A Stroll... - Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce

The purpose of the guide is two-fold: first, to serve visitors by
providing an interesting historical experiential tour that is
authentic and unique to Manchester, and second, to serve our
community by providing a healthy outdoor activity that will
remind them of the Manchester they once knew and reintroduce them to the Manchester of today.
Data from the most recent Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance
System survey specific to Manchester indicated that 41% of
adults were not reporting enough physical activity and 58%
were reporting being overweight or obese. Moreover, 26% of
adults were reporting contemporary tobacco use. In addition,
between 1997 and 2002, the number of hospitalizations due to
diabetes increased by 64%.
photo by Bob Raiche
As a community, we can make strides towards better cardiovascular health, and exploring Manchester’s history on foot is one
way to do this.
889 Elm Street, Manchester, NH 03101
603.666.6600
www.manchester-chamber.org
Manchester on Foot:
A Stroll Through History
Where History Invites Opportunity
MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE
The Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, the
Manchester Historic Association, and the City of Manchester
Health Department thank you for your interest in Manchester’s
History. This self-guided walking tour guides you through much
of the amazing history encompassed in Manchester. The tour is
divided in two sections, each anticipated to require about an
hour of walking at a leisurely pace.
A self-guided
walking tour of
downtown
Manchester, NH
and the Amoskeag
Millyard
MANCHESTER
Historic Association
W
Welcome to Manchester
New Hampshire!
THE FIRST PEOPLE to live in the area that is now Manchester
were members of the Abenaki tribe, who fished at the falls on
the Merrimack River 11,000 years ago. The first European settlers to the area came from Scotland and Ireland in the 1720s
and in 1751 settled and incorporated the village of Derryfield, a
modest community on the edge of the frontier. In 1810, its citizens changed the town’s name to Manchester, in honor of
England’s great industrial city. They were looking toward a
future they could barely imagine, as the only industry here at
that time were the traditional small saw and gristmills.
The Manchester we know today is a product of the Industrial
Revolution. The city’s creation and growth are largely the legacy
of one entity: the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company (The
Amoskeag). The Amoskeag was incorporated in 1831, and operated for more than a century before closing its doors in 1935. In the
early 20th century, the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company was
the largest producer of cotton textiles in the world. The company’s
owners also bought the waterpower rights to the swift-flowing
Amoskeag Falls and purchased 15,000 acres of land from farmers
on the east side of the river. This enabled the company to control
the future shape of its millyard, and also to shape the growth of
the city that would support its industrial operations.
The Amoskeag laid out the city’s streets and built mills, canals and
housing for workers. It then sold over 14,000 surplus acres of
land for business blocks and residential neighborhoods. The company gave parkland to the city and sold lots at low cost for municipal buildings, schools and churches. The result is Manchester – the
largest planned city in New England, and a true success story of
early urban planning in America
The red-brick “mile of mills” that stretches along the east side of
the Merrimack River still anchors the city firmly to its industrial
past. But there is much more to Manchester’s history than the
story of one company. The thriving city has always been a magnet
for ambitious entrepreneurs, hopeful immigrants, and a long line
of imaginative dreamers, planners, and doers. The evidence of
Manchester’s rich past is everywhere around us, most notably in
the buildings, monuments and other sites you will see today.
Enjoy your walk!
S
N
E
Manchester on Foot: A Stroll Through History
HELPFUL HINTS ABOUT THE TOUR:
TOUR 1 – THE MILLYARD
Total mileage: 2.41 miles w/out loop; 3.16 miles w/loop
Total time without stops: 1.5 hrs
Key stops may include:
1. Millyard Museum – 30-50 minutes
2. Jefferson Mill – 15 minutes
3. Falls Overlook – 15 minutes
4. PSNH lobby – 20 minutes
5. City Hall – 20 minutes
TOUR 2 – HANOVER STREET AND VICTORY PARK
Total mileage: 1.32 miles
Total time without stops: 50 minutes
Key stops may include:
1. City Hall – 20 minutes
2. NH Institute of Art – 20 minutes
3. Manchester Library – 10 minutes
4. Manchester Historic Assoc. – 15 minutes
5. Franco-American Centre – 15 minutes
— Wear comfortable shoes, and always cross at crosswalks. Use the
pedestrian crossing lights whenever possible.
