If you’ve got a couple free hours, we suggest taking a nice walk. This is the trails issue after all.
But the one we’re about to suggest isn’t over the river or through the woods, although it might be near grandma’s house – depending on where she lives.
This isn’t off the beaten path or a secret by any means, but it will teach you a lot about the history of your city. Concord is celebrating 250 years in case you missed all the events centered around two and half centuries of existence.
You’ve probably walked along every street that’s part of the Chamber of Commerce’s recently re-released Walking Tour of Historic Downtown Concord, just not in a way where it’s like history and gym class all wrapped into one.
The original historic walking tour debuted in 1996, but with copies dwindling and the need to freshen things up a bit, Chamber President Tim Sink figured this would be as good a time as any to put out a new copy – with a few additions to the trip down memory lane.
The original self-guided tour of downtown’s historic spots included 53 properties with a little description of each. The one released last month now has 62 spots to wander by and admire, complete with information provided by local architectural historian Elizabeth Durfee Hengen.
“People really like self-guided walking tours,” Sink said. “So we wanted to upgrade it.”
Since the tour brochure only costs $2, it’s pretty clear the chamber isn’t looking to get rich of this endeavor. What they are doing is giving both residents and visitors another reason to visit the area and maybe, just maybe, go to a local restaurant or buy something at a local business.
Sure you could just look at the map, avoid paying the $2 and look at all the old properties, but then you’ll miss out on the history and culture that Hengen so meticulously put together. Plus, you could probably find $2 hiding under the front seats of your car.
As of right now, the brochures are only available for purchase at the chamber’s visitor center, located in the Smile Building (49 S. Main St.) which one day way back when was the location of Arthur Purington’s automobile garage. But Sink expects that will change soon, so be on the lookout around town.
It’s only appropriate that the tour officially begins at the New Hampshire State House. That golden dome topped building has attracted more people to downtown then we can count and the hope is this help will add a few more to the total.
“You can spend an awful lot of time around the State House area,” Sink said.
You’ll walk along North Main Street and visit places like the Eagle Hotel and Phenix Hall before a little detour on Warren Street. And don’t worry, the one way signage doesn’t apply to those on foot.
Adding spots on South Main Street was a big emphasis, and it means trips past the Benjamin Kimball House and Capitol Center, the Theodore French House and Concord Theater. But it’s not just restricted to Main Street.
“A tremendous amount of people don’t get the whole history of the city,” Sink said. “This is a great educational tool because it’s important people understand the rich history and tradition of this community.”
There’s spots like South Congregational Church, the James Cleveland Federal Building and the Chamberlin House along Pleasant Street, along with the original Monitor building, YMCA and First Church of Christ, Scientist on North State Street.
“The route has changed a little bit,” Sink said. “We wanted to expand it, make it longer and more comprehensive.”
We could list every property and street you’ll visit and walk along, but what’s the fun in that. The whole purpose of this is to wet the appetite and get you interested in going for a walk. Worked didn’t it?
“It’s a fun way to spend an afternoon,” Sink said. “We’re trying to provide a reason for people to come and spend an afternoon downtown.”
The plan is to soon have signs that will make it easy for people to identify what they’re supposed to be looking at.
“We want to reach out to all the property owners and put a plaque on their building to identify it as part of the tour,” Sink said. “We just need to get permission, but I’d like to get it going as soon as possible.”
It’s about two miles total and you can really spend as much time as you want on the tour. But the first step is to pony up those two George Washingtons and get the brochure. Then put on your walking shoes and get ready for some information overload.
