Rt. 1A, Rye. phone: (603)436-7406, 436-8043 or 436-1552.
1741 Wentworth - Coolidge Mansion
Tour the mansion which served as the
home of New Hampshire's first Royal
Governor, Benning Wentworth, who served
in office from 1741 to 1767. The mansion
reflects five distinct periods of architecture.
The extraordinary skill of New Hampshire's eighteenth century craftsmen is exhibited in the intricate hand-carved mantlepiece. The council chamber and the spy closet reveal details about daily life and government during the colonial period. Purple lilacs, descendants of the first European stock imported by Wentworth, decorate the grounds.
Little Harbor Road, Portsmouth
1746 Fort Stark
The fort, first used in 1746, remained active
during every war from the Revolutionary War
through World War II. It serves as an open
record of on-going changes in military architecture
and technology. The fort is named in
honor of John Stark, commander of New
Hampshire forces at the Battle of Bennington
(1777), who spoke the words that eventually
became our state motto, "Live free or die."
1774 Fort Constitution
(formerly Fort William and Mary)
Enjoy a walk around what was once a British
stronghold. Approximately four hundred
colonists captured Fort William and Mary on
December 14, 1774 after Paul Revere's
warning of British intentions to reinforce the
fort. Fort Constitution, like Fort Stark,
served to protect Portsmouth Harbor during
critical periods in military history.
Rt. 1B, New Castle, (603) 436-1552
1782 Daniel Webster Birthplace
Imagine growing up in the simple two-room
cabin where Daniel Webster (1782-1852),
one of the country's most distinguished
statesmen and orators, was born. Among
several accomplishments, Webster resolved
the sixty year dispute between England and
the United States over the northeastern
boundary with Canada. Not only did the
Webster-Ashburton Treaty of 1842 establish
New Hampshire's northern limits, but those
of Maine, Vermont, and New York as well.
Webster's skill and power as a defender of
this country during a time of sectionalism
led to his famous words, "Liberty and union,
now and forever, one and inseparable."
Off Rt. 127, Franklin
1804 Franklin Pierce Homestead
Operated by the Hillsborough Historical
Society, the boyhood home of America's
fourteenth president is a spacious and
beautiful, federal style country home. Built
by Pierce's father in 1804, it reflects the
gracious and affluent living of the
nineteenth century. A ballroom which
extends the entire length of the second floor,
was used for entertaining neighbors and
distinguished families of the state and
nation. Franklin Pierce shared Daniel
Webster's dedication to national unity and
led our country during the most trying of
times, the time of slavery.
Rt. 31, Hillsborough
1820 Governor John Wentworth Historic Site
Explore the remains of an extensive northern
plantation built just before the outbreak
of the American Revolution. Built by New
Hampshire's second Royal Governor, John
Wentworth, the mansion burned to the
ground in 1820. It has been the site of a
recent archaeological dig where artifacts
have been carefully pieced together. The
artifacts reveal details about daily life
and work methods of the privileged
class of the period.
Rt. 109, wolfeboro
While enjoying the majestic view atop Mt. Washington, imagine how workers built the Tip Top House in the most adverse of weather conditions, Water and stone were the only construction materials available on the summit in the early 1850s. After its completion in 1853, the Tip Top House served in many capacities, including a hotel, weather observatory and print shop. In 1880, it became the home of the nation's first mountaintop newspaper, Among the Clouds. Recently restored, it is a reminder of the importance and growth of tourism in New Hampshire.
Mt. Washinqton state Park
1891 The Fells-John Hay National Wildlife Refuge
Enjoy the quiet life John Milton Hay
experienced from his beautiful summer
retreat overlooking Lake Sunapee. Hay
served as private secretary to President
Abraham Lincoln and as secretary of state
under Presidents William McKinley and
Theodore Roosevelt. He was a noted
essayist, novelist, biographer, newspaper
writer, editor and poet. After his death in
1905, his son inherited "The Fells' (built in
1891) and added extensive formal and
informal gardens.
Rt. 103A. Newbury
1900 Robert Frost Farm
Visit the home, barn and setting which
inspired one of America's most loved poets.
Robert Frost and his family moved to the
farm in 1900 where they lived for nearly a
decade, Frost won the Pulitzer Prize four
times and held more than fifty honorary
degrees. Search for the features Frost used
in his poems, the "Mending Wall," "Hyla
Brook" and "The Pasture," or simply take
the time to write a poem yourself.
Rt. 28, Derry
1913 John Wingate Weeks Estate
Spend the afternoon at the estate of the
"Father of the Eastern National Forest
System' located atop Mt. Prospect and
enjoy the panoramic view of New England
wilderness from the fieldstone firetower.
The summer retreat, completed in 1913,
belonged to John W. Weeks (1860-1926),
United States congressman and secretary
of war under Presidents Harding and
Coolidge. Weeks introduced legislation
establishing the eastern national forest
system. Since the Weeks Law was first
enacted, the federal government has
acquired millions of acres to include in the
national forest system including what is
now the White Mountain National Forest.
US Rt 3, Lancaster
1993 The Bear Brook Museum Complex
Travel back in time with memorabilia,
photographs, and exhibits while walking
through remnants of old Civilian Conserva-
tion Corps (CCC) barracks. The CCC
barracks, built in the 1930s under President
Franklin D. Roosevelt's effort to counter the
Depression-era economy, house the majority
of the museum complex. The complex,
established in 1993, consists of the CCC
Museum, Bear Brook Nature Center, New
Hampshire Snowmobile Museum, Old
Allenstown Meeting House, and the Museum
of Family Camping. Reminisce with a
member of the CCC Alumni Association,
browse through an early 1900s campsite or
experience New Hampshire's wildlife on a
nature walk. Ponder the quality of life as it
was in 1815 from the high pulpit of the
meeting house or trace back to the origin of
over-the-snow transportation.
Bear Brook state Park offers a park store, archery range, canoe rentals, educational programs, camping, swimming, fishing, hikin biking, snowmobifing and cross-country skiing.
Bear Brook State Park, Rt. 28, Allenstown
We endeavor to provide a safe and attractive environment within the limits of our mission to preserve and protect park resources. The necessary knowledge, skill and equipment for a safe visit are your responsibility. We hope you enjoy your visit to New Hampshire's state parks and come back often!
For more information about New Hampshire's state parks and historic sites or how to become a volunteer, please phone or write to:
New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation
This information is available upon request in large print and on audio cassette. Call 603/271-3556 or TDD Access: Relay NH 1-800-735-2964.
Source: State of New Hampshire D.R.E.D, Division of Parks and Recreation.