News & Views
Photo of Sandwich Village by Joe Janis
Sandwich author, Lisa Gruenberg , will be at Patricia Ladd Carega Gallery on October 5th to sign and read excerpts from her new book, My City of Dreams. Join us for a reception to meet the author at 4 p.m. In her book Lisa Gruenberg not only records her own life but also that of her father who survived the Holocaust in Vienna and slowly made his way to the United States via the UK and Canada. Gruenberg’s story includes the tales of relatives lost to “darkness, terror and murder.” Her adventure begins and ends in Center Sandwich. Gruenberg’s journey combines exploration with imagination as she attempts to relive her father’s Holocaust experience and through him the stories of her many relatives.
Joseph S. Nye, Jr. University Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus at Harvard Kennedy School and author of Do Morals Matter? Presidents and Foreign Policy from FDR to Trump, writes “ This beautifully written book takes you from America to Vienna and back as it explores the meaning of the Holocaust, memory, mortality and life. The book will be available at Patricia Ladd Carega Gallery through Columbus Day, October 14. Gallery hours are from 10 to 5 Tuesday through Saturday and 12 to 5 Sunday and Monday. For more information please call 603 284 7728 or visit our website at www.patricialaddcarega.com.
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After 39 years of ownership, Don and Jane Brown have sold the Corner House Inn to Lexi Townsend, 33, a resident of Sandwich. Lexi is proud to reintroduce the 170-seat hidden gem, which now showcases a new Vulcan kitchen, Tappan chairs in The Gallery, and extensive renovations throughout. It was Lexi’s idea to start from the romantic interior and work her way outside. Chef Steven Mitchell returns to Corner House on August 18th to re-create classics as well as introduce new menu items for your future enjoyment. Corner House will maintain the 33-year tradition of storytelling events on Thursday nights. Additional special events include live music on Wednesday & Friday, Trivia on Monday, and a form of “Wine Not” involving the option of beer on Monday. A theater menu, artist dinners, historically themed nights—and more involvement with Clarence the Ghost—will all begin post-Sandwich Fair. Lexi grew up in Upstate New York, and got started in the hospitality business young when her grandparents took over a golf course, and added 9 holes and renovated the kitchen and restaurant. Her first job at age 9 was picking rocks and dishwashing. Her next stop was working in a fine-dining restaurant all through high school in all positions. From there, she enrolled in a Swiss-based hotel and restaurant management school in Suffield, Connecticut, the International College of Hospitality Management Cesar Ritz. She was drafted by the Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia and Lacroix at The Rittenhouse Hotel to manage the food & beverage departments. She set out for New Hampshire in 2017 for a better quality of life -- the ability to ski and boat and to go back to a rural setting. Corner House Restaurant & Bar serves dinner nightly from 5:00 pm, and is closed Tuesdays. 22 Main Street, Center Sandwich, 603-284-6219
The Sandwich Business Group is once again sponsoring a house tour on August 17 to benefit the Sandwich Central School’s 6th grade class trip to Washington DC. Five great locations are on the tour this year. In the village visit: 36 Church Street – The David H. Hill House, a classic New England village house with attached shed and small barn built in 1854. 7 Maple Street – The Ezra Gould House, another classic New England village house built on Maple Street which was referred to by locals as Quaker Lane. 21 Main Street – the Masonic Lodge, known as the smallest lodge in the state. While you’re in the village be sure to visit the Sandwich Historical Society and their Transportation Museum. Then venture up to 317 Wentworth Hill Road – the Brick Store built in 1845 which over the years housed a Post Office, law office, court room, newspaper, and jewelry making; and back by popular demand: 284 Wentworth Hill Road – Isaac Adams Homestead (formerly Chestnut Manor) and its collection of outbuildings. You may start at any of the locations to purchase your ticket; $10 per person is the suggested donation. The tour runs from 10:00 – 3:00 and parking is available at 284 Wentworth Hill Road and at town hall for the village locations. Food and beverage are available at the Village Café. The Sandwich Home Industries features beautiful hand-crafted items, and the Samuel H. Wentworth Library is a treat with its barrel vaulted ceiling. The Sandwich Business Group is a nonprofit organization founded in 2005 to facilitate affordable collaborative advertising and marketing projects for businesses located in Sandwich, New Hampshire. Some of our businesses cater to visitors, some to residents, and many to both. Promoting the economic and social vitality of our town is a benefit to everyone who cares about Sandwich. To learn more about SBG visit this page.
