One River, Two States
From the days of the earliest settlers, nearly three
hundred years ago, we in the Northern Connecticut River Valley have had our
own way of doing things. We once even tried to form our own state, with the
Connecticut River in the center, although General George Washington himself
put an end to that idea.
Since then, the region has evolved its own distinctive culture. It's a landscape
of hill farms and downtowns, where newcomers might operate the general store
and descendents of old-time families run businesses in cyberspace, where loggers
make sculptures, and teachers raise sheep. It's a place where the regional culture
can't be confined within our great museums. You'll find authentic historic sites
from one end of the watershed to the other. Many of our downtowns and neighborhoods
are themselves historic districts.
Our church steeples and village greens still provide picture postcard views,
and in some places at night you can see for miles and count the house lights
on the fingers of one hand. But these days our traditional Town Meetings and
old-time church suppers are enriched by lively downtown and village scenes,
where you'll find art galleries, antique auctions, craft fairs, concerts, and
live theater. Catch the show, join the dance, check out the shops on Main Street.
Links:
For calendars and special events, check the Waypoint Communities’ links
to the local chamber of commerce or tourism association.
Among the most illustrious artists of the Connecticut River Valley is the sculptor
Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848-1907). The Saint-Gaudens
National Historic Site in Cornish, NH, preserves
the home, gardens and studios where the sculptor summered from 1885-1897. Among
his most well-known works are the Shaw Memorial in Boston, the Chicago sculpture
depicting Abraham Lincoln, and the monument to General Sherman in front of New
York's Plaza Hotel. Saint-Gaudens drew into his sphere many other artists and
musicians who collectively became known as the Cornish Colony, here at "little
New York," from about 1885-1935. The National Park Service operates the
150-acre site and its hiking trails that explore the park's natural areas.
Among those drawn to the Cornish Colony was the Parrish family, including popular
artist Maxfield Parrish, who created luminous paintings of Connecticut River
Valley scenes. Those who live here know that the remarkable lighting for which
his work is so well known is a true reflection of the Connecticut River Valley
skies. The Town Hall in Plainfield, NH, features recently restored stage scenery
of Parrish’s design. His work is shown at the
Cornish Colony Museum, Windsor, VT.
Enfield Shaker Museum in Enfield, NH is a year-round center for history and outdoor recreation, with a mission to protect, enhance and utilize its eight historical structures, landscape and Shaker cultural heritage. The Museum offers daily tours of the 1841 Great Stone Dwelling, a significant architectural achievement. Depending on the weather, visitors may also enjoy self-guided tours of the other buildings and hiking trails in partnership with NH Fish & Game. A variety of programs for people of all ages are also offered year-round, including festivals, concerts, workshops, Shaker inspired dinners, hands-on activities for children, special events, and overnight programs with different themes.
The Great
River Arts Map guides visitors on a tour of Connecticut River galleries
and other cultural sites.
The St. Johnsbury Athenaeum
is a distinctive public library and art gallery, in St. Johnsbury, VT. This
National Historic Landmark is a legacy of the Fairbanks Family, inventors and
manufacturers of the world's first platform scale, who gave the Athenaeum to
the Town in 1871. The art collection contains a number of Hudson River School
paintings. Dominating the gallery is the magnificent canvas, about ten feet
by fifteen feet, of the Domes of the Yosemite, by Albert Bierstadt. The artist
visited St. Johnsbury often until his death in 1902, touching up the canvas
from time to time.
Among the finest cultural centers in the Upper Connecticut River Valley is Dartmouth
College, Hanover, NH, with its Hood
Museum of Art and Hopkins
Center, a leading venue for the performing
arts. One of the Byway's finest regional museums is the Brattleboro
Museum & Art Center, Brattleboro, VT.
A variety of smaller yet equally vibrant galleries includes the Spheris
Gallery in Walpole and Hanover, NH.
The Great
River Arts Institute, also in Walpole, draws upon the inspiration offered
by the Connecticut River Valley setting, which works as well for 21st century
artists and writers as it did for the 19th century Cornish Colony. The Institute
has sponsored a major exhibition centered around the river, and published a
map
of arts and cultural sites in the Valley.
Not far from Brattleboro, in Dummerston, VT, another National Historic Landmark
offers a glimpse into the American years of Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936), the
first English language author to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. At the
place he named Naulakha,
Kipling himself designed one of the region's finest Shingle Style residences
for his American bride. Despite their brief residence in the house (1893-1896),
Kipling wrote several of his best-beloved books here, including The Jungle Book
and Captains Courageous. The Landmark Trust of America operates the site as
a private bed-and-breakfast, which is infrequently open to the public.
Home | Brattleboro | Bellows Falls | Claremont | Windsor | White River Junction | Wells River-Woodsville | St. Johnsbury | Lancaster | Colebrook
