News from the Manchester Historic Association

Collect, Preserve, Share

Manchester

June 23, 2022

In This Issue

1 Mike Skelton Named Honorary Chair of 2022 Preservation Awards

2 MHA Names Preservation Awards Honorees

3 "The Peoples' Sculptor: The Life and Works of John Rogers"

4 Goodwin Funeral Home Records Now Searchable Through MHA

5 New Hampshire Heritage Museum Trail Passports

6 Manchester Trivia Questions

Mike Skelton Named Honorary Chair of 2022 Historic Preservation Awards

The Manchester Historic Association has announced that Mike Skelton, president and chief executive officer of the Business and Industry Association of New Hampshire will serve as Honorary Chairman of the 30^th Annual Historic Preservation Awards to be held Sept. 8 at Manchester Community College.

“As a Manchester Native and former CEO of City’s Chamber of Commerce, I have a deep appreciation and love for Manchester’s rich and unique history and believe it is essential to our community’s quality of life and business climate,” Skelton said. “I am honored and excited to be asked to serve as Honorary Chair for the Historic Preservation Awards and look forward to helping make the event a success.”

In addition to his duties with the BIA, Skelton currently serves on the Board of Directors of Stay Work Play New Hampshire, the Palace Theatre and the Manchester Economic Development Corporation.

“As leader of the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, Mike expanded the Chamber’s economic development partnerships and played a leading role in business expansion, attraction and retention efforts in Manchester,” said MHA Executive Director Jeff Barraclough. “We are thrilled to have Mike serve as honorary chair this year in recognition of all he has done for the city.”

The 2022 edition of the Historic Preservation Awards will recognize the efforts of individuals, businesses and organizations that have made significant contributions to the preservation of buildings, neighborhoods, traditions and other historic resources in our city.

For more information, call 603-622-7531. To purchase tickets, click here, and for sponsorship opportunities, click here.

MHA Names Preservation Award Honorees

The Manchester Historic Association (MHA) has selected five honorees for its 30^thAnnual Historic Preservation Awards, including an Individual Achievement Award for renowned photographer Gary Samson (at right).

In addition to the award for Samson, the Historic Preservation Award honorees are:

Homeowner’s Award

Robert B. and Claudette O. Perreault

For their home at 187 Warner Street

Adaptive Reuse Award

The Factory on Willow

252 Willow Street

Restoration of a City Landmark Award

The Gresley Residence

669 Chestnut Street

Stewardship Award

Manchester Water Works

For the Operator’s Residence at 1583 Lake Shore Road

Also being recognized at the event with a Centennial Award is the Red Arrow Diner, for a century of service to the community.

General admission for the event is $125, and $100 for MHA members. The awards event is the largest fundraiser of the year for the MHA, and proceeds will help in creating more interactive exhibits and expanding educational programs at the Millyard Museum.

Lead sponsor for the event is RBC Wealth Management. Information about additional sponsorship opportunities and reservations may be obtained by calling (603) 622-7531, or clicking here.

"The People's Sculptor:

The Life and Works of John Rogers”

The Millyard Museum's current featured exhibit is “The People's Sculptor: The Life and Works of John Rogers.".

Rogers was a well-known artist whose statuary "groups" became extremely popular in the mid-to-late 1800s. He was the first American sculptor to mass produce his work and worked mostly in plaster to make his sculptures more affordable.

Rogers' connections to Manchester run deep, from his work as a mechanic at Amoskeag to his gift to the city of the Abraham Lincoln statue that stands in the courtyard at Central High School.

The exhibit is free to MHA members and included with general admission for other visitors. If you would like to assist the MHA in staging more exhibits such as this, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to our Heritage Fund by clicking here.

Goodwin Funeral Home Records Now Searchable Through MHA

The Manchester Historic Association is pleased to announce that a finding aid for funeral records of the Goodwin Funeral Home from 1920 to 1969 has been completed.

A few years ago, the owners of the Goodwin Funeral Home (one of the oldest funeral homes in Manchester) donated their death return records to the Manchester Historic Association. These documents record information about individuals whose funerals were managed by the Goodwin Funeral Home, spanning the years 1874 to 1969. Information includes date and place of death, residence at time of death, cause of death, occupation, names of parents, and place of internment.

This valuable resource has been digitized by the Northeast Document Conservation Center through a generous anonymous gift to the MHA. Since that time, MHA volunteers have been developing a finding aid, organized alphabetical by last name, but which can also be searched by first name and, when applicable, maiden name. A finding aid for all death returns from 1920 to 1969 has been completed and can now be accessed from our website by clicking here.

If you have any questions or would like a digital copy of a specific death return listed in the finding aid, please email us.

New Hampshire Heritage Museum Trail Passports

The New Hampshire Heritage Museum Trail's Passport Program allows participants to experience 21 different museums in the Granite State. Passports ($150 value) are available for purchase at each participating museum for only $25.

The Trail Passport provides buyers with one free admission ticket to the 21 museums that are part of the museum trail.

The Passport is good for one person for one year from the date of purchase, and is non-transferable. The Passport includes brief summaries of the museums, organized by location that can be stamped upon entry.

The Millyard Museum is pleased to be taking part in this program! Passports can only be purchased at participating museums:

Albacore Park (Portsmouth), American Independence Museum (Exeter), Aviation Museum of NH (Manchester), Belknap Mill (Laconia), Canterbury Shaker Village, Castle in the Clouds (Moultonborough), Currier Museum of Art (Manchester), Lake Winnipesaukee Museum (Laconia), Lee Scouting Museum (Manchester), Libby Museum (Wolfeboro), Millyard Museum (Manchester), Moffatt-Ladd House & Garden (Portsmouth), Museum of the White Mountains (Plymouth), New England Racing Museum (Loudon), NH Boat Museum (Wolfeboro), NH Historical Society (Concord), Portsmouth Historical Society, Remick Country Doctor Museum & Farm (Tamworth), Strawbery Banke (Portsmouth), Woodman Museum (Dover), and the Wright Museum of World War II (Wolfeboro).

Did You Get Last Month's

Manchester Trivia Question?

Last Month's Trivia Question: Years before Dick Clark created "American Bandstand," a local radio personality had his own teenage dance show on WMUR-TV beginning Oct. 11, 1954. Can you name the local broadcaster?

ANSWER: Legendary broadcaster and print journalist Donn Tibbetts (far right) was the show host, beginning at the age of 24. His in-studio guests included the likes of the Four Lads, Patti Page and Bill Haley and the Comets. __________________________________________________________________

This Month's Trivia Question: An unusual bridge in Manchester was once featured in "Ripley's Believe it or Not." Can you identify the bridge and the distinguishing feature that made it worthy of national renown?

The answer will appear in next month's newsletter.

The Manchester Historic Association is an independent tax-exempt charitable 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit organization with the mission to collect, preserve and share the history of Manchester, New Hampshire USA. The Association operates the Millyard Museum and Research Center.