Join others at the historic North Sandwich Friends (Quakers) Meetinghouse on Sunday, August 11 at 10:30 a.m. for a special programmed Meeting with Emily Provance. Ms. Provance is a member of the Fifteenth Street Monthly Meeting in New York City working with a variety of Quaker institutions. She evaluates where the systems and practices of the Society of Friends are supporting God's purposes and where those systems and practices might be getting in the way, across the covenant people called the Religious Society of Friends. She is an associate of Good News Associates, a nonprofit Christian ministry organization supporting individuals who are called to non-institutional ministries.
The North Sandwich Friends Meeting is socially and politically inclusive. The principles of simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality and stewardship of the Earth are basic to our faith. If you are a first-time visitor, you can pick up a welcoming brochure at the door. Our historic Meetinghouse is up the hill from the Durgin Covered Bridge (354 Quaker Whiteface Road in North Sandwich.) We gather every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. and during these busy summer months we open the Meetinghouse for a mid-week un-programmed silent gathering on Wednesdays at 7 p.m.. For further information contact Luisa Facciolo at 603-284-6843. Advice To The Players, Sandwich’s Own Shakespeare company, is proud to present their Summer Mainstage Production of William Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure, August 1 - 11, in Quimby Park and in The Sandwich Town Hall Theater. Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure is a commentary on the trifecta of power, sex, and morality: centering around the fate of a pious sister forced into a difficult situation, a moralistic leader who does not walk the talk he preaches, and a Duke in disguise. Trickery abounds and hard issues are tackled in this lesser-known of Shakespeare’s ‘comedies.’ The production will star new and familiar ATTP actors, including company founder Caroline Nesbitt, Luke Haskell, Ellie Bartz, and introducing Jake Berger, Salvatore Constantino, Alicia Edgar, Pauline de Gourcuff, and Alexei du Perier. The production will be directed by ATTP’s former Artistic Director Andrew Codispoti. It is a very timely production for the ‘me too’ era that you don’t want to miss! Tickets are available online at www.advicetotheplayers.org or by calling 603-284-7115. Adult, Senior and Student tickets are available. Preview performance in Quimby Park at 5:30 pm on August 1st is $10 for all tickets. There will also be a special free performance at Eagle Square in Concord, August 9th at 5:30 pm.
