ROCHESTER NH

ROCHESTER NH

Rochester Common Bandstand

Rochester Common

Built - 1914

The southeastern New Hampshire city of Rochester is definitely a great location being only a short distance from the lakes region, White Mountains and beautiful seacoast the state has to offer. The community, even though encompassing a large and prosperous area, still has that small New England town flavor and tradition. Known as the "Lilac City," Rochester is a real scenic delight which celebrates its annual Lilac Family Fun Festival in the spring along with summer festivals, including band concerts on the common along with its 120+ year old Rochester Fair.

The Rochester Common has a long and colorful history of its own and during the Revolutionary War, the area was used as a meeting place for soldiers before going off to war. The Common also is the location of the city's Civil War monument which bears names of the 54 men from the area who died during the war.

The Rochester Common also proudly showcases its bandstand built in 1914 by Miles Dustin. It is an imposing structure that hosts many concerts during the summer months. Due to its large size, it can hold many musicians and is definitely the pride of the city. The structure was financed by city funds and remained in its original form until 2000 when the Rochester City Council approved funding for repairs which took place in 2001. Since the wood rotted out on the structure, it had to be rebuilt with the large domed roof saved and becoming the only remaining section of the original bandstand. Not much other information is available on the bandstand but it has seen many concerts during its long years of use along with many weddings and other community events.

INFORMATION PROVIDED BY:
City of Rochester - DPW
Buildings & Grounds Division