Historical

Colonial Market Fair and Militia Muster at the Wentworth House

Travel back in time to the American Revolution at the historic Colonel Paul Wentworth House in Rollinsford, NH.  On Saturday and Sunday, October 20 and 21, the sights and sounds of the Revolutionary era will come to life at a colonial market fair with 18th century craftspeople and artisans at work, while the militia gathers to train in preparation for joining General Washington’s forces against the British.

At this two-day living history encampment, artisans in period attire will demonstrate crafts such as joinery, coopering, printing, shoe making, and gun smithing. At the same time, the militia will perform musket firings and military drills, display and explain their equipment, and raise a Liberty Pole and flag.The event will also feature hearth cooking demonstrations, a display of antique tools, house tours, children’s games, and more. The event will run from 10 am to 4 pm on Saturday, and from 10 am to 3 pm on Sunday. Admission is $5 for the general public; free for children and ARCH members.

The circa 1701 Wentworth House is located on Water Street in Rollinsford, and is maintained by the Association for Rollinsford Culture and History (ARCH) as an educational and cultural center. For more information, visit the ARCH website at www.paulwentworthhouse.org or on Facebook at The Colonel Paul Wentworth House.

October 3, 2018 in Historical

Historical Committee Announces Photo Selections

Hello again from the Rollinsford Historical Committee!

First of all, we just want to say WOW. A grand total of 142 photos were submitted for our upcoming notecard project!

Thank you to each and every one of you who took the time to share your favorite photos with us. We were blown away by all of you and we enjoyed every single submission. Selecting the final collection was not easy.

That said, we feel like this collection is absolutely stunning. Congratulations to the photographers who made the final 8!

• Jack Brownley
• Brian Cummings
• Dennis Drake
• Tamara Niedzolkowski
• Caitlin Rollo
• Andrew Schilling-Payne
• Pam Sorbello
• Shawn St.Hilaire

Each photographer will receive a complimentary sample of their design. All of our other participants will receive a Kevin the Crane card as a personal thank you from the Committee. We never expected such a generous response and we hope we can do it all again next year!

The notecards will be available for purchase soon. Stay tuned! Please like our Facebook page for updates on the notecards (tag your photographer!) and to see some of the amazing photos that we were not able to print – many photos were beautiful but not high enough resolution to print. We’ll be sharing them in the following weeks.

– The Historical Committee

Facebook: @rollistory
Web page: https://rollinsford.nh.us/history/

September 29, 2018 in Historical

Message from the Rollinsford Historical Committee: Call for Photos!

Hello from the Rollinsford Historical Committee!

Do you have a beautiful photo of Rollinsford that you are willing to share with the town? We’re looking for photo submissions to be used on notecards for an upcoming fundraiser!

If you would like to enter a photo, please email it to us at: [email protected] – Photos should be as high resolution as possible in order to be considered for print. The only rule is that the photo be of Rollinsford! We would love to see every season. Landscape, architecture or animal, we’re excited to see what you submit!

SUBMISSIONS ARE DUE IN ONE WEEK! SEPTEMBER 27, 2018

Each photographer will be credited on the back of the card and will receive a complimentary sample of their design. 100% of the profits will go back into the Historical Committee’s fund to be used for restoration and preservation projects.

The Rollinsford Historical Committee holds history hikes and other educational events that are entirely volunteer and free to the public. As we are relatively new, we’re currently working to find ways to raise funding without accessing town funds. Your participation in this fundraiser would be a huge help!

September 21, 2018 in Historical

Wentworth House Event 9.2.18

V for Victory: World War II Comes to the Wentworth House

Visit Rollinsford’s historic Colonel Paul Wentworth House on Sunday, September 2 between 11 am and 4 pm for V for Victory: Americans in World War II, a one-day living history event commemorating V-J Day. On that date in 1945, representatives of Imperial Japan signed surrender documents marking the official end of World War II. Come find out how US participation in the global conflict affected American military personnel and civilians.

On the grounds of the Wentworth House, historical reenactors in period uniforms will display the equipment, weapons, and routines of US soldiers. Inside the house, visitors will get a feel for life on the home front during the war through 1940s music and radio broadcasts, newsreel films and cartoons, artifacts such as ration cards and V-mail, and the magazines and newspapers that chronicled the war, including one from the day after Pearl Harbor.

Tours of the house will also be offered throughout the day. Admission is $5 for adults; the event is free to children and ARCH members.

The circa 1701 Wentworth House is located on Water Street in Rollinsford and is maintained by the Association for Rollinsford Culture and History (ARCH).  For more information about this and other events at the Wentworth House, consult the ARCH website at paulwentworthhouse.org.

August 23, 2018 in Community Group, Historical

Mill and Farm Exhibit at Wentworth House

In the 1800s, the small town of Rollinsford was comprised of two distinct communities: the industrial mill village of Salmon Falls, largely populated by recent immigrants, and the outlying farms worked by old Yankee families. Mill and Farm: The Two Faces of a New England Town, a new exhibit at the Colonel Paul Wentworth House, illustrates these two different aspects of life in the town in the 19thand early 20thcenturies.

