LEBANON NH

LEBANON NH
Colburn Park
Built - 1960



The busy western New Hampshire city of Lebanon is ideally located on the waterways of the Connecticut and Mascoma Rivers and is very close to the Vermont border. Due to the location of the city along these busy waterways, Lebanon enjoyed a thriving industrial past and was an important link for transportation purposes and a once thriving textile industry. However, these busy plants either closed or fled south or overseas due to cheaper imports and rising labor costs. The last major mill in the city closed in 1960.
Lebanon, however, seized the opportunity to go in another direction and developed high technology industries to replace these failing mills and the decrease in railroad traffic. Not only have new software and high-tech manufacturers settled in the area, but the city can now claim to be the home of the most technologically advanced plasma cutting companies in the world. The linking of two major northern New England highways, namely i-91 and
I-89, was a chief factor in Lebanon's progressive growth and now the city uses an informal motto - "The City in the Country."
Lebanon's solidly-built bandstand is used quite extensively and is unique in the fact that the Lebanon Chamber of Commerce has an information booth built within the rear of the structure. The bandstand complex was strategically built in the city's Colburn Park in 1960 so named after Robert Colburn who was responsible for selecting this parcel of land for the town's meetinghouse site that eventually became Lebanon's Village Green.
Over time, Lebanon has had at least 6-7 other bandstands within the city limits but it is not expected that this polygonal structure will be torn down and replaced for many years to come since it is so solidly built of concrete and brick. Colburn Park has served host for the bandstand and many other functions since its sale to the city in 1792 by Mr. Colburn and the parcel of land is stunningly surrounded by a fence consisting of granite posts and pickets of iron, both made in Lebanon. Wooden benches are scattered throughout the grounds conveniently for people who enjoy the concerts and other activities and the park has a goodly number of various varieties of trees with some dating back over 80 years. A childrens' playground and World War 1 memorial are also housed within the park.
Monday nights and "Thursdays in the Park" will find many groups performing for the citizens and visitors to Lebanon with the popular Upper Valley Community Band as the featured group.


INFORMATION PROVIDED BY:
Olive MacGregor, Asst Library Director

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