USA > New Hampshire > Grafton County > Holderness > An abbreviated history of Holderness, New Hampshire, 1761-1961 > Part 2
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Holderness can also lay claim to a hand in the upbringing of a number of interesting and important people: Dr. Jerome Webster, who graduated from Johns Hopkins, grew up at Holderness School, and went to China as a Medical Missionary, from whence he returned years later to become Head Plastic Sur- geon with the big Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Cen- ter in New York, from which he has recently retired. Bradford Washburn, of international mountaineering fame, spent his boyhood Summers at Rockywold and learned his climbing on the Squam range. It would take a book to catalogue his adventures. He is now head of the Boston Museum of Science.
Another was so-called "Jack" Mead, properly known as George. Jack was building things from his small boyhood and he wished to do his duty by his country when the First World War came. He was turned down on account of his eyes, but he went to McCook Field at Dayton, Ohio, (now Wright Field) to work on airplanes, which was the beginning of his immense service to aviation in America. He headed the great Pratt-Whitney Aircraft Company in Hart- ford, Connecticut, during World War II and used occa- sionally to take a few hours off to fly up here in an Aquaplane to have lunch and a swim with his wife and children, and be back in Hartford in time to finish out a working day. Our latest notable is Alan Shepard, Astronaut, a descendant of our own Shepards.
The catalogue of notable, brilliant and delightful people who have come to Holderness in all these many years would fill books, and I can only beg the pardon of those people who probably, quite rightly, feel that something should have been said about them or mem- bers of their family. For further information I would refer them to Dean George Hodges' book, "Holder- ness," published in 1907, and to "A Story of Squam Lake" by the Reverend Theodore C. Speers, privately printed, and to Sargent's "Handbook of Summer Camps," 1925 edition, and also to local historical so- cieties, as well as the Historical Museum in Ashland.
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SUGGESTED SHORT TOURS IN HOLDERNESS
Start at east end of Plymouth-Holderness Bridge, observe classic example of watercut ancient river banks, go east to route 175, turn left, go for about two and one-half miles to dirt road on left to Livermore Falls. These can be seen by foot passengers from dis- used iron bridge, now closed to traffic.
Return to junction with road from Plymouth, turn in to the grounds of Holderness School for Boys, site of Judge Samuel Livermore's large house, first home of the school, which burned about 70 years ago. The Coat of Arms of the Earl of Holderness is over the door of the main building. Continue on through the school grounds back to route 175 passing on the left, the large first graveyard and "Old Trinity" church, a small white building, built in 1797. A little further on, again on the left, stands a large, handsome brick house, built by Captain Russell Cox in 1828. About a quarter-mile beyond at a fork in the road, at a road sign for Ashland, turn right on the "river-road" past several small recent houses; at the foot of the hill there is a handsome brick farmhouse, the ell is the oldest part, built about 1780. Continue on this road some distance to another vine-covered brick house in a large garden, on the left, built about 1820.
Continue to junction with route 3, turn left to Ashland. Notice the fine spire of the Baptist church as you approach the town. There is a large graveyard on the right and next are a baseball field and play- ground. Just beyond these, set far back from the road, close together, are three of the very early, if not the first houses in the town. Take the first road to the right, then the first left, Hill St., pass the Catholic church and look to the right for a pair of brick, Greek- Revival type, houses, said to have been built for twin brothers. They were exactly alike inside and out, until later owners altered them. Opposite them is a fine, white Cape Cod type house, old, but of uncertain date. Just beyond the brick houses, facing each other across the end of Hill St. are two pleasant white houses, a Cape Cod type on the south side, built about 1820, on the north side a Cottage Gothic house, built 'round
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1845. End of Hill St. Turn north into Pleasant St. and look to the left, on the corner a small, very old, wood- en house, next on the same side set farther back, a re- markably handsome old brick house, built by a Whip- ple, about 1830. Next is another, old white house with an unusually tall central chimney, built by John Cot- ton. Beyond the Cotton house is the Baptist church, which seems to be faced toward Pleasant St., though its present main entrance is from the side, on Main Street (which is also a section of route 3).
From Pleasant St. turn right onto route 3, go around corner and turn sharp left onto Highland St. As you go up the hill the barn on the left, now owned by Mr. F. H. Brock, was the first bank building. Con- tinue up the hill, the house now occupied by Mr. Law- son Glidden (much altered by various owners) was Reuben Whitten's house, the man who shared out his crop in the terrible "1816-and-starve-to-death" year, which earned this hill the name of "Christian Hill." Whitten is buried in the Clough cemetery, near the top of the hill at the right; walk in at the orange sign.
Returning to the center of Ashland, there are several fine old houses in the lower part of the town, some of wood, some of brick; there are one or two on Thompson St., which goes north up the hill from Mon- ument Square on Main St.
