderful building moved from the very edge of Main Street to across the road where it is safe from traffic. It has been restored by the same preservation contractor who did all the restoration work on our home.
Both the front and side entrance doors have faded blue and red original paint. The same colors were found in one of the rooms of our home under many layers of paint. You can just imagine what it must have looked like when new.
One of the most well-known and historical buildings in town is the old meeting house. It was a very dangerous journey to travel to church as attacks from Indians were possible. Some of the original families of Hawke partitioned the church in Kingston to let them build a new meeting house. After several years passed, they were allowed to build their own meeting house.
The meeting house is any interesting building that is opened once a year for a service during Old Home Days…a celebration held in many New England towns.
I hope you enjoyed seeing a little of the historic buildings in our small town. Travel the back roads of New England and you will find wonderful small towns that are treasured by the people who live in them and well as the visitors who discover them.
Back Road Journal 
Karen, this is such a lovely post and so very interesting, especially as I sit here at my kitchen table in Australia! Thank you so much for sharing… and how wonderful that you are preserving the history by publishing posts like this!
Thank you Lizzy, for your nice compliment. I was hoping that my readers would enjoy seeing the historic buildings in my little New Hampshire town. I know they are very different from what is seen in other parts of the world. I’m happy that you enjoyed the post.
This is great Karen. We love New England and the historical buildings. Makes me want to plan a trip up that way. Think I’ll show this post to my husband as a hint…
As I saw the white clapboard buildings, I just realized there are some very similar to those in the south around Charleston and Edisto Island. In the south they are used as churches. It made me wonder if they had ever been schools.
Sam
I’m glad you enjoyed the post, Sam…thank you. New England does have wonderful places to visit, it is especially pretty during fall when the leaves are changing. I never tire of exploring the back roads myself.
Karen, thanks for the walk back in time through your little town. The buildings look very lovingly cared for after all these years. My hometown of Sharon Springs, NY, just outside of Cooperstown, also has a lot of old historic buildings, some are in disrepair and some have been restored to their original beauty. We also have a one room school house museum! I love old historic towns, thanks for sharing yours.
Hi Laura, I’m glad you enjoyed the little tour of our town. We are lucky that we have people dedicated to preserving the history of our area.
How absolutely magnificent Karen – I would never want to go anywhere else if I lived where you live – beautiful history and buildings surround you and as you know, I have always loved your home and still long to see more of it’s interior.
Have a happy week.
🙂 Mandy xo
Hi Mandy, I do love living in New England as there is so much history and beauty that sounds us. Several people have asked to see more of the interior of our home, I’ll have to do a little house tour post in the future. I’ve been thinking about doing an “in my kitchen” post as I have some wonderful antique cooking tools. Have a lovely week as well. 🙂
Thanks you for the tour. So much history, wonderful that the buildings are well preserved for future generations. I am particularly intrigue by the 2nd school house: “It was built with a slanted floor like in a movie theater so that each child could see the front of the classroom easily” How clever and thoughtful of the builders.
Hi Norma, I’m happy that you enjoyed the little tour. I thought the same thing about the slanted floor in the second school. I would love to go inside the oldest one since it has been so well preserved.
I loved reading this Karen, thank you for the tour. I enjoyed reading how the churches shared the same building, and of course seeing the hand drawn map of your home. It’s something I’d like to explore a bit more with our house, as I’m fascinated by the thought of all the different occupants over the years.
I’m glad you enjoyed the post, Claire. It does make sense that different congregations used the church as it was expensive to build a church for a small group. It really is interesting to try and learn about the history of one’s home. Ours was passed down for generations between two families. It wasn’t until the mid 1900’s that it was sold to another family. We are the second owner since that time.
I LOVE the colors in the photo of the side entrance door of the stagecoach stop. Beautiful!
Hi Anne, I love the colors as well…there are very traditional. I can just imagine how it looked when first painted.
I very much enjoyed seeing your historic area this morning. Our daughter-in-law is director of programming for the Rhode Island Historic Society and is such a wealth of information about that area and New England. I had never traveled in the area until four years ago so I have much to see and learn.
Best,
Bonnie
Hi Bonnie, I’m happy that you enjoyed the post. It must be wonderful to have a member of your family that can give you an explanation of the historic buildings here in New England. I never get tired of learning more about our area.
