ALTON BAY NH

ALTON BAY NH

Alton Bay Bandstand

Built - 1947

Alton Bay is a very quiet unassuming town located on the banks of the largest lake in the state of New Hampshire, Lake Winnipesaukee. As a township for over 180 years now, as of this writing, it is considered to be one of the oldest ports of shipping on the lake and is located at the southern-most point of the lake. The town is also the birthplace of the Mount Washington Cruises as the side-wheeler was first launched from the piers of Alton Bay in 1872.

In the mid 1920s, a group of men from Alton Bay formed a racing association and decided to build a bandstand in the bay for concerts and as a reviewing stand for their boat races. However, the logistics of moving a band and its instrucments to and from the bandstand in the middle of the bay proved too difficult so this new bandstand was built on the town-owned shorefront nearby in 1947 when the funds were voted on to build the structure at the town annual meeting. Like the bandstand in the bay, this land-based bandstand has a square plan, with 8 posts and a pyramid-shaped roof set on a concrete block base.

The Alton Bay Bandstand saw a complete reconstruction in 1988 by the Alton-New Durham Lions Club since the existing structure had deteriorated with the Lions Club using the project as an opportunity for a public service project.

INFORMATION PROVIDED BY:
Patricia C. Merrill, President
Alton Historical Society

ALTON BAY NH

ALTON BAY NH

Alton Bay

Built - 1928

Alton Bay is home to a very interesting bandstand that sits in the middle of the bay coming into existence when a group of local men formed a racing association with their idea of racing speed and other boats on Lake Winnipesaukee where Alton Bay is located. These initial association men included Lester Downing, Harry Jones, Ralph Stevens, Edward Sowing and Martin & Steve Lynch.

These adventurous men in 1928 decided that a bandstand would be useful for band concerts for people coming into beautiful Alton Bay by boat and as a judging stand for their races. During the winter, when the lake was frozen, the men built a crib on top of a rock ledge which had been marked by a flagpole previously. The ledge was then filled with rocks and a foundation poured onto it. A Mr. Olie Barnes of Alton was hired to construct the bandstand with the help of the racing committee and a number of volunteers. The bandstand was completed that same year at a cost of $893.30 in cash and another $679.80 worth of labor, materials, and "the use of teams and trucks" which was donated. The bandstand was funded by a town appropriation, donations and whist parties.

As time went on however, the logistics of moving a band and its instruments to and from the bandstand proved too difficult particularly after an evening concert when the band had to be transported back to shore in the dark and thus ceased to be used for that reason.

The bandstand and its underwater foundation, were restored in 1989 but the bandstand has been sitting in the bay idly now just as a reminder of days past when these boat races drew thousands of people on shore through the 1950s.

Alton Bay's bandstand is still a landmark in the area and is adorned with a Christmas tree with lights in the winter which is always a pleasurable sight for all to see cominton into town. A second bandstand on the shore was built in 1947 and has been used for concerts ever since.

INFORMATION PROVIDED BY:

Patricia C. Merrill, President

Alton Historical Society