Return to route 3, go toward Holderness about a mile to junction with Owl Brook road on left, follow this to end, turn right. At the corner is the house built by Samuel Shepard, sometime in the 1770's. He was the first town clerk and town meeting was held here from 1785 until the town hall was built in 1820. The house is now owned by Captain Peder Myre. There are two old cemeteries, to the north along this road, but the town no longer maintains all of it so it is best to walk to the furthest one.
Return to route 3, about a mile further north look for the Holderness town hall, built about 1820. About half a mile further, on the left, is a white house marked "Town Clerk" built by John Jewell, about 1830.
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At junction of route 3 and 113, turn left onto 113, follow this road for about one mile to the entrance to an abandoned, very steep road on the left which leads to the site of some fallen-in farmhouses, once belong- ing to the Willoughby family ; there are two old grave- yards up there, only accessible by walking, distance about one mile each way. Return to 113, continue for about three-quarters of a mile to driveway on left, between stone posts with a sign saying "Red House;" this is Hercules Mooney's house, added to and modern- ized. There were a number of other old houses along this road, but several have burned down and the others are too far back from the road to be easily seen. Two miles beyond the Mooney driveway, not visible from the road, on the right, in the angle formed by the "Rockywold-Deephaven Camps" entrance and 113, is the old Felch cemetery; half a mile further, on the left, is another old cemetery now much neglected.
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Returning to Holderness bridge, follow route 3 east a short way to the junction with the Shepard's Hill road, take this straight up the hill, past St. Peter's in the Mountains, at a junction of roads, turn right for views of several old houses, mostly built by Cox and Piper families from 1765 on. There is an old Piper graveyard near the southwest corner of White Oak pond. An old Piper house stands on the left, overlook- ing the pond, records indicate it was built about 1812. About a mile beyond, on the right, is a white farm- house, built by another Cox about 1830. Continue on up a steep hill near the top of which, on the right, is a handsome brick house, also a Cox one. (Small won- der this part of town is known as Coxboro.) Go on over the hill to the junction with the road around White Oak pond. There is another cemetery, beyond this junction. Return to the junction; an old house of the Bean family is at this turn, overlooking Hawkins pond. Go on along the left hand road, off in the fields to the left (north), look for two more graveyards, about a quarter mile apart. Follow the road to route 3; at this intersection is the now disused East Holderness Bap- tist meeting house with a small cemetery near by.
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Turn left on route 3, toward the west. On the right is the old East Holderness red schoolhouse, about a mile further, also on the right, a farmhouse built by one of the many Pipers in 1830. Half a mile further, on the left is the site of the squared-white-oak-timber block-house-fort, no traces remain. Beyond this take road to the left up a steep hill, past an old Piper farm on the right. A Shepard farmhouse is further up on the left. At the steepest part of the hill, on the right, is the old Severance farm. At the top of the hill, turn right up a private road for the view of the lake from under the Whittier Pines, just to the right and beyond the disused tennis court.
Return to main road, turn right down hill to the bridge. An old house of the Perkins Family is on the right, the other houses are of fairly recent dates.
Return to Holderness bridge, the east cemetery and site of the burned down church are in the angle formed by the intersection of routes 3 and 113.
Continue on route 3 one mile to route 175, follow this to Hardhack Corners, turn right past very old white house (very small), turn right again, along Owl Brook Valley; a little further on, on the left, there is an old school house now made over into a dwelling house. Still further on also on the left, is the North Holderness Baptist Meetinghouse, still in use, built about 1840. Further on along a stretch of about two miles are several old houses, the last and largest a Greenleaf farm, still a busy place.
A short distance further the road crosses into Campton township and continues to Campton Hollow, turn left here to just beyond Durgin brook, turn left up Pulsifer hill and follow a very winding road around the slopes of Mount Prospect. There are several pleas- ant old houses and farms on this road, which ends in the Owl Brook road, turn right to get back to Hard- hack Corners on route 175; turn right for Plymouth or left for Holderness village.
Compiled by Margaret A. Howe and Susan Bacon Keith
16
Hundred Acre Lots
Livermore falls
4
19
1
H- Smith
W. Simpson in
John Shepard
5
18
Jos. Bar Her C. Benford for
Intervale
Richard Salter
6
John Wentworth
R. Ellison
E
3
John Cox
7
16
Batters River
[3]
John Shepads Herr do Visning Ja
15
The Shepard dery Pitam
Squirt Livermore
14
B. W.
North Church
Hy Walks
Jas. Kelley
T
1797
13
"Governor's neck"
10 Ir=Cambel
John Downing
62
12
Mil LOT
S.Livermore
Intervale
Town 1015
8 . ace 100
l-are
Ennise 1 CANcho
Ch
[30]
Mittags Spring K
Church
44
Fr. Ellison
Hill
Intervale 8 - acre
45
e. cox
Im. von
7]
.'S She
Province Rond
E. Cox
7. Harvey
69
Siljan Milchelig
70
W Wilkins
O
SQuie
2055
9
Periserasset River
43
Brawl
W
Hill
T. Shepar
40
sties!
Tavern
31
8JA Anes
[Plymouth]
Mill Brook
2
8- acre 1015
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