— Many of the buildings on this walk are public buildings or are
otherwise open to the public. Take advantage of this whenever you
can. View the interior architecture, learn more about the history of the
building and see how it is being used today.
— Along the tour, you will see signs for the New Hampshire Heritage
Trail. When completed, this will be a 230-mile walking path from
Massachusetts to the Canadian border. The program is administered by
the New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation, Bureau of Trails.
More information is available at www.nhtrails.org.
1
WELCOME TO MANCHESTER NEW HAMPSHIRE
— This tour is divided into two sections. You may choose to
tackle one section at a time – for example, walk the
Millyard on one day, and the downtown area on another,
or you may do the entire tour. Each section should take
you between one and one-half hours without stops.
Manchester on Foot: A Stroll Through History
Tour 1 – The Millyard
The Tour begins at the Manchester Information Center
located on the corner of Elm Street and Merrimack
Street. Upon leaving the Information Center, cross over
to the west side of Elm Street and walk south to
Pleasant Street. Take a
right on Pleasant Street.
1. Pleasant Street
AT THE CORNER of Pleasant and Elm
note the old signs imbedded in the
wall bordering the grassy area in
front of the hotel. (.01 miles)
The signs you see are all from
buildings that were near this
intersection in the late 1800s and
early 1900s.
View of Franklin Street Grammar School at the
intersection of Franklin and Pleasant Streets
Continue west on Pleasant Street.
WALKING TOUR ONE
Pass the old NEW HAMPSHIRE STATE UNION ARMORY on your left. The armory was
built in 1904 and was used to train militia units from all across the state. Today it
serves as a meeting and function room for the adjacent hotel.
On your right you will pass a number of housing units. These were once part of
AMOSKEAG CORPORATION’S WORKER
HOUSING and are now listed on the
National Register of Historic Places.
Over a period of 80 years, the
company built tenements and
boarding houses, overseers’ blocks for
middle managers, and six singlefamily homes for the agents, or senior
managers. Many have been destroyed,
but what remains comprises one of the
most important collections of 19th
View of the Amoskeag Housing on
century workers housing in North America.
Pleasant Street looking north east.
There are five separate blocks of corporate
housing. You will pass several of them on your walk.
The architectural styles of these housing units varied according to the tastes of the
times from Greek Revival to the Mansard Style (also called French Second Empire)
which was a short-lived style that was popular after the Civil War.
On this street and throughout this district, you will notice the simple black cast iron
stair railings and brackets that support the front door canopies. These were made in
the Amoskeag’s own foundries.
2
On your left you will see the
R. G. SULLIVAN building.
Constructed in 1913, this
building housed the 7-20-4 Cigar
Company, one of the premiere
cigar makers in the country. The
company operated from 1875 to
1963. The name comes from the
company’s original address at
724 Elm Street.
View of the Wading Pool , looking north east, at
the Amoskeag Company Children’s Playground. In
the backcground is the R.G. Sullivan Cigar Factory.
When you reach Canal
Street cross the
northbound lane at the cross walk, go down the stairs,
and continue over the southbound lane to the
remaining portion of Pleasant Street. Walk to the corner
of Pleasant and Commercial Street.
Look north and locate the large number 3 along with the sign for the MILLYARD
MUSEUM on the corner of the nearest mill building. This building is Mill No. 3 and
home to the Millyard Museum and the New Hampshire Scenic and Cultural Byway
Visitor Center. Manchester’s millyard is the only urban byway in the state. This
building and several others have prominent towers. These housed the main
stairways, and most of the towers also served as bell towers. The bells would be
rung to announce the starting time, lunchtime, and closing time for the workers.
Take a right on Commercial Street and begin walking
toward the museum entrance.
Enter the Scenic and Cultural Byway Visitor Center. (.4 miles)
Once inside you will see life-size images of mill workers and their children along with
some basic historical information on Manchester and the Amoskeag Manufacturing
Company. If you have time, consider a visit to the Millyard Museum. This museum
will provide you with a wonderful overview of the history of Manchester, from the
Native Americans who first settled here to the men and women who worked and ran the
mills. The Museum is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.