It’s such a treat to visit your blog. I learn so much about where you live, rekindle memories and get great food ideas.
Thank you Maureen, for your nice compliment…I appreciate your kind words. I try to share several topics on my blog and always wonder if people enjoy the mix.
I love NE towns..
I could go for a visit right now and take photos galore also:)
Hi Monique, New England is your friendly neighbor to the south. I’m happy to know that you enjoy visiting.
I need to find time to explore New England extensively some day — so much history and I love these little charm-filled towns! A totally different feel than Minnesota which is about a century behind in development — but we have some interesting homesteading historical sites, and history of its own kind. That’s the great thing about our country – the diversity of history and contributions from border to border.
Hi Kat, You are right…there is so much history across our country just waiting to be explored. I think New England is a charming place to visit.
This was so nice of you to post. I love small town America and the history of such places. You truly live in a beautiful place.
Thank you David, I’m glad you enjoyed the post…we do live in a lovely little town. Our two areas of the country have different architecture…I love the beautiful stone building where you live.
There are actually quite a few of those “Pennsylvania” stone homes in the area. Your request has been noted. I’ll be sure to post some more photos.
Thank you David, I’d like that.
What a delightful tour of your town. I just love it when historic buildings are well preserved. The lines on them are gorgeous–so well proportioned.
And you have the best of them—I’m such a sucker for yellow on a house. I can’t paint my stone, but all my rooms are yellow. Drives hubby crazy. He says it’s too sunshiney-hahahahhahhah!
Have a great week , Karen!
: )
Hi Sue, I’m happy to know that you enjoyed the little tour. Thank you for your compliment about our home, we think it is special. Your hubby would definitely think our home is too sunny. Not only is it yellow on the outside but I have lots of yellow rooms inside. 🙂 I think it brightens up all the sunless, snowy days we have each winter. I love your beautiful stone house, it is a perfect background for your wonderful gardens.
What a fantastic place to live, Karen. I love the tiniest schoolhouse and the tilted floor notion. The classes must’ve been pretty small back then.
Your house looks beautiful from the outside. I’ll sign up to the house tour too, please. 🙂
Hi Johanna, I do think we live in a lovely part of New England. Would you believe that it was noted in records that the original one room schoolhouse at one time had 80 students. Not all the children would attend at the same time because of working on their farms. I’m sure weather played a big part also, since most would be walking from a long distance. Thank you for your compliment and interest in our home. I will definitely have to do another post about the interior of our home.
I love your town. Thank you for sharing. And your home is so lovely!
Hi Tiny, Our little town does have some charming buildings, I’m glad you liked the little tour. Thank you for your compliment about our home…we do love it.
thank you karen for the tour.. i really enjoyed reading your post.. i love the simplicity of your house and that it is full of history.. thanks for sharing 🙂
Thank you Elizz, I’m happy to know that you enjoyed the post. We tried to be sensitive to the history of our home when it was restored…I’m glad you like it.
Thanks for sharing your lovely historical town with us Karen, and you chose such a beautiful day too! Taking walks must be extra special with those beautiful old buildings to gaze at. You have a lovely home and I’m certain not one of the original owners would complain about your gorgeous renovations.
Hi Eva, I’m glad that you enjoyed seeing a little of our town and some of its historic buildings. It is nice to walk our roads on a pretty day and the hills can give you a nice workout. 🙂
Oh, Karen! What a beautiful post, I loved it! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thank you Giovanna, for your lovely compliment. I’m happy that you enjoyed the post.
Wonderful post, Karen. Fine set of pictures of beautiful buildings. Your “two over two” is known as a “two up, two down” in the UK:)
Thank you for your compliment, Roger. I’m happy that you enjoyed the post and photos. Two up, two down…makes perfect sense.
Thank you for the tour of your town and a look at some of it’s history. I’m embarrassed to admit that I don’t know very much about the background of the city in which I live though I remember going to a couple of locations while I was in grade school to learn about some of it.
We were part of the Underground Railroad for slaves entering Canada from the US with several rural villages made up mostly of ex-slaves were established in Essex County where I live and the nearby Kent County. We were also a major source of liquor during American Prohibition. 🙂
I’m glad you enjoyed the post, Boleyn. Actually…it sounds like you know a bit about the history of your town. It sounds as though there was a lot of intrigue going on over the years. Thanks for sharing.
