Its funky-looking church!
By Meg Heckman
One of Penacook’s loveliest buildings is easy to miss, unless you look up. Way, way up on Bonney Street where you’ll glimpse blue and maroon paint tracing a tall steeple.
What, we wondered, is up with that church on the hill?
According to the Immaculate Conception Parish’s website, locals know the building as, well, “the church on the hill.” It’s been there since the 1890s, and shares a few acres with a rectory and a building that used to house a Catholic grade school. Originally, the church’s exterior was two-toned, with a band of light-colored clapboard below darker shingles and ornate woodwork that stretched up the steeple.
What those colors were is a mystery, says Rev. Raymond Potvin, because all the photos from the time are black and white. When he came to the parish four years ago, the church was one color: white. It didn’t exactly look bad, but Potvin says the building’s unique, ornate trim was all but invisible.
So contractors spread slate blue and maroon paint on the corners and in the crevasses of the church, the rectory and the old school building. They also repaired the leaky roof and are replacing some of the worn wooden ornamentation. The total cost is $180,000, money that parishioners have worked hard to raise.
“The people have really rallied around this project,” he said.
The inside of the building is undergoing a makeover, too. Using vivid colors, an artist friend of Potvin’s repainted the statues and the three-dimensional wall hangings that depict the stations of the cross. Potvin made a contribution to the décor as well: A baptismal font from the now-defunct parish where he grew up in Fall River, Mass.
Don’t think, though, that Immaculate Conception is just about good looks. The parish offers an impressive array of community services: The former school building houses a food pantry that provides 4,000 meals a month to local families in need, about 150 pints of blood are collected each year through several church-sponsored blood drives, and the parish nurse provides routine medical screenings and other care to older parishioners.
“This is a very close community,” says Potvin.
Its new farmers market!
By Amy Augustine
If shopping for locally-grown produce and homemade treats in a gorgeous rural setting sounds like your cup of tea, it may be worth a trip to the Penacook Farmer’s Market.
The market, in its first year, opened for the first time last month and seems to be off to a healthy start. On a recent Monday, dozens of shoppers braved broiling temperatures to peruse the goodies from about a dozen vendors.
There may be fewer booths than what you’d find at the Concord Farmer’s Market, but the offerings are about the same. Mike Cotton, media director for the Penacook Village Association, recently told The Insider that the goal isn’t to compete with Concord, but to provide an alternative for folks who can’t always make it to the big city on a Saturday morning, and to showcase other vendors.
The Penacook market includes vendors from Mountain Farm, Dimond Hill Farm, Grand View Farm, Hackleboro Orchards, Fleece and Flower Farm, Roberts Greenhouse, Webster Ridge FarmPustizzi Fruit Farm, Squash Blossom Farm, Concord Candle Works, Odey Farm, Warner River Organics and more.
The market is located at the Rolfe Homestead at 11 Penacook St., right by the historical society and Morrill Farm (so close you can pet the cows!) Getting there is a bit tricky if you’re not familiar with Penacook, but if you follow the handmade signs from downtown, you should be okay.
The market is open Mondays through Oct. 18 from 4:30 to 7 p.m., rain or shine. For more info., visit penacook.org.
Its historical society!
By Cassie Pappathan
You don’t need to be a history buff to be interested in the Penacook Historical Society.
The society minds the 1774 Nathaniel Rolfe House, the double English Rolfe barn (built in the 1790s) and the 1834 Abiel Rolfe House. There’s also a large pasture that’s part of the Rolfe Historic District where the society holds events, plus another home not owned by the society. That house belongs to Marjorie Rolfe, who still lives there and is well into her 90s. You may have heard of Marjorie’s brother, Red Rolfe. Red, a Penacook native, had a successful career playing for the New York Yankees during the 1930s and early 40s.
Society members can tell you more about good ol’ Red and the properties. After all, talking Penacook history is what they do best. But that doesn’t mean they don’t spend time thinking about Penacook’s present and future, too.