Additional Performances at Quimby Park are August 2nd, 4th, 7th, 10th & 11th at 5:30 pm: at the Sandwich Town Hall Theatre August 3rd at 7:30 pm and August 8th at 2 pm. ATTP’s 20th Anniversary Gala will follow the August 4th Performance— tickets can be purchased individually to both events or you can buy a package. August 10th you can treat yourself to a double feature and bring a picnic to Measure for Measure and then head inside Town Hall to see the Yeoman’s Fund production of Elderville. In the case of rain, all Quimby Park dates will move inside to the Sandwich Town Hall Theater. Advice To The Players is a unique company of theater professionals, enthusiastic community members and energetic teens that have been performing Shakespeare and offering workshops in New Hampshire’s Lakes and Mountains Region since 1999. Based in Sandwich, NH, ATTP has spent the last 20 years bringing award-winning productions of William Shakespeare’s richly passionate plays to life while introducing new generations to live theater. Elderville, an “almost entirely new” operetta by Ellen Farnum, offers a rollicking, humorous take on aging. The setting is a Brigadoon-like place where, if you wander in and don’t leave, you quickly age to 82. After that, you stay 82 forever and life is idyllic: the soup is never too hot, there’s always a bathroom nearby, and there’s time for a nap every day. While finding humor in aging, Elderville also celebrates the delights of being free from the pressures of youth and work and the joy of having time to relax and follow one’s passions. When two young professionals mistakenly walk in and lose their cell phone connection, they’re invited to join this community of contented senior citizens. This celebration of age is expressed by the actors, singers, and dancers, all of whom qualify for the senior discount with the exception of the two youthful leads, Ashley Bullard and Michael Kaye. They face a difficult decision: will they stay or will they leave? The music is adapted from the scores of Gilbert & Sullivan’s tuneful operettas, but with timely new words by Ellen Farnum: the famous “We’ve got them on a list” chorus from The Mikado, for example, lists “the telemarketer who likes to call your house at ten” and “the folks who start the Christmas season way before its time” as among those who will “not be missed.” Elderville also celebrates Sandwich history and tradition by offering a lively summer musical on the stage of the Sandwich Town Hall. From 1953 until 2000, these summer musicals — often Gilbert & Sullivan operettas —featured local citizens. Elderville also honors the memory of Bob Bates, who directed Sandwich musicals for decades and whose inspiration changed forever the experience of music for the citizens of Sandwich and nearby towns. Since Bob shuffled off this mortal coil in 2000 (his words!), Sandwich Players and Advice to the Players have continued to mount productions on the Sandwich stage, but this is the first musical in years, and certainly the first of its kind. At least half of the 2019 cast and crew have connections to those historic Sandwich musicals. As a child, Heather Hamilton played under the grand piano while her mother Ellen Farnum was rehearsing; now, as Professor of Theater and Dance at Minnesota State University, Mankato, Dr. Hamilton returns as the new operetta’s Director. Cast member Jean Knox remembers watching her mother on stage and thinking “This must be what Broadway is like!” Later she understood that the exuberant Sandwich productions had an enthusiasm and energy she missed in more professional productions. Many other cast members bring warm memories of past performances to this new endeavor. Some chorus members have been recruited from the Sandwich Singers and the Silver Lake Singers. The Music Director is Peggy Johnson, whose children shared space with Heather under the grand piano; Assistant Directors are Mary Edes and Ellen Farnum. The world premier of Elderville is sponsored by the Yeoman’s Fund for the Arts, which “promotes and funds programs and events that strengthen the bonds of community by reaching a broad range of area residents across the generations, exposing them to artistic excellence, involving them in the creative process, and leading them to lives of greater creativity, self-expression and joy.” Elderville promises to do all that and more!