Return to Commercial Street.
Look back at MILL NO. 3. Notice the decorative caps on the ends of the metal tie
rods in the outside walls of this and other buildings. These secured the building’s
cross beams to the walls. This helped the building to withstand expansion and
contraction due to temperature changes and helped it to hold up under the constant
vibration of the machinery.
Across Commercial Street is the WAUMBEC MILL. The building, constructed in 1900,
was built on the site of two earlier buildings. Waumbec Mills, Inc., the firm that
took over this building after the Amoskeag closed, made rayon (artificial silk).
Waumbec became one of Manchester’s largest employers.
3
WALKING TOUR ONE
2. Scenic and Cultural Byway Visitor Center and
the Millyard Museum
To view additonal historic photos of Manchester, visit www.manchesterhistoric.org.
Manchester on Foot: A Stroll Through History
Manchester on Foot: A Stroll Through History
3. The Amoskeag Millyard
WALKING TOUR ONE
Founders of the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company came to Manchester for one
reason: the 54-foot drop in the river at the falls had the potential for 16,000
horsepower of energy. The Amoskeag complex eventually became the largest
cotton mill in the world, covering over 700 acres on this side of the river with
additional operations on the west side, totaling 8 million square feet of floor
space. In 1912, the company made 5 million yards of cloth per week, the
equivalent of 150,000 miles of cloth per year. The company had its own
foundry, print shop, saw mill, and fire department. At various times during its
history Amoskeag also produced steam fire engines, rifles and locomotives.
The company
produced cotton
cloth here for
100 years,
reaching its peak
from about 1910
to 1920. Shortly
after that, the
company began
to decline.
Newer mills and
lower labor costs
in the South
made the
Group portrait of mill workers at Amoskeag Millyard.
Amoskeag less
competitive. In
1922 the Amoskeag’s workers struck for nine months to protest longer hours
and lower pay. The Great Depression of the 1930s hurt business. Finally in
December 1935, the company shut down, with plans to reorganize. But, in
March 1936, the Merrimack flooded; the water reached the second floor of the
mill buildings causing extensive damage. The Amoskeag was ordered by the
bankruptcy judge to close its doors for good. Thousands of Manchester residents
suddenly found themselves unemployed. Shortly after that, about 100
Manchester citizens got together to form a new company, called Amoskeag
Industries. This company acquired all the buildings in the millyard at auction,
then sold or leased them to a variety of manufacturing operations. Manchester
became known as “The city that would not die.”
The millyard in its prime looked very different from what you see today. Rows of
brick mill buildings, closed in by iron fences and gates, ran along the river. Two
canals ran between the buildings, crossed by streets and footbridges. Overhead
walkways connected many of the buildings, and railroad tracks and service
alleys branched throughout the complex. In the 1960s and 70s the canals were
filled in, about half of the buildings were torn down, and streets and parking
lots were built to accommodate a new era of activity.
4
Manchester on Foot: A Stroll Through History
Continue walking north up Commercial Street.
As you walk up
Commercial Street, you
are actually following the
path of the Lower Canal,
which is buried under the
street. The graceful curve
of the street echoes the
curve of the canal.
Continue up
Commercial
Street. Stop at
“Stark Street
Crossing” and
the Mill Girl
sculpture. (.86 miles)
View looking north west at the South Upper Canal
Building in the foreground and the North Upper Canal
Building in the background. The Upper Canal runs
along the east side of the buildings.
4. The Mill Girl
The MILL GIRL sculpture represents the thousands of women who worked in these
factories during the 19th century. The first mill girls came here from the farms and
small towns of New England to earn their own way in life and enjoy new social and
educational opportunities. This 1988 sculpture by artist Antoinette Schultze has
become a symbol of Manchester and its industrial past.
Across the street and to the right is University Center, the Manchester campus of the
University of New Hampshire. This was the Amoskeag’s machine shop, built in
1890 on the site of the earlier (1848) machine shop. During the Civil War, when
the company could not get cotton from the South, the machine shop manufactured
rifles for the Union Army. To protect these operations a brass field cannon was
mounted where the Mill Girl sculpture is today.
