Drivers from other parts of the world are often terrified by New England’s use of traffic circles at busy intersections. We’re not the only people to use them – Washington, D.C., has some of the worst – but they do become landmarks. In New Hampshire, for instance, a set of directions might mention the Portsmouth Traffic Circle, or the one at Epsom or Stratham or Alton or Lee, shown here.
It’s when you add traffic that things get fun.
Other terms for the routing around a central island include “rotaries” and “roundabouts.” What Romans call theirs would be unprintable in a family-friendly blog like this.
The tradition of New England contradancing flourishes inside the Scout House in Concord, Massachusetts – a former barn now owned by the Girl Scouts and rented out by the folklore enthusiasts. Monday nights are legendary, and weekends are packed.Seen from the side.
Nimble Hill Road is quite a contrast to the congestion around the mall and big-box stores on the other side of the turnpike.
The town of Newington, just over the bridge on our way to Portsmouth, is easily misunderstood.
With a 2010 population of a mere 753, it often appears to be little more than the Spaulding Turnpike exits to the mall and big-box stores plus a few apartment complexes and a section of the Pease International Tradeport industrial park.
It also has a major electrical generation plant contributing heavily to the property tax base – a major, major factor for any municipality in New Hampshire as it addresses public finances.
The town is also surrounded on three sides by tidewater, including ocean docking on its eastern edge.
But the place was also severely impacted during the Cold War when the U.S. Air Force used eminent domain to acquire 4,255 acres to construct an air base (now turned into the industrial zone) mostly in Newington. The noise of bomber-sized jet planes taking off and landing did little to enhance the neighborhood as a place to live peacefully in those days – the frequent interruptions even forced the grade school to find a quieter setting. After all, its runway, now used by commercial, private, and National Guard flights, is among the longest in New England.
Given those factors, few people would have much incentive to take the Nimble Hill Road exit from the turnpike.
As it turns it, the road presents some classic New England just before culminating in a dead end near the runway. The historic district is a treasure.
Here’s a taste of what you’d see.
The 1725 parsonage includes a salt-box addition as an early renovation.A cannon is part of the town monuments near the center of the Parade where the militia practiced. More Newington men served in the Siege of Louisburg (13) and War of 1812 (12) than in World War I. The background includes the well-funded library and 1712 meeting house, said to be the oldest in New Hampshire. (Hope they mean oldest in continuous use, since I know of two Quaker meetinghouses that are now private residences.)The elementary school fell victim to loud noise from Air Force bombers.The 1872 Old Town Hall once also housed the school.
As municipalities emerged in the 19th century, the populace often took pride in the local identity – and this was reflected in the craftsmanship and details adorning their public buildings.
Dover’s old waterworks.Stained glass windows in what was the high school’s chemistry lab. It’s now a community center.Don’t forget the central firehouse.
Situated at the mouth of the Merrimack River, Newburyport, Massachusetts, has a historic harbor and charming brick downtown – one that echoes many others in New England, for that matter. Its residential neighborhoods are likewise filled with a range of fascinating details from many historic styles. But for me, the real glory is High Street, built at the height of the lucrative whale oil business. Interspersed among the dominant federal-style houses are some other fine examples. Here’s a sampling.
Colonial.
Lingering Georgian, without many of the distinctive details.
Greek Revival.
Greek Revival Temple, here a former church converted to private residence. It has an attached matching garage.
The federal style of architecture flourished from the 1780s into the 1820s, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a finer sampling of it than in Newburyport, Massachusetts – especially along High Street. Here are a few examples.
Jnana's Red Barn 