Elderville, in one act and about an hour long, will be presented at the Sandwich Town Hall during Old Home Week for three evenings only: August 8, 9, and 10 at 7:30 p.m. Seating is limited, and admission is by donation. To reserve tickets E-MAIL eldervilleshow@gmail.com with your request. Tickets must be picked up by 7:15, after which they will be released to those on the waiting list and to walk-ins. For more information, e-mail eldervilleshow@gmail.com or contact Ann or David Wilkins at 603-367-8222 Tappan Chairs are a New Hampshire ladder-back design first crafted in Sandwich, NH in the early 1800’s, and they continue to be crafted in Sandwich to this day, over seven generations of makers, using a medley of modern and historic machinery dating as far back as the 1850’s. Adam Nudd-Homeyer is the current owner, making him the seventh generation in Tappan Chairs’ line of craftsperson-stewards. It is under Adam’s tenure that Tappan Chairs now celebrate their 200th anniversary--a celebration which had an early start in 2018, with Tappan Chairs’ move into the former, historic, and long vacant Sandwich General Store building, turning it into an open workshop, showroom, and history exhibit, and marking the first time in the business’ long history that it has had its own free-standing building. Adam Nudd-Homeyer writes: We welcome you to stop by and visit our shop on August 3 (Saturday), from 10 am - 1 pm as we formally celebrate our bicentennial in Sandwich! We'll have some cake and light refreshments to share, and one or more state "dignitaries" will also be present! We will also be making some exciting announcements... 1. Firstly, we'll be unveiling the first of a "200th year only" style of commemorate rocker (of course!)... 2. We'll be revealing the details on our acquisition of TWO national furniture brands--something that we have been working on for nearly a year, and which is finally happening now(!)--and which we expect to bring a half dozen or more skilled jobs to Sandwich over the next year or so... 3. Finally, we will be announcing our transition in the coming months from an LLC to a benefit corporation, with its core purpose being the support of non-profits which benefit Sandwich and its greater community! So please save the date and stop on by! If you've never been in our new shop at the old Sandwich General Store (Skinner St./Upper Main St. in Center Sandwich), or haven't been in for awhile, we've added a number of new things to see and learn about for both the business as well as the two historic buildings that we now occupy. And of course, we'll be on hand to give the full scoop on all of these exciting developments... Please join us—we hope to see you there! Adam (603) 726-6550, www.tappanchairs.com Friends of the Samuel Wentworth Library are pleased to present local author Mj Pettengill, discussing her recent book, The Angels' Lament, in the Community Room of the library in Center Sandwich on Tuesday, July 23, at 4:00 pm. This event, free and open to the public, also features light refreshments. Autographed books will be available for purchase. The Angels' Lament is Book Two in the Etched in Granite Historical Fiction Series. For the Hodgdon women, 1872 is a year of reckoning. Alone and determined, 17-year-old Sarah Hodgdon boards a train, trading farm life in New Hampshire for the textile mills of Fall River. Woefully disillusioned, she finds herself trapped in a brutal factory and living in a filthy tenement. She is tormented when she learns the fate of her family. Returning home is no longer possible. About to drown in a sea of spindles, she meets lamplighter, August Wood, who illuminates the gap between the affluent and the undesirables that dwell in the murky shadows. Stripped down to her bare instincts, she retreats into a secret world, that if revealed, would shatter all that remains. Everything collides when Bess, the captivating woman across town, emerges, navigating the dense world of the local elite, offering a glimpse into an era when women were beginning to take the stage. Survival, a resilient thread of music, interweaves their compelling stories, binding them together, unveiling grievous misdeeds from the past. Mj Pettengill is an author and social historian with a focus on cultural narrative and traditions, collective and intergenerational trauma integration, ancestral healing, and social welfare development.
She is a cellist and has a background in Civil War Musicology and trumpet performance. Before transitioning to the world of writing, she performed as a soloist and with various musical organizations featured in numerous Living Histories, Reenactments, and Historical Events throughout the Northeast. Mj works and creates in her woodland studio and lives on a farm in North Sandwich, New Hampshire. In addition to writing and music, she is a wildcraft herbalist, aligned with her passion for nature and the ancient healing traditions, customs, and folklore of her ancestors. Sandwich residents (especially those of us who live in North Sandwich) are thrilled that the North Sandwich Store has reopened. For those of us who live far from the center of town, where the Village Green Café does a wonderful job, a local cafe where we can get coffee, pastries, milk, local vegetables, and much more, is a welcome addition to our vibrant community. Many thanks to Lobin Frizzell for this valuable initiative. Lobin writes: WE ARE OPEN! (finally) Please stop by for coffee, homemade pastry or just to say hi. We are a work in progress so please make any suggestions. If you would like to consign an item or products please email Bryce@northsandwichstore.com. Our hours of operation in the future will be Thursday-Tues 7-6 (closed Wed). All the best, Lobin What people are saying:
"I stopped in this week and it looks fabulous. I purchased pastries that were yummy and the sandwich menu looks so good! Welcome and best of luck!" "Hurray for life being blown back into the historic North Sandwich Store! I for one am going to to celebrate Independence Day by dropping into a newly minted independently-owned store this evening on my way to the festivities!" "I was pleased to find the North Sandwich Store open this morning…. The sweet smell of fresh baked cinnamon rolls and fresh coffee lured me in…..what a wonderful breakfast treat. Thank you, Lobin Frizzell" Book and Supply Money
If you are a Sandwich resident and a recent high school graduate working on your first undergraduate degree, you have until August 1 (postmark) to write a note to Sandwich Woman's Club, PO Box 48, Center Sandwich, NH 03227. In the note you should introduce yourself and include your name and contact information, your goals for the future and your plan to reach those goals. Students may request Book and Supply Money each year (no more than 4 years) of their undergraduate career. The Sandwich Woman's Club raises money with a raffle during Old Home Week (Thursday 8/8/19 at 2 pm on the green). Funds raised are used to help Sandwich young adults with some of the expenses that come with continuing their education. The amount is usually 150 to 250 dollars per student depending on the funds raised by the raffle and the number of students requesting funds. Checks are written to the student shortly after Labor Day and do not interfere with other financial aid awards. Students must write the notes themselves and if they are short on time or out of town, they may send an e-mail to sandwichnews@hotmail.com. The August 1 deadline will still apply. Please include Book and Supply in the Subject Line. Jenn Elliot writes: Please join the Sandwich Friends and Fiber Group, this Saturday June 8, 11am - 1pm, as they join thousands of other knitters around the world all gathered to knit in public. The group will be outside the Sandwich Home Industries, on the grass or under the the porch is case of rain at 32 Main Street, on the Green Center Sandwich, NH. Bring your knitting, finished items for show and tell, and lawn chair. Crocheters, spinners and fiber artists of all kinds are welcome to join in. Or just stop by to meet and greet us and see our knitting. Bring your own snacks or swing by the Village Cafe for coffee and a pastry or sandwich. Many thanks to Martha Nichols, manager of SHI for graciously hosting us. WKIPDAY is unique in that it’s the largest knitter-run event in the world. Each local event is put together by a volunteer or a group of volunteers. For more on World Wide Knit in Public Day, see http://www.wwkipday.com/ "Better living through stitching together"
Why was Pablo Picasso so inspired by printmaking that he bought his own etching press? Many other artists, including Rembrandt, Matisse, and Winslow Homer, have used printmaking to express their artistic visions. Learn the characteristics of hand-pulled prints and why they have captured the interest of so many famous artists. On March 24th, Peggy Merritt, a Sandwich printmaker, will talk about her craft at the Benz Center in Sandwich. Peggy will describe various printmaking techniques, including etching and lithography, using images from well-known artists and from her own work. The audience will have an opportunity to examine these prints closely, as well the plates and tools used to produce them. She will also talk about current practices and modern materials that reduce hazards in the printmakers’ studio and increase the breadth of artistic expression. “I love to express my imagination in hands-on work,” says Peggy. “The technical details of printmaking also appeal to my background as a chemist.” She hopes that her talk will remove some of the mysteries about her chosen medium. The printmaking talk takes place on Sunday afternoon, March 24th, at 4 o’clock at the Benz Center on Heard Road in Center Sandwich. It is part of a series of free Sunday afternoon seminars offered this winter and spring by the Sandwich Home Industries. The final talk in this series is scheduled for April 14 when Rebecca Goodale will talk about art books, including her “Illuminated Autobiography.”