Cross to the west side of Commercial Street and take a
left, walking south until you see 324 Commercial Street.
Stop between 340 and 324 Commercial Street. (.91 miles)
Notice the overhead walkway, similar to the walkways
that once connected many of the buildings in the
millyard.
5
WALKING TOUR ONE
From here you can look east toward Canal and Stark streets where the main gate to
the millyard once stood. Through that iron gate poured thousands of workers, many
of whom were immigrants who had come to America to find a better life. The Irish
and French Canadians came first, and other workers from Germany, England,
Scotland, Scandinavia, Poland, Greece and many other countries soon followed. In
the early 20th century 17,500 people worked in the Amoskeag millyard. 7,000 of
these were women.
Manchester on Foot: A Stroll Through History
5. Gingham Mills
The two factories connected by an overhead walkway are known as the Gingham
Mills. These mills were dedicated to the spinning and weaving of ginghams, a
fabric where the yarn is dyed before the fabric is woven (plaids, for example). The
Amoskeag began gingham production in 1865 when 53 English weavers were
brought in. In 1868 and 1870 the company brought in skilled gingham weavers,
mechanics and dye experts from Scotland.
Walk between the two Gingham Mills, under the
overhead walkway, to the back of the building. You are
now at the edge of the Merrimack River. Walk north
along the riverfront path.
To the south you can see the piers from a covered footbridge that allowed workers a
shortcut to the west side of the river. The shorter piers to the north once carried a
steam pipe. The mills on the west side of the river were developed by the Amoskeag
when steam electric power replaced water power.
6. Arms Park and the Merrimack River
WALKING TOUR ONE
This area of the Merrimack has been inhabited for over 10,000 years. The series of
islands just upriver from here at Amoskeag Falls was a favored fishing place for the
Pennacook Indians. The word “Amoskeag” means “place of many fish” in the
Algonkian language.
The parking lot to your right was once the site of the Amoskeag’s MILL NO. 9
where, in 1957, an outbreak of anthrax occurred. Anthrax was once considered an
occupational hazard in textile factories, where the disease could be contracted from
handling wool or goat hair. In 1957 nine Arms workers were infected; four of them
died. Coincidentally, an anthrax vaccine was being tested among the Arms company
workers at that time. The mill was closed in 1968 and then decontaminated and
torn down. During the 1980s a combination of private and public investment led
to many
improvements in the
millyard, including
the designation of
this area as ARMS
PARK (1.07 miles)
which serves as a
recreational area,
provides access to the
river for water sports
such as kayaking,
and is a popular
staging ground for
public events and
View of Lower Canal Northern Division looking north from the
festivals.
McGregor Bridge. The Amory Mill Store House is on the right,
before the Boiler House was added.
6
Continue to follow the pathway north, under the
overpass.
To your right, and the first mill building north of the overpass, is the BAG MILL,
built in 1915. The once famous Amoskeag Seamless Bags were manufactured here.
They were woven in one piece, without seams, so as to hold a great deal of weight
without splitting.
Continue north following the path along the back side
of the mills until it ends. Take a right and head east
between the two buildings toward Commercial Street.
Straight across Commercial Street you will see a wall made of granite blocks. This is
the side of the Lower Canal, which is buried under the street. The building to the
north with the distinctive clock tower is the JEFFERSON MILL, also called Mill No.
10. It was constructed in 1886 and was the first building in the millyard that used
steam power in addition to water power.
Take a moment to explore the lobby of the Jefferson
Mill, 670 Commercial Street. (1.4 miles)
Note the old photos of the mills and the cast iron stairway. Straight ahead is the
clock tower. If you look up the clock tower shaft you can see the old weights that
ran the clock.
Scenic Overlook Loop (.75 miles)
Continue north on Commercial Street. At the
north entrance to the Jefferson Mill, where the
road curves right, bear left off the brick walkway
and take the path toward Public Service of New
Hampshire.
The building to your left is Public Service of New Hampshire’s
headquarters. This structure was built in 1909 as a steam powerhouse
for the Amoskeag. The building was later acquired by PSNH, and was
expanded in the 1940s. In 2002 it was renovated as PSNH Energy Park.