Through the stories of individual families and through objects such as tools, account books, school records, dance cards, and photographs, the exhibit compares and contrasts the lives of Rollinsford’s farmers and mill workers. Many of the objects are on loan from private collections and have not been previously exhibited.

The exhibit is open to visitors from 1 to 4 pm on Sundays until mid-October. Admission to the house and the exhibit is $5; free for ARCH members and children under 16. Additionally, throughout the month of August, admission is free for all Rollinsford residents.

Maintained by the Association for Rollinsford Culture and History (ARCH), the circa 1701 Wentworth House is located on Water Street in Rollinsford, NH and hosts living history events, exhibits, and school and youth programs. For more information about this and other events at the Wentworth House, consult the ARCH website at paulwentworthhouse.org or on Facebook at The Colonel Paul Wentworth House.

August 6, 2018 in Historical

History Paddle on the Salmon Falls River

Take a unique guided tour of the Salmon Falls River by canoe or kayak with the Association for Rollinsford Culture and History (ARCH) on Sunday, July 29 from 1 to 3:30 pm.

Participants will tour the tidal portions of the river in Rollinsford and South Berwick, and learn about sites related to Native American life, early European settlement, mills, shipbuilding, wharves, and more, while enjoying the lovely scenery along the way.

Space in this event is limited to 15, and participants will need to supply their own watercraft and personal floatation device (PFD). To register or for more information, email [email protected] or call Lucy at 603-767-7042. Directions to the meeting spot and additional details will be provided upon registration. A donation of $10 is suggested; ARCH members and children are free.

July 26, 2018 in Community Group, Historical

Guided History Hike

The Rollinsford Historical Committee

presents

A GUIDED HISTORY HIKE
OF SALMON FALLS VILLAGE

Sunday, April 22 at 2:00 pm

Come hear the story behind downtown Rollinsford, one of the best preserved mill villages in all of New England, as we take a walking tour of Historic Salmon Falls Village. You’ll never look at Rollinsford the same again! All ages are welcome.

The tour will take approximately 1 1/2 hours.
We will meet at:

The Gazebo at
Bicentennial Park

The event is free; donations are gratefully accepted!

View the event flyer »

The tour will be led by architectural historian Peter Michaud and is free and open to the public. The tour will start at the gazebo in Bicentennial Park located off of Front Street and adjacent to the Salmon Falls River. Parking in the park is limited and participants are encouraged to park on nearby Front Street. Participants should dress for the weather and wear shoes appropriate for walking. For more information, please call (603) 559-0284 or email [email protected].

Better-known today for its successful artist and craftsman studios, Salmon Falls village is well-known to the local preservation community as an integral model of a Boston-owned factory town. The tour will weave through one of the most intact 19th century mill villages in New England. Participants will visit the village of the Salmon Falls Manufacturing Company and explore its mill yard, related workers housing, and its religious and commercial buildings. The tour will explore the history and development of the village, how the mills functioned, and the communities of immigrants employed by the company.

Peter Michaud is an architectural historian at the New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources. He is the vice president of the New England chapter of the Vernacular Architectural Forum and serves on Strawbery Banke Museum’s National Council. He serves on the board of the Players’ Ring Theatre, is a founding board member of the Piscataqua Decorative Arts Society, and is the secretary for Portsmouth Advocates.

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April 12, 2018 in Community Group, Historical

Employment Opportunity: ARCH Tour Guide

An exciting employment opportunity for a history enthusiast!

Share your enthusiasm for American history with the public at Rollinsford’s historic Colonel Paul Wentworth House.

The Association for Rollinsford Culture and History (ARCH) seeks a dynamic, dependable and outgoing person for a seasonal part-time position as a tour guide at the circa 1701 Wentworth House. A growing local history organization, ARCH maintains the Wentworth House as an educational and cultural center, and throughout the year hosts exhibits, demonstrations, and living history events which celebrate our community’s rich heritage.

No museum experience? No problem – comprehensive training in best interpretive practices will be provided by experienced museum guides.

Be part of bringing three centuries of history to life at the Colonel Paul Wentworth House!

 

Responsibilities: Open and close house on Sundays. Ensure the safety and security of the house and its collection of artifacts.  Greet visitors, conduct tours, and interpret the history of the Wentworth House and its place in the story of our community, region, and nation. Share information about ARCH and our community with visitors.

Qualifications: This position requires a dependable, responsible person with a strong interest in early American history/local history.  Must be able to read, retain and relate factual historical information and use it to interpret the history of the Wentworth House, its inhabitants, and the surrounding community to visitors. Strong verbal communication skills and the ability to engage visitors with a variety of ages, interests, and backgrounds are a must.  Some college coursework or a college degree a plus but not required. Physical requirements:  Position entails moderate physical activity. Must be able to walk up and down stairs and on uneven surfaces.

Work schedule: Sunday afternoons, 12:30 – 4:30 pm, June through mid-October (start and end dates negotiable).

Pay range: $12-$15 per hour, depending on experience/qualifications.

No phone calls, please. Send letter of interest and resume to ARCH, PO Box 16, Rollinsford, NH 03869 or via email.

April 6, 2018 in Community Group, Historical