This year Sandwich's annual Winter Carnival was held on the first Saturday in February. The carnival is a daylong event for locals to have some fun at the coldest, gloomiest time of year. The first main event is the all ages, all abilities, Costumed Cross Country ski race. Over the course of several hours, Brian Stockman created one of his masterful ice sculptures. This one was a fox, in honor of the Sandwich Central School's mascot. And the Chili Contest! While Brian was busy carving, anyone who wanted to could go into the school and sample a great variety of chilis, all made by local cooks, with chips, sour cream and grated cheese as add-ons. What a fun way to eat lunch. And then you vote for your favorite. The Cardboard Sled Derby is another Main Event of the Winter Carnival. There are prizes for all participants in a variety of categories, including best design, longest ride, shortest ride, most colorful, and more. The day ended with family ice skating, hot chocolate, and hot dogs at Remick Park in North Sandwich. A great time was had by all! Hope you see YOU next year. Thanks to Ole Anderson and the Sandwich Recreation Department for so many activities and events that make this town the wonderful place it is. sandwichrecreation@gmail.com
Advice To The Players, Sandwich’s own Shakespeare Company, is starting their 20th Anniversary season with one of the Bard’s famous comedies, The Taming of the Shrew, directed by ATTP founder Caroline Nesbitt, and presented by an all-star ATTP cast, including Carsey Walker, Jr., Kimberly Miller, Rebecca Mansfield, Dennis Sullivan, Frederick Bickford, Luke Haskell, Corey Trask, Ellie Bartz, Andrew Burke, and Vicky Dworkin, along with Amelia Nudd-Homeyer, Kat Sugar, CJ Dall, Andrew Sugar, and Ginger Priestman. This production is sponsored by Meredith Village Savings Bank. A play within a play, The Taming of the Shrew tells the story of a Lord’s trick on a local drunkard, in which he convinces the drunk that he is, in fact, a lord and has his servants put on a play to entertain him. The play they perform is the main story of The Taming of the Shrew – where an Italian noble, out of their wits with their eldest daughter Kate, a mean-spirited and independent woman, decrees that Kate must marry before her sweet, gentle, and beautiful younger sister Bianca can. Bianca’s suitors, of which there are many, despair; but it is her suitor Hortensio who comes up with the scheme to marry Kate off to his strong-willed and determined friend Petruchio. Petruchio is enticed by Kate’s dowry, and decides to accept the challenge of ‘taming her’. Meanwhile, a young student named Lucentio has also fallen in love with Bianca and secretly woos her while the others are distracted with Kate and Petruchio’s tumultuous courtship – making The Taming of the Shrew a hilarious comedy from start to finish. Performances will be at the Sandwich Town Hall Theater, March 15th, 16th, and 23rd
at 7:30 pm and March 17th & 24th at 2 pm. Tickets are available online at advicetotheplayers.org or by calling 603-284-7115. Sandwich Home Industries Lecture Series What could a fourth century Italian pavement possibly have in common with the New York City subway? Mosaics! Mosaics are everywhere! Explore the past and present of this glittering art with Cindy Stanton, who has studied and practiced mosaic art for many years. Cindy, who lives in Moultonborough, will show how mosaics have evolved, and how they have decorated spectacular churches, elegant homes, and today even subway walls. Some mosaics are used to tell stories. Cindy will demonstrate common mosaic methods, tools, and materials, and show where mosaic collections can be found in New England and elsewhere. After the presentation, participants will be invited to handle some of the materials.
“I’m planning a hands-on mosaic workshop for later this year,” says Cindy. “Participants will work with a variety of materials and create their own 4 inch by 4 inch mosaic.” The mosaics talk takes place on Sunday afternoon, March 3rd, at 4 o’clock at the Benz Center on Heard Road in Center Sandwich. It is part of a series of free Sunday afternoon seminars offered this winter and spring by the Sandwich Home Industries. On March 24th Peggy Merritt will discuss the art of printmaking, and on April 14 Rebecca Goodale will talk about art books, including her “illuminated autobiography.” In September Kathryn Field was an Artist-in-Residence at the Sandwich Central School for two weeks. Each grade got to experience drawing and printmaking every day for a week. The students did a fabulous job learning to transfer their drawings onto foam plates, inking them up and finishing with a 3-color print. Each student produced 3 final prints. The works were then displayed at the Sandwich Fair and are on permanent display at SCS. The opportunity to offer an artist-in-residence program at the Sandwich Central School came about through the efforts of the Association for School and Community—the new PTO. The funding to bring this program to every student was provided by the Yeoman’s Fund for the Arts. Kathryn teaches adult and children's art classes in her Sandwich studio. Her students range in age from 6 – 96 and from beginners to advanced painters. You can find a listing of upcoming classes for April and the summer at her website FieldFineArt.org.