Follow the pathway to a stairway on your left.
Continue up the stairs to the overlook.
7
WALKING TOUR ONE
After exiting the lobby of the Jefferson Mill you may
choose to visit the scenic overlook at the falls or skip
this and continue on with the tour. If you choose not
to visit the overlook, cross to the east side of
Commercial Street and take the stairs on the north
side of the mill building (to the left of Fratello’s
restaurant). At the top of the stairs, walk south
through the parking lot to Dow Street.
To view additonal historic photos of Manchester, visit www.manchesterhistoric.org.
Manchester on Foot: A Stroll Through History
Manchester on Foot: A Stroll Through History
The mills were powered by water channeled from the Merrimack River
into the canals. The water flowed from the canals into the buildings,
where it turned large turbines that provided power for the belts,
pulleys, shafts and gears that operated the spinning machines, looms
and other equipment used to make cloth.
Follow the pathway back to Commercial
Street. Take a moment to view Public Service of
New Hampshire’s lobby. Cross to the east side
of Commercial Street and take the stairs on
the north side of the mill building (to the left of
Fratello’s restaurant). At the top of the stairs,
walk south through the parking lot to Dow
Street.
7. The Amory Mill, One Dow Court
(1.45 miles w/out loop)
WALKING TOUR ONE
At this location you can view the massive Amory Mill (now called One Dow Court)
built in 1886. Denim was made in the building. Amoskeag was famous for its
denims, which were used in the first patented “riveted overalls” or jeans, made by
Levi Strauss and Company in 1873.
Turn east on Dow Street and walk up the stairs and
across the railroad tracks to Canal Street. Cross to
the east side of Canal Street and head south on
Canal to Hollis Street. Take a left onto Hollis. (1.65
miles w/out loop)
This is the newest block of Amoskeag Corporate Housing, built in 1916. It replaced
blocks of older wooden tenements.
Take a right between the second and third housing
buildings and follow the pedestrian walkway south
to Kidder Street. Take a left on Kidder and walk to
Elm Street. Take a right on Elm Street
and head south.
When you cross Bridge Street you are entering the
heart of downtown Manchester. When the Amoskeag
Manufacturing Company built its first cotton spinning
mills along the new Upper Canal in 1838, this part of
town was covered in fields and scruffy woods, with a
few scattered farmhouses. The population in the area
was less than 1,000, and the small village center was
located nearly four miles from the river, near today’s
Interstate -93. But the owners of the Amoskeag had
something much different in mind. In 1838 Ezekiel
Straw, a 19-year-old Amoskeag engineer, sketched out
the street plan for the new business district. The streets
8
were laid out on a grid system, following the points of a compass. The heart of the
new commercial district was ELM STREET, running parallel to the river and the
millyard. The central part of Elm Street was laid out in 1838, and was extended
several times over the years. As you walk along Elm Street you will notice that
many of the city’s Victorian era business blocks still exist. The names of the owners
and the dates of construction can be seen on the upper floors.
Walk south on Elm until you reach Stark Street. Take a
right on Stark Street.
On your left is the Hillsborough County COURT HOUSE. (2.12 miles w/out loop)
It was designed by noted Manchester architect William Butterfield in the
Classical Revival style and built in 1904. In 1971 the city took it over and
renovated it as the City Hall Annex. Today it is known as the West Wing of City Hall.
Follow the brick pathway to the right of the County
Court House to Market Street.
To your left is CITY HALL (2.2 miles w/out loop). If you look right toward the
river you will see more of the Amoskeag Corporation’s Worker Housing.
At this point you may either walk past City Hall to Elm
Street and take a right on Elm Street back toward the
Information Center, or you may continue with the
Downtown Tour, which starts at City Hall. (see page 10)
Total mileage for Tour 1 –
2.41 miles w/out loop; 3.16 miles w/loop
To view additonal historic photos of Manchester, visit www.manchesterhistoric.org.
Manchester on Foot: A Stroll Through History
WALKING TOUR ONE
View looking north east down Elm Street.