Great tour! I lived for a bit in Connecticut, and one of the things I most loved was all the history that was there – you’d trip over it (sometimes literally!) everywhere you went. Lovely photos – thanks.
Hi John, I’m glad that you enjoyed the photo tour of some of the historic buildings in our little town. Thank you for your compliment. The first time I saw New England, I was visiting a friend who lives in Connecticut. I have had a love affair with New England ever since.
What a fascinating and historic little town you live in, Karen! I loved seeing the old buildings and the truly “little” red school house. We take so for granted the size of our buildings and the amount of personal space we have here in the U.S. in modern times, don’t we? Love your home. I do think the former owners would approve of your changes and care taking.
Hi Betsy, Our litte town of 5000 people is fortunate to have had people that made sure that some of its historic buildings have been maintained for future generations. You are so right about the size of buildings and the personal space…it is a luxury but not a necessity. I do think the former owners would be happy that we have saved our home…many have been torn down to make way for a new home.
Your town is so historical. Love it. Thanks for bringing us along in a step back in time 🙂
Hi Kiran, I’m glad to know that you enjoyed the tour of some of the buildings in our town…it does have so much history to enjoy.
Oooh I love the little red school house the most. It is absolutely beautiful. What a color? I so enjoyed walking around your town looking at buildings and learning history with you. Thank you.
Hi Teresa, I had a big smile on my face the first time I saw the little red school house. It is something you always hear about and we have one right down the road from our house. It makes me happy that so many people have enjoyed this post. Thank you for your lovely comment.
Dear Karen, a beautiful & very colourful post! I loved watching & reading about it all,..;It is like travelling from your own chair! 🙂 x
Thank you Sophie, for your nice compliment. I’m glad that you enjoyed the post and photos.
Lot’s of history in New England. Hard to believe your home looks so good after 300 years.
Hi Larry, You are right, New England is so full of history. If you could have seen our home when we first went to look at it, you would have thought that my husband and I were crazy to even think about buying it. It took several years of work by a restoration contractor before we could move into it.
I love learning the history of towns/cities. It is wonderful that your town still has so many historic buildings well cared for. As for the schoolhouses, we have quite a few dotted along our countryside. Most have been renovated into homes. Some historic buildings have been moved from their original sites to the fairgrounds where an old-time village was constructed. As for cemeteries, I could spend hours in them.
Hi Heather, I’m happy to know that you enjoy learning about the history of our towns and cities as much as I do. I know of several schools and churches in our area of New England that have been converted to homes and restaurants. I think it is terrific that your fairgrounds have created a small village of historic buildings. It is a wonderful way of saving them for future generations and sharing their history with others.
I’ve never been and now, I’m inspired to plan a little trip. How charming!
Hi Angela, I do hope you get the opportunity to visit New England. There are so many wonderful places to discover…I know you would like it. Thank you for your nice comment.
Your post reminded me of wonderful summers spent at my grandparents’ farm in Landaff, NH. I’d ride my bike up the road to The Blue School House, a one-room school that serves that area today, and play on the swings. Nice post about a wonderful part of this great Country that we get to call home. We are blessed.
Hi Judy, I’m glad my post brought back nice memories of summers at your grandparents. We really are blessed to live in such a wonderful part of our country that has retained so much of its history.
Karen, those photos have made me homesick…I will be leaving for Vermont next week to visit my siblings…can’t wait! Have you ever visited the Rockingham (VT) Meeting House? Beautiful old building very near my hometown…my grandparents are interred there.
Your home is beautiful…it is so easy to tell it is in New England…no other part of the country really has that style, they try to, but just can’t!
Have a wonderful week…
Hi Marigene, I hate to make people homesick but I’m happy that you enjoyed the post. Better yet, I’m happy that you are going to be visiting you family in Vermont next week. 🙂 I have not seen the meeting house that you speak of but will make a point of finding it the next time I’m in that area of Vermont. Thank you for your compliment about our home…we think it is special. Have a wonderful week and enjoy your upcoming visit with your family.
Karen, thank you so much for the pictures and the history…great post!
