The board of directors of the Friends of the Bridges House invites the public to participate in a number of events celebrating recent renovations to the Bridges House, the governor’s executive residence. Renovations included doubling the size of the kitchen and reconstructing the porch and the gathering room. This beautiful Greek Revival building, owned by the citizens of the state, is listed in both the state and national registers of historic places.
One facet of the ongoing celebrations is the Friends of Bridges designer show house from Nov. 11 to Nov. 25 to spotlight the beauty and historical significance of the Bridges House, located at 21 Mountain Road. Gathered from around the state, 24 of the state’s finest designers, craftsmen, artisans, and contract professionals will showcase their skills.
Another series of events is the Friends of Bridges holiday house tour from Nov. 29 through Dec. 16. The hours for both the designer show house and house tour will be Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at friendsofbridgeshouse.org for $15, or at the door for $20.
Additional events showcasing the Bridges House, for which tickets are available online (with the cost of tour included) are an evening holiday fashion show on Nov. 16 presented by Bravo Boutique on Main Street, 100 ticket limit); the Bridges antique day on Nov. 17, during which three antique experts will place values on antiques (100 ticket limit); “Style Bridges, Yankee Senator,” on Nov. 18, historical perspectives by James Kiepper, author of Styles Bridges, Yankee Senator, and Polly Johnson, Styles Bridges’s personal assistant (50 ticket limit); Bridges mother/daughter tour and tea party on Dec. 1 (64 ticket limit); a holiday centerpieces design demonstration by Joan Krause, National Garden Club accredited master flower show judge on Dec. 4; and a winter container gardens demonstration by Joyce Kimball, director of the New England Region of National Garden Clubs on Dec. 6.
More events are being planned, so check the Friends of the Bridges House website often at friendsofbridgeshouse.org or contact show house committee chair Cindy McLaughlin at cindymcl3@aol.com for more information. All funds generated by these events will be used for renovations and maintenance of the Bridges House. Plan to attend one or more event to celebrate the transformation of the Bridges House, one of New Hampshire’s architectural treasures and a symbol of our state’s heritage and culture.