9
Manchester on Foot: A Stroll Through History
Tour 2 – Downtown Manchester
The Tour begins at the Manchester Information Center
located on the corner of Elm Street and Merrimack
Street. Leaving the Manchester Information Center, turn
right and head north on Elm Street to City Hall, located
at One City Hall Plaza across from Hanover Street.
(.15 miles)
1. Manchester City Hall
WALKING TOUR TWO
START IN THE COURTYARD just south of Manchester City Hall. Notice
Manchester’s city seal set into the brick in the center of the courtyard.
Manchester’s first
town hall was built on
this spot in 1841. It
was a simple wooden
building with a
cupola. The top floor
contained an armory
for the local militia.
Unfortunately, a
wayward spark ignited
the gunpowder, causing the
building to burn to the
ground in 1844.
One of Manchester’s early fire engines.
Not surprisingly, soon after this Manchester purchased its first two fire engines.
The town also hired Edward Shaw, a Boston architect, to design a bigger and
better town hall. This building was completed in 1845, just in time for
Manchester’s incorporation as a city in 1846. The once small village had grown
into a bustling city of over 10,000 people.
Manchester City Hall was designed in the Gothic Revival style, complete with
buttresses and arched windows. This style was often used for churches and
academic buildings, but has seldom been seen in government buildings. If you
enter City Hall and head toward the Annex, you will see “Art on the Wall”, a
venue that allows local artists to display their work. City Hall is open Monday
through Friday, from 8:00am to 5:00pm. Art work is always for sale, and the
artists change every two or three months.
In front of the Annex (the former Hillsborough County Court House) is a sculpture
of Manchester resident and Revolutionary War hero Brigadier General John Stark,
John Stark penned the phrase “Live Free or Die – Death is not the worst of
evils,” which was adopted as New Hampshire’s state motto in 1945.
Cross to the corner of Elm Street and Hanover Street.
10
2. Hanover
Street
On the south corner of
Hanover and Elm Streets
is the Amoskeag Bank
Building (now Citizens
Bank). This is
Manchester’s first steelframed “sky scraper,”
built in 1914.
Begin walking up
Hanover Street
to Chestnut
Street.
View of the east side of Elm Street showing the
Amoskeag Bank, Bartons and the Merchants Bank.
To the right is Manchester Street.
HANOVER STREET has always been a center of culture and commerce for the city.
Much of the block was destroyed in a devastating fire in 1870, providing an
opportunity for entrepreneurs to build some fine Victorian-era and early 20th
century commercial buildings.
THE HARRINGTON-SMITH BLOCK on your left was built in 1881 and is an
outstanding example of the Queen Anne Style. This building includes picturesque
elements such as an interesting roofline, and a variety of building materials that
create pattern and texture, including red pressed brick, limestone, granite, and
terracotta.
Looking north east from Elm Street
at the Opera House Block, also
known as Harrington Block on
Hanover Street.
11
WALKING TOUR TWO
At one time the building housed the Manchester Opera House which eventually
became the Strand movie theater. The building suffered a major fire in 1985 and
the theater could not be saved, but this building and most of the structures on the
north side of the street were renovated. The look of the original 19th century
storefronts was reestablished, and the interiors of the buildings were remodeled
while preserving as much of the original features as possible.
To view additonal historic photos of Manchester, visit www.manchesterhistoric.org.
Manchester on Foot: A Stroll Through History
Manchester on Foot: A Stroll Through History
The MIRROR BLOCK (Daily Mirror Office Building) or OLD POST OFFICE BUILDING
was constructed in 1876 in the Italianate style. It housed the post office and the
offices and pressrooms of the John B. Clark Publishing Company, which published
the Manchester Mirror and other newspapers.
The ATHENS BUILDING which houses the PALACE THEATRE (80 Hanover Street)
(.26 miles) was built in 1914. The exterior of the Athens Building, which extends to
the corner of Chestnut Street, is much simpler and more modern than the 19th
century buildings near it. The Palace is one of 450 “Palaces” of the same design in
the United States, including one on Broadway in New York City. The stages and
backstage areas in these theaters were all similar in design and size, making it
easier for traveling performers to set up and perform. The Palace was one of the
first buildings in the country to have an air conditioning system that involved a
clever use of electric fans and blocks of ice. Be sure to poke your head in and view
the inside of the theatre if it is not in use.