Have a wonderful week ahead 😀
Thank you Juliana, I’m happy that you enjoyed the photos and the history of the buildings. Have a wonderful week as well. 🙂
A great way see the past. I can almost hear the horse trotting through the streets. Very sweet little town and glad to see they kept the history intact.
Hi Bobbi, I’m glad that you enjoyed the post. We do live in a nice little town…part of its charm are its historic buildings.
Wonderful photos!
Thank you Elizabeth, for your nice compliment…I’m glad you enjoyed the photos.
What a historic area! Your home is just gorgeous…and I love the school houses, too. Thank you for the tour, Karen 🙂
Hi Liz, I’m happy to know that you enjoyed the post. We do live in a wonderful part of the country…there is so much history to be found here. Thank you for your compliment about our home. 🙂
What a charming and interesting post Karen! All these beautifully preserved buildings give the area such a lovely look. And it goes without saying that your house is stunning (but we knew that from reading the other posts 😉 ).
Thank you Lorraine, for your nice compliment. I happy to know that you enjoyed the post about our town. I believe the restored buildings give our town a special quality.
Such a lovely historical area to call home, Karen, and so much of it so well-preserved. It speaks volumes about a community that, generation after generation, was determined to preserve its physical connection with the Past. Thanks for sharing a bit of it with us and for supplying the background information.
Hi John, I have to agree with you…we are very lucky that people have taken the time, effort and money to preserve the towns past over the years. I’m glad that you enjoyed the post…thank you!
The buildings are so very well preserved! It must be very lovely to peek in the windows and see the desks in the school house just as they were! Each one holds so many stories. And to find your own house on the map would be very exciting! I have seen maps of our area that go back to the early Mission Days, mid-1700s, and identified the plot of land that would now be our house. Even that excited me. Ha! So I can only imagine, Karen. 🙂 I loved the tour!
Hi Debra, I know from your posts that you enjoy the history of our country as much as I do. 🙂 The historic buildings have been well taken care of…I hope future generations will follow suit. Our house has been documented from its construction to be from the very early 1700’s and it was nice to see it actually on a map.
I loved touring around New England. What lovely old buildings, and your home is really lovely, Karen. 🙂
I’m happy you enjoyed the little tour of our town, Sylvia. Thank you for your nice compliment.
What a fantastic post – and what a beautiful town you live in. I love doing research like this, although where we live doesn’t have amazing buildigns like this!
Thank you for your lovely compliment, Tanya. It is nice to know that you enjoy the history that surrounds us like I do. The buildings in your area may look different but I’m sure they have so much history as well.
the idea of a sloped floor for a classroom is fantastic! One wonders why they stopped doing that? Thanks for sharing your town with us 🙂
Hi Tandy, I was very surprised to see the sloped floor in the little one room school house…it makes such sense. I’m glad that you enjoyed the post…thanks.
Terrific post Karen. Having been raised in New England and now living in the smallest town west of Boston until you hit western Mass., I truly appreciate these beautifully restored buildings. There are 3 little red brick schoolhouses in the town where I grew up that are now homes. One was on the market a couple of years ago & I would have loved to own that little house except they’re all on now busy roads.
Gideon Sawyer’s name caught my eye since in this town almost all of the original inhabitants were either Sawyers or Wheelers (still the majority too). Of course in this area Sawyer was a very common name. I do think he’d be quite happy with how you’ve preserved his home.
Hi Diane, Thank you for your lovely compliment…I’m happy that you enjoyed the post. I think New England is a wonderful place to live. We are surrounded by so much of the history that we learned about in school. Our home was originally right on the edge of the road but the people who owned it before us, moved it onto a new basement where it stands now. I’m sure Mr. Sawyer would be happy to know that the home he lived in is still standing and well loved.
Lovely post. I have never travelled in New England, though I’ve always wanted to. This makes me feel like I’ve seen a little bit, but I want to see a lot more now!
Hi Jess, I’m glad that you enjoyed the post…thank you. I do hope that you get a chance to visit New England sometime in the future. I think you will find it to be lovely and interesting.
Thank you for the wonderful tour, Karen! You home looks beautiful, love the color 🙂
Hi Amy, I’m glad you like the tour. Thank you for your compliment about our home…we discovered the original color the house had been painted during the restoration.
