PLYMOUTH NH

PLYMOUTH NH

Bulfinch Bandstand

Plymouth Common

Built - 1903

The town of Plymouth is located in central New Hampshire and is overlooked by nearby Plymouth Mountain. The town has not only been a very popular resort center since mid-nineteenth century but has also been a very productive one manufacturing pig-iron, gloves, mattresses and sporting goods along with agriculture and lumbering. The Plymouth State Fair has been a major attraction for many years and the Plymouth State College has been in the town since 1871. Nathaniel Hawthorne died in Plymouth in 1864 while on a trip there to improve his health.

Plymouth's bandstand, built in 1903, was built to house the Keniston Bras Band founded in 1902 by John Keniston. The voters of the town decided to spend $150 to build one on their common with another $125 raised by private subscription. The plans were donated by Boston architect Francis V. Bulfinch, the nephew of Mrs. Plummer Fox of Plymouth. The octagonal Bulfinch Bandstand was built by contractor E. J. Holmes and was dedicated on July 31, 1903. It has a high wooden shingled base, with low shingled walls on which stand the eight columns that support the roof. The simple but tasteful structure is located in the middle of the downtown area and is a real local landmark.

The annual summer concert series have been so popular that the town is considering to relocate the bandstand a short distance away to provide more room for the audience.

INFORMATION PROVIDED BY:
Robert D. Olmstead, Pease Public Library
David Ruell, President - Ashland Historical Society