WALKING TOUR TWO
Continue east on Hanover Street, crossing Chestnut
Street. Notice the Post Office Building on the left, which
will be mentioned later on this tour. Walk to the corner
of Hanover and Pine Streets.
The New Hampshire Institute of Art’s FULLER HALL (.36 miles) was constructed in
1915 as the headquarters for the NEW HAMPSHIRE FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY.
The architect, Edward L. Tilton, chose the classical-revival style, complete with
massive columns, to convey the company’s status as a thriving and important
institution. After the company moved to new quarters in 1951, the building was
used as a bank. The building was acquired by the New Hampshire Institute of Art in
2000. The abstract sculpture in front of the building is by Antoinette Shultze, the
artist who designed the Mill Girl stature in the millyard. Inside Fuller Hall is a
Victory Park when it was first established.
12
Manchester on Foot: A Stroll Through History
community gallery that is open to the public Monday-Friday from 9am-7pm,
Saturday from 9-5pm, and Sunday from 1-5pm.
Take a left on Pine Street. Walk one block and stop at
the corner of Victory Park (corner of Pine Street and
Amherst).
3. Victory Park Historic District
The VICTORY PARK Historic District comprises 55 acres. The district was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places in 1996 due to the significance of the social
and architectural history of the park and the buildings in its vicinity.
The Amoskeag Manufacturing Company laid out the streets in this part of the city in
1838. This park, originally called Concord Common, was the first of six parks
deeded to the city by the Amoskeag for the benefit of its citizens. The park was
originally twice this size, extending one more block to the west. At different times
the park was used as a playground for children, as the site of an early farmer’s
market, and at one time it was divided up into garden plots for the neighbors to
use. The park was renamed Victory Park in 1929 as a memorial to the allied victory
in World War I.
Take the diagonal pathway to the center of Victory Park.
(.48 miles)
Near this monument is the RENÉ GAGNON MEMORIAL, dedicated in 1995. Gagnon
was a young worker at the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company before enlisting in
the Marines in World War II. On February 23, 1945, he was called upon to carry a
flag up Mount Suribachi on the Pacific island of Iwo Jima. Rene then helped to
raise this flag on top of the mountain, an event that was memorialized in the
famous photograph taken by Joe Rosenthal.
Continue on the diagonal pathway northwest to the
corner of Concord Street and Chestnut Street. Take a
right and head north on Chestnut Street to the corner of
Lowell Street.
The brick building on the northeast corner of Lowell and Chestnut Street was
MANCHESTER’S FIRST HIGH SCHOOL. (.58 miles) The city constructed the building
in 1841 as a district school. It became the city’s first high school in 1848. In recent
years the structure has suffered from a fire and other hardships and is awaiting
rehabilitation.
Turn right on Lowell and walk east to Pine Street.
13
WALKING TOUR TWO
The centerpiece of Victory Park is the VICTORY MONUMENT, created by artist LucienHippolyte Gosselin. Gosselin was educated in Paris and from 1920 until his death
in 1940 he was a teacher at the Manchester Institute of Arts and Sciences.
Manchester on Foot: A Stroll Through History
GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH (106 Lowell Street at the corner of Pine Street)
(.64 miles) was constructed in 1860, on the site of an earlier wooden structure.
The influential English architect Richard Upjohn designed it. Upjohn built 150
churches in The U.S., the most famous being the Trinity Episcopal Church in New
York City. British immigrants who worked in the Amoskeag Manufacturing
Company gingham mills founded Grace Episcopal. This building is typical of the
rustic English-Gothic style.
ST. JOSEPH’S CATHEDRAL, almost directly across Pine Street, was built in 1869
to serve the predominantly Irish-Catholic parish of St. Joseph’s. The church was
designed by Patrick C. Keeley, a gifted Irish-American architect who lived in
Brooklyn, New York. The beautiful stained glass windows in the church were
created in Innsbruck, Austria.
Cross to the east side of Pine Street, turn right and
head south on Pine Street to Concord Street.