Karen, this was quite the lovely post and made us remember all the things we love about New England. We were just sitting about the other evening planning a trip to Vermont. I think it is possible that the Tin Man and spouse will move to New England in their old age. Texas is a state that seems to be moving backward in time and with the wonderful changes in our Federal Government we can now access same sex military benefits and want to be in a state that recognizes us as a couple that has been together for 38 years and does not despise our existence. Thank you for this post which fills one with peace and remembrance.
Thank you Tin Man, for your nice compliment about the post. We love everything about living in New England. I think the two of you would be very happy here. It will just be the winters that take getting used to…but then you can become a snowbird and head south. 🙂
Looks like a magical place.
Hi Darryl, It is a sweet little town…it’s nice that we have some of its past history.
you are living in a house from the 17 hundred… awesome!
and it does look beautiful, as the old town you so nicely photographed.
thank you for sharing!
Hi Barbara, Yes…our house is close to three hundred years old. I’m glad you enjoyed the photos and thank you for your compliment.
Gran historia Karen las escuelas e iglesias antiguas de pueblo tienen su encanto,saludos hugs,hugs.
Hola Rosita, Estoy feliz de que haya disfrutado de ver a algunos de los edificios antiguos de nuestra ciudad.I’m happy that you enjoyed seeing some of the antique buildings in our town. Thank you for your nice comment.
Karen, what a lovely tour, thank you for taking us! The little school houses are straight out of the story books. And I know I’ve said this before, but what a lovely home you have. I’ve only ever lived in brick houses, so timber ones intrigue me!
Hi Celia, You are right about the school houses being out of the story books…I was thrilled the first time I saw the two in our town. I know what you mean about our home…before we moved to New England, I had only lived in brick and stucco homes as well.
Karen even thought I have never been to your town I very much enjoyed this post on the historical buildings in it. : )
I’m very happy that I could show you around our town, I think it is very charming. Thank you for your nice comment.
Among the many things I have loved about being in Maine and New England is discovering so much history so I especially appreciate your story. Though we may not be an old country, there is much to know about it.
I have to agree with you Linda, the history in this part of our country is so interesting. It is fun exploring areas that we read about in the history books. I’m glad you enjoyed the post, thanks.
The way you narrated it made me feel like actually being there. Beautiful landmarks, craftsmanship, and history. I hope I could visit New England one of these days. Thank you for the tour, Karen.
Thank you for your kind words, Ray. I’m happy that you enjoyed the history about some of the buildings in our town. I do hope you get a chance to visit New England some day…I think you would enjoy the trip.
Wow – my reply makes 87 so far !! What wonderful photos – and I love your house!! I used to volunteer at Storrowton Village on the Eastern States Exposition grounds in W. Spfld, MA. There’s a one room school house, a lawyer’s office, a blacksmith shop – plus two buildings (which have housed a wonderful restaurant for decades), one of which comes from the town of Prescott, which was flooded when the Quabbin Reservoir was constructed. Your lovely photos remind me very much of Storrowton Village !
Hi Cecile, Yes, I am very happy that so many readers have enjoyed this post and I appreciate you taking time to comment. I’m glad that you enjoyed the little tour of our town. I have not had the chance to visit Storrowton…it must have been fun to volunteer at the village.
I love looking at old architecture from different parts of the country. Thanks for this post. Old buildings in your area are SO different from where I live. The old school house is great and I love it that they had the smarts to slant the floor. Very unusual for any school house I’ve seen. Thoroughly enjoye this post and I love your home!
Hi MJ, I’m happy that you enjoyed the post about our town’s historic buildings. It is fun to see how very different old buildings are in different parts of our country. I believe it all depends on the raw materials that were available at the time and where the settlers originally come from. Thank you for your compliment on our home…we love it.
Thanks for the tour. It’s all gorgeous. I can’t imagine going to a school that’s so small! And just one classroom! Amazing. I love the colour of your home. The architecture of your part of the world is gorgeous xx
Hi Charlie, I believe the architecture found in New England is wonderful. It is very different from what I grew up with in Texas and Florida as well. Isn’t it amazing that the school room was so small and had children of many different ages…so different from what we all have now. I’m glad you enjoyed the tour…thank you.
Love the pictures, Karen. Especially the cemetery. It’s like something you see in a movie. 😀 Thank you for sharing.
