MILFORD NH

MILFORD NH

Milford Bandstand

Milford Oval

Built - 1896

The town of Milford is in the southern part of the state and started out originally as part of Amherst but separated in 1794 gaining its independence and continued to be a prime stop on the Underground Railroad. The town is located on the banks of the Souhegan River and named after the river's shallow Mill Ford, so called due to the many mills at this location during the 1700s and is still a favorable location for businesses. The town was made famous by the thriving granite industry and known as "The Granite Town in the Granite State." Milford is also a very popular spot for tourists due to its renowned antique shops and country craft stores.

Milford's original bandstand was built on the center of the Milford Oval in 1874 when the common area was still round but later moved to the northern portion of the lot. In 1896 the current bandstand was built so that the Milford Cornet Band would have a more suitable place for their regular summer concerts.

The bandstand was a gift of the Honorable A. E. Pillsbury and designed and built by a local carpenter, Bill Woods, who played in the band. After the town's selectmen chose the location for the structure, Mr. Woods built the beautiful bandstand with some help from local residents.

In 1927 the Oval underwent a lot of construction to make way for a new granite war memorial and the bandstand had to be moved to make room moving it to its current location near the north end of the Oval.

Over the years many events have taken place on the bandstand including hundreds of concerts and quite a good number of politicians speaking from the stage during local events and presidential primaries.

INFORMATION PROVIDED BY:

Art Bryan, Director

Wadleigh Memorial Library