WALKING TOUR TWO
The NEW HAMPSHIRE INSTITUTE OF ART was founded in 1898 as the
Manchester Institute of Arts and Science to promote education in the fine and
domestic arts, and in the sciences. Its creation reflected the desire of Manchester
citizens to pursue educational and creative opportunities in their spare time. The
classical Institute building was designed by Edward Rantoul and completed in
1916. Eventually the Institute decided to focus solely on arts and crafts, training
amateurs and professionals alike. In 1996 the Institute became a degreegranting institution and changed its name to the New Hampshire Institute of
Art. This is the Institute’s main building and houses a gallery with the same
hours as the Fuller Hall gallery.
Continue south on Pine Street to the front of the
library building. (.73 miles)
The public library system in Manchester started as the Manchester Athenaeum, a
private circulating library organized in 1844. A free library was established in
1854 for all citizens to enjoy. By the early 20th century, the library had
outgrown its home on Franklin Street.
A local financier named Frank Pierce Carpenter and his wife, Eleanor Blood
Carpenter donated a new building for the city library. Carpenter hired architect
Edward L. Tilton, and the MANCHESTER CITY LIBRARY/CARPENTER MEMORIAL
BUILDING was completed in 1914. This building was particularly important to
Carpenter as a gift to the city to promote education. He had not been able to
afford to go to college, and his philanthropic gifts often reflected his desire that
education be available to all.
This classical building, reminiscent of Italian Renaissance palaces, is made of
white Vermont marble on a base of gray New Hampshire granite. Over the front
door you see a carving of an owl, which represents learning. It is holding the
branches of native oak and pine trees. Walk inside to appreciate the center
rotunda, wide marble staircase and second floor balcony that overlooks the
center information desk.
14
Cross Pine Street at the library crosswalk and walk
south on Pine to Amherst Street. Turn right on
Amherst.
The MANCHESTER HISTORIC ASSOCIATION headquarters building on your left
was built in 1931. This organization was founded in 1896, during the 50th
anniversary of Manchester’s incorporation as a city. Like the library, this
structure was the gift of Frank P. Carpenter, and was designed by his favorite
architect, Edward L. Tilton. The building is an example of the classical BeauxArts style, though somewhat simplified and modernized due to its later era. The
Historic Association is dedicated to preserving and sharing Manchester’s history
and operates the Millyard Museum as well as this building, which houses the
organization’s Research Center. The Research Center is open to the public
Wednesday and Saturday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.
Continue west on Amherst to Chestnut Street.
The DEVINE MILLIMET BUILDING/U.S. POST OFFICE BUILDING (.82 miles)
was originally the United States Post Office and federal building, constructed in
1932. This building was one of the last buildings designed by Edward L. Tilton.
Edward L. Tilton has left the city with an enduring legacy of beautiful and useful
buildings. This New York architect studied at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris,
and early in his career he and a partner designed the U.S. Immigration Station
on Ellis Island. In addition to the four buildings seen on this tour, Tilton also
designed the building for the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester which was
completed in 1929.
15
WALKING TOUR TWO
View of 129 Amherst Street, home of the Manchester Historic Association,
looking south west at the corner of Pine and Amherst Streets.
To view additonal historic photos of Manchester, visit www.manchesterhistoric.org.
Manchester on Foot: A Stroll Through History
Manchester on Foot: A Stroll Through History
At Chestnut Street turn right and follow Chestnut north
to Concord Street. Take a left and head west on Concord
Street.
On the right is the FRANCO-AMERICAN CENTRE (.92 miles) building constructed in
1910 by the Jolliet Club, a social organization for people of French-Canadian
heritage. In 1929 the ACA (originally Association Canado-Américaine, now ACA
Assurance), bought the building and remodeled the exterior to include the
monumental columns and massive wrought iron front door grate. In 1990 the
Franco-American Centre, a newly formed cultural organization associated with ACA,
bought the building. The Centre focuses its activities on promoting the history and
culture of the French in North America. The Centre maintains an important research
library and art collection.
Continue west on Concord Street to Elm. Take a left on
Elm Street and head south back to the Manchester
Information Center.
WALKING TOUR TWO
Total mileage for Tour 2 – 1.32 miles
www.manchester-chamber.org
16