One highlight (among many) at Sandwich's annual Winter Carnival, is the transformation of a block of ice into a beautiful, cold, short-lived sculpture by Brian Stockman. This year he made a fox to represent Sandwich Central School's mascot. Off the Dock Players is proud to announce an upcoming run of A Doll’s House, Part 2, by Lucas Hnath, at Sandwich Town Hall from February 15th through February 24th. Do you have to know A Doll’s House to enjoy A Doll’s House, Part 2? The short answer is NO, but we feel that knowing the Ibsen classic is worthwhile on its own and provides a better understanding of Hnath’s sequel. They are separate plays written at very different times—1879 and 2017—by very different people. They exist independently from one another but together are sure to spark lively discussions about how some things change....and how some things stay the same. Here’s some theater history: When the door slammed shut at the end of Henrik Ibsen’s 1879 play, A Doll’s House, critics began referring to it as 'the slam heard around the world.' Heated discussions about the role of wife, mother and the institution of marriage took center stage in late 19th Century European discourse. Some theaters would only produce it with an altered ending, but Ibsen called that a travesty and held to the original as the central message of the play. Fast forward to 2017 when a young, emerging writer named Lucas Hnath (pronounced NÃTHE) wondered what would happen if Nora returns to her family after 15 years away. A Doll’s House, Part 2 launched on Broadway to great critical acclaim and multiple Tony nominations and wins. On February 15th, Off The Dock Players present A Doll’s House, Part 2, by Lucas Hnath, at the Center Sandwich Town Hall, 8 Maple Street starring Rebecca Cole (Nora), Hank Offinger (Torvald), Lisa Lovett (Ann Marie) and Jacquelyn Henken (Emmy). The show will run through February 24th and information and tickets can be found at www.offthedockplayers.com About Off The Dock Players Nancy Blaine writes: Off the Dock Players is a theatre company formed in Sandwich, NH, by founding members are Rebecca Cole, Hank Offinger and Nancy Blaine. We spent so much time “on the dock” talking about plays we wanted to produce, that we decided to get “off the dock” and do them. Our first production was A.R. Gurney’s Love Letters in winter of 2017.
That summer we produced Bakersfield Mist in conjunction with The Sandwich Players and directed by Ben Bullard. In Summer of 2018 we produced, Mother of the Groom in conjunction with The Corner House. The play was set in a Manhattan restaurant so we decided to set it in the dining room at The Corner House. The one act was performed in between the main course and dessert. Our current production is A Doll’s House, Part 2, by Lucas Hnath. Our goal is to bring intimate and serious drama to the area. We love Sandwich and thought we could bring a different angle to the great theater companies we already have. Both Advice to the Players and the Sandwich Players have been welcoming, helpful and collaborative in our pursuit. We are so very grateful to them. Tappan Chairs are a New Hampshire ladder-back design first crafted in Sandwich, NH in the early 1800s. They continue to be crafted in Sandwich to this day. Seven generations of makers, using a medley of modern and historic machinery dating as far back as the 1850s, have contributed to the story of this historic business. A Brief History The first Tappan Chair was crafted by Abraham Tappan in the year 1819. Abraham was a resident of Sandwich his entire life, having been among the first settlers of the town in 1768. Abraham’s son Daniel, along with his wife Rhoda, raised 15 children in Sandwich as well, and each had a hand in the chairmaking business. Sons Walter and Winthrop continued the business after Daniel’s passing in the 1880s, and rather than end the family tradition when he retired in the 1930s, Walter chose instead to sell the business to Doc Quinby and Al Hoag, who continued the trade for two decades in affiliation with the Sandwich Home Industries—the original incarnation of the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen. The business changed hands in the 1940s, passing to Sandwich resident Cy Blumberg after his return from WWII. Cy made other furniture, and even cut hair, alongside his chair work. When Cy passed away in the 1960s, Tappan Chairs nearly vanished as a business when his estate went to auction. But rather