Hi Anne, I’m happy that you enjoyed the photos. The first cemetery has a sign out by the road “Ye Old Cemetery”…very much like in a movie. 🙂
Karen your home restoration is really quite something! You should be very proud, your house is absolutely gorgeous! Thank you for the tour of your beautiful city.
Thank you for your lovely compliment, Lisa. It took several years to have our house restored but we believe the end result was worth the time and effort. I’m glad you enjoyed the tour.
Great stuff Karen! A quintessential New England town. I love the stone walls, which I remember from living in Rhode Island. They not only look great but tell us much about the history of an area – since they seem to last forever. And your home is also a classic New England home – beautiful!
Hi Jeannee, I’m happy that you enjoyed the post about our small New England town. You are so right about the stone walls…I’m happy that we still have some on parts of our property.
I do love historic New England. America is such a young country and it’s always so interesting to see it’s early beginnings. Perhaps the kids and I will stumble on one of these little towns on our next adventure that way. We seem to crave New England every few years. 🙂
Hi Kristy, I do know that you love visiting New England. It isn’t hard to find lots of towns just like ours…most are scattered just off the main roads.
I love old buildings and history. Those houses are magnificent and dreamlike.
Cheers,
Rosa
Hi Rosa, I’m happy that you enjoyed the post. I’ve enjoyed all the old buildings that you have shared on your blog as well.
oh they are all beautiful. what a peaceful and serene scenery
Hi Jessica, I’m glad that you enjoyed seeing a little of our town…it is a peaceful place to live.
I LOVE historical architecture. I love looking out how things were built and how they managed to keep them up in modern times. This was such a beautiful post. I was taken away for a moment and I needed that today 🙂
Thank you Kay, for your lovely compliment. I’m happy that you enjoyed the post and that it took you to another place in time if only for a few minutes. 🙂
These buildings remind me of Anne of Green Gables!
Hi Chunklet, I have to agree with you. I’m glad you enjoyed the post.
Karen, thanks for the very lovely tour of your historic New England town – I loved reading all about the buildings and I really enjoyed looking at your wonderful pictures – your home, the school houses and the hand drawn map are just amazing – you already know how much I like “travelling back in time” and marvelling at historic and beautiful buildings – what a perfectly lovely and interesting post, Karen!
H Andrea, I happy that you enjoyed the tour of our little town. Yes, we both appreciate the historic buildings in our surrounding areas. I always enjoy when you share the historic sights in your area of Germany…most so much older than anything in our country. Thank you for your lovely compliment.
Your town sounds to be steeped in history. The old school houses are just beautiful. We live across the road from the original school building in our village – it’s now a house, but the bell that used to be rung at the start and end of the school day was taken down and moved to the new school.
Hi Sarah, There really is so much interesting history to be discovered in our area. It is nice that you village saved and moved the school bell when your original school was converted to a home.
It is wonderful to be able to learn so much about the history of your house, town and surrounding area. It’s really interesting to learn more about the people too!
Hi Meg, It is fun learning about our area and its history. Our museum is open on Saturdays and I think I will try and discover more about the families who have lived in our home.
How amazing! I swear I learned about the Hawke meeting place in high school. It must be fabulous to live around such wonderful architecture!
Hi Kelly, I’m glad that you enjoyed seeing a little of the little town I live in. Having grown up in Texas, I’m having fun learning about the history of New Hampshire and the town I now live in.
Being a native, born & bread in Massachusetts, I never tire of looking at photos from my lovely New England! Thank you for the lovely tour of your town.
I have to ask, what are the colors on your home, I absolutely love them! My home needs to be painted, and I’ve been looking at yellows for about five years now and it’s time to make a decision!
Hi Mary, Thank you for your nice compliment. I always love knowing that my New England readers have enjoyed a post about our area of the country. The two yellow colors on our home don’t have names as they are custom. This is my second yellow home and I found both times that it is hard to find the right shade of yellow that you like for your surroundings. I kept buying sample size colors and having them painted on different sides of our house. I’d make a trip back to the paint store and say…too light, no it looks like a lemon, looks like a pumpkin, no it glows when the sun hits it, etc. After adding this or that to the paint we finally came up with a color that was just right. 🙂
The stage coach station is amazing looking. I can just imagine what it was like back in the day when it was bustling with people going here and there. Thanks for the interesting look at days gone by.