The society hosts and sponsors a multitude of events. Some are history-focused like the Civil War weekend. Last year’s happening included reenactments, bean-hole beans, Johnny cakes, muskets and more. Taking a break this year, the next Civil War weekend will be held in 2011.
Between now and the next musket firing, though, the society keeps busy coordinating other annual events such as the Ole Fashioned Halloween parade and Christmas party. During the summer, monthly barn sales are held in the barn.
On Aug. 14, at 10 a.m., there will be a baseball day held on the Rolfe property, 11 Penacook St. There will be enough baseball games for both the young and old to make Red proud. Plus, expect hot dogs, hamburgers, card shows, guest speakers, a performance by the Nevers Band and more.
“Some events aren’t necessarily about history,” explained society President Rick Jacques “but they expose people to the Rolfe district and what we do here.” Jacques added that when people come to an event and ask, “Who’s Rolfe?” he takes the time to give them a tour and a history lesson.
All events are open to the public, but the society is always looking for more members. Membership is $5 to $25 for seniors and students, $15 to $25 for inpiduals and $35 to $50 for families. Upon signup you get a free home-cooked meal and access to some of the Rolfe property for your own gatherings. Five bucks for a meal? Not a bad deal, at all.
To learn more about joining the society, Penacook history or upcoming events, visit penacookhistoricalsociety.org.
The Riverhill Grange!
By Meg Heckman
There’s a renaissance of sorts underway at Penacook’s Riverhill Grange. For most of the last century, the tidy brick building on Horsehill Road was home to dances, meals, agricultural events and community gatherings.
In recent years, the building has been increasingly dormant, first housing a small dance studio and then nothing at all. A few years ago, a handful of residents decided to bring the grange back to life.
“We’re trying to get the building back into shape so they can . . . give back to the community and start having dinners and dancing, and a place for the kids to go,” said Deb Sieradski, a member of the grange’s executive committee.
Reorganizing the membership and renovating the hall has been a long, slow process, but Deb says there’s been lots of help from local businesses. R&T Electric provided free labor to rewire the building, and two plumbing companies – A Plus Plumbing and Heating and Direct Flow Plumbing and Heating – donated materials and labor. “They’ve just been absolutely wonderful,” Deb says.
The upstairs of the building is looking pretty good, but the basement still needs a lot of work. It’s been completely gutted, and the grange hopes to install a large kitchen and dining room soon. People have donated coffee urns and other equipment, and grange members are organizing some small fundraisers for later this year.
For more info log onto penacook.org/grange/description.html.
The public library!
By Cassie Pappathan
What do librarians and jail cells have in common? Answer: You can find them both at the Concord Public Library’s Penacook branch.
Since 1947, the Merrimack Street building has been the library’s home. Prior to that it was the local police station. Today, the building still reads “police station” on the outside and houses jail cells in the basement. Residents don’t stop by because they’re in trouble, though, unless you count returning a long overdue book.
The library’s main floor is reminiscent of a small and cozy living room – you walk in and immediately feel at ease. Despite the modest space, the library still has plenty to offer its patrons beyond books. In one corner there are a couple of computers with internet access, another corner has a collection of audiobooks. Other amenities include DVDs, magazines, a photocopier and a children’s room.
If you can’t find what you’re looking for, reciprocal borrowing and lending with the main library is an option. The library hosts programs, too, with support from the Friends of the Penacook Branch Library. This summer, kids have been tracking the minutes they read for small rewards as part of the “Make a Splash, Read!” program. In August, the library will throw an end-of-summer party for the program’s participants. Expect water-related, crafts, refreshments, games and more.
According to branch manager Pam Strauffacher, it’s the library’s “personality” that makes it special. “It has a small town feel,” Strauffacher said. “People get to know the librarians’ likes and dislikes . . . . It reminds us all of a small town library.”
Find it at: 3 Merrimack St., Penacook. Hours are Mondays, 2:30 to 8:30 p.m.; Wednesdays, 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. and Saturdays, 9 a.m. to noon.
