LANCASTER NH

LANCASTER NH

Centennial Park

Built - 1931

Not only does Lancaster, New Hampshire consider themselves as "The Friendly Town in the Friendly State" but also proudly proclaims that they are the birthplace of John Wingate Weeks who was a midshipman in the United States Navy, member of Congress and the United States Senate and also the Secretary of War in 1921 under President Warren G. Harding and again under President Calvin Coolidge until 1925 when he resigned due to ill health.

In June of 1931, the Town Spending Committee with D. A. O'Brien, appropriated $1,000 to the Lancaster Band to be spent as the organization desired. What was long needed was a bandstand for the band to call their home so construction got underway in the center of Centennial Park shortly after.

Diligent work produced a very well built structure with the first open air concert taking place a month later under the direction of Gardner Wentworth. Crowds were present at this initiation of the new bandstand with only words of praise for it as well as the marvelous performance by their own town band. Many hundreds of concerts and other community events have followed since 1931 with the bandstand used as the focal point and as a tremendous investment on the initial monies spent to have it built.

INFORMATION PROVIDED BY:

Barbara R. Robarts, Library Director

William D. Weeks, Memorial Library