Hi Carolyn, I feel the same way about the stagecoach building. It was an important stop for repairs between Portsmouth and Concord, New Hampshire. I went inside while it was being restored…some of the records were actually written on the walls.
Check out “The Old Country Store” in Moultenboro, Spent my summers in Ossipee between 1958 and 1974. Lots of great memories!
Hi Steve, Thanks for letting me know about the old country store. The lakes region of New Hampshire has wonderful places to visit. I haven’t been in that region for several years…I must return. 🙂
I remember stopping at the Old Country Store as far back as 1958… penny candy, whole dill pickles from an old wood barrel, antiques everywhere, nick-knacks galore. The building goes back to the 1700’s.
Nice memories, I’ll definitely try to get there.
What charming shots!
Thank you Ladyfi, for your compliment. I’m happy to know that you enjoyed the photos.
What a great post. I loved the tour and your photos were the next best thing to actually being there. I hope you are having a great week. Blessings…Mary
Thank you for your kind words, Mary. I’m happy to know that you enjoyed the post. I hope you are having a terrific week as well.
I swear I was meant to live out East!
Hi Stacey, I know exactly what you mean. We lived in New England for a year while my husband was working on a project. When we were heading back home to Florida, I said I had to know that I would return someday. I love living here!
Hi Karen, Thank you for sharing this little step back through time. You live in such a charming area, rich in history and artifact. I enjoyed taking this pleasant break in the middle of a busy day!
Hi Nancy, I appreciate you nice compliment. It is nice to know that you enjoyed the post.
beautiful tour of thanks for sharing love your home, we have a lovely old area of Winston Salem called old salem you would love it
Hi Rebecca, I’m glad you enjoyed the tour. I’ve heard that Winston Salem is a nice place to live. I’m sure I would enjoy the old section of Salem.
I love New England! Everything is so picture perfect! Your home looks beautiful on the outside… I could just imagine what it must look like inside!
Hi Lidia, New England does have very picturesque towns. Thank you for your compliment about our home. I’ll be sure do another post showing some of the interior of our home.
What a beautiful post and thanks for sharing New England with a Southern girl. I do have a visit to New England on my bucket list!!!!!!
Thank you Southern, for your nice compliment…I’m glad you enjoyed the post. I do hope you get a chance to visit New England sometime in the future.
You can just feel the history and character in this post… amazing, I LOVE local history, and with photos? even better!!!
I’m glad that you enjoyed the post and photos, Kiwi. Thank you for your nice comment.
I love old buildings. Where I live it isn’t near as old as where you live. All the buildings are aazing. I have always dreamed of owning an old home. That was back when they made things sturdy and built to last. You just dont see that anymore. thanks for the photos. .I enjoyed them.
Hi Nature, Thank you for you nice comment. I’m glad that you enjoyed the post and photos.
Love seeing all of these old buildings. The church reminds me of the one my father went to as a child. I would love to see some of the ladder back chairs that they made in the coopersmith shop.
Hi Becki, I’m glad you enjoyed the post. I have an antique ladder back chair but unfortunately it was not made in our area.
I’m looking for Laura Ingalls in every photo. I love history in places and it’s something I really miss about Germany. The west is so very young.
How lovely to be surrounded by this beauty and all the stories within it.
Hi Wendy, I’m happy to know that you enjoy history as much as I do. Not only do we love in a historic building but are surrounded by them as well. Certainly not as old as many of the buildings in Europe but old for the age of our country. We will be heading back to Germany this fall…it is one of our favorite places visit.
Lovely! More, more…!!
Thank you Rachel, for your compliment. I’m happy to know that you enjoyed the post. I’ll try to share more of the area where we live in future posts.
I love that old New England charm. The architecture was simple, clean and homey.
Hi Donna, I have to agree with you about the simple charm and simplicity of the New England and its historic buildings. I’m glad you enjoyed the post.
What a lovely and interesting town. It must be so fun to explore!
Hi Chris, Our little town is a blend of old and new which seems to please everyone that lives there. I’m glad that you enjoyed the little tour.
I love all your photos, what amazing sets these would be for film shoots!
Thank you Pamela, for your nice compliment. I’m glad that you enjoyed the photos. You are right, some of the buildings would make get sets for a film.
I love historic buildings and you are so lucky to be surrounded by them. Love the red school house
Hi Donna, Don’t you just love the little red school house…it is straight out of a storybook. I’m glad that you enjoyed the post.
This was really a fun post to read. I love all these historical buildings. How lucky you are to live there!
Thank you Kristi, for your nice compliment. I’m happy that you enjoyed the post. I do think we are lucky to live in a small community that takes such pride in their history.
What a wonderful historical treat !
Hi Carolyn, I’m happy to know that you enjoyed the post…thank you!
Very cool. I love historical buildings, architecture … looks right out of a storybook.
Hi Liuba, I happy to know that you enjoyed the post. I agree with you about the buildings looking straight out of a storybook. That is what I thought have I saw the little red school house.
Beautiful! Makes me homesick for New Hampshire.
Hi Linda, thank you for stopping by for a visit and your nice compliment. I’m glad that you enjoyed the post and it brought back nice memories of New Hampshire.
I love your home and I’m sure the owners would be very happy with your restoration! What a history-rich area.
Thank you Susan, for your sweet compliment. We are fortunate to have so much history that has been saved in our area.
Karen dearHeart: DO hope you check your blogs so late! Only yesterday when a number of worried blogfriends emailed: ‘Are you alright? Why are you not commenting?’ did I find out that the Powers That Are had ‘lost’ a page of 20 of my subs, yours included! So, amidst a hugely busy work weekend: methinks you get the picture!! Absolutely LOVED the day lilies: we are fond of the same colours: wish I had so many in my smallish garden! And your New England photos are for a slow evening ‘walk around’ Thank you!!!! Oh, have just resubscribed!!!! Botheration!
Hi Eha, Thank you for your sweet note. I just thought you were busy and that I would hear from your shortly. I’m happy to know that you enjoyed this post and the one about the flowers. I always appreciate when you stop by for a visit and thank you for resubscribing.
Wonderful virtual tour, love seeing New England through fresh eyes!
He Leduesorelle, I’m happy that you enjoyed the little tour of the historic buildings in our town…thank you.
Beautiful photographs of “old” buildings, Karen. Thanks for stopping by and commenting at my food blog (http://stepbystepinthekitchen.blogspot.com). I want to invite you to also check out my hometown blog where I feature photos I take on my almost-daily walks through Corning NY. I plan to follow your adventures on this blog, too.
Hi Kathleen, Thank you for stopping by for a visit. I’m happy to know that you enjoyed the post and photos and I look forward to your return.
I LOVE this post, Karen! Thank you for sharing this tour of your town. I am so homesick now for my town in Massachusetts. I really miss the Colonial history. We used to visit a little red schoolhouse in Sudbury when I was growing up – one of my favorite spots. Your home is beautiful and I enjoy reading about all you’ve done to restore it. Hope you’re enjoying a wonderful summer!
Thank you Hannah, for your lovely compliment. I’m so happy to know that you enjoyed the tour of some of the historical buildings in our little town. We have spent most of the summer up at the lake in Maine with lots of company…always nice. I hope you summer has been nice as well.
What a wonderful review, Andrew. I thank you so much for your kind words, they are very appreciated. 🙂
I love all the photos! It’s nice to see where other bloggers live 🙂
Hi Ann, I’m happy that you enjoyed seeing a few of the historic buildings in the town I call home in New Hampshire.
Well you know how I feel about New Hampshire already 🙂 but I LOVE learning even more history about my state! Maybe I am biased, and I have travelled a good bit around the country, but I feel New England has it all – mountains, lakes, ocean, history!
Hi Carol, I’m glad that you enjoyed the post. I feel the same way about New England…it is a wonderful area of our country.
Hi Karen,
Thank you so much for sharing my hometown as well! I was born in Danville and lived there until age 6. My daddy was a Yankee dairy farmer like his father and my mama was a sweet southern girl from Georgia. We moved to Atlanta. My grandparents had a dairy farm right there on Beach Plain Rd. They were Everett and Evelyn Cummings. We visited every summer until it was time to go back to school. Those were some of the best childhood memories!
Also, my great grandparents, grandparents and parents are buried in the Ye Olde Cemetery.