than letting the equipment and patterns be parted out, again a Sandwich resident intervened, purchased the lot, and stored the business until Gunnar Berg, a Sandwich cabinetmaker, discovered it and brought it back to life in the 1980s, becoming the first maker to establish a national market for the chairs. In 2013, coinciding with Sandwich’s 250th anniversary, Gunnar continued the tradition of passing on the business to yet another Sandwich resident, Adam Nudd-Homeyer, making him the seventh generation in Tappan Chairs’ line of craftsperson-stewards. It is under Adam’s tenure that Tappan Chairs now celebrates its 200th anniversary—a celebration which had an early start in 2018, with Tappan Chairs’ move into the former, historic, and long vacant Sandwich General Store building, turning it into an open workshop, showroom, and history exhibit, and marking the first time in the business’s long history that it has had its own free-standing building. Under its current ownership, the business launched a successful 2014 Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign which was designated a Kickstarter global “Project of the Day.” On the heels of that effort, Tappan Chairs developed a national markeng partnership with Chilton Furniture of Maine, and through that connection Adam became introduced to the last living Shakers who reside in Sabbathday Lake, ME. As a result of that introduction, Tappan Chairs has become the only commissioned chairmaker in the world for the living Shaker Community, and crafts a number of models on their behalf annually. Adam has also continued a tradition begun over previous generations—that of using Tappan Chairs to help raise money for a number of local, regional, and national nonprofits. Since 2013 alone, donations of Tappan Chairs have raised over $50,000. Bicentennial Events and Celebratory Activities With the beginning of 2019, Adam is announcing a number of celebratory activities for this important year, the first one being the most significant. In celebration of the generations of townspeople who have supported and nurtured the business, making it what it is today, Tappan Chairs is donating 10% of all retail chair sales this year to be divided among the Sandwich Historical Society, Sandwich Home Industries, and Sandwich Children’s Center, thereby celebrating the stewards of the “History, Heritage, and Future” of Tappan Chairs in town. Adam also intends to use this occasion to challenge other businesses in the community to match Tappan Chairs’ contributions this year, so that together they can contribute to as many important cultural and social nonprofits and charities which serve the town and its population as possible. As the year progresses, many more events lie in store. Tappan Chairs is currently seeking a formal celebratory proclamation from the Governor of NH, and has invited him to attend the official “Tappan Chairs Birthday Celebration” on August 3 in Sandwich, kicking off Sandwich’s renowned Old Home Week. Also in store is the publication of a “Spotter’s Guide to Tappan Chairs,” the expansion of the museum exhibit to feature biographies and photos from the many generations of Tappan Chair makers and their helpers, as well as historic chair examples and patterns from the different periods of their manufacture. Finally, Tappan Chairs looks to release an all-new chair design to symbolize and and celebrate its many generations of makers. We at Tappan Chairs not only invite you to join us in this special year, but encourage you to help us share this special story of what we have become, which deepens with every year!
For further inquiry and information, please contact: Adam Nudd-Homeyer, owner-steward and craftsperson Tappan Chairs, LLC adam@tappanchairs.com 603-726-6550 Community Christmas Tree Party The Sandwich Woman's Club Community Christmas Party will be Sunday, December 16 at 3:30 pm in the Sandwich Town Hall for all Sandwich (includes all children at the Sandwich Children's Center and Sandwich Central School and siblings) children birth through grade 3 (and older if they still believe in magic). If you are new to Sandwich, have a new baby or child in your home, or if you have a new little neighbor please let Head Elf, Diane Johnson (284-7168 call/text) know the name(s) and year of birth so that all children will have a gift. Visiting children and grandchildren of Sandwich folk can be accommodated as well. This is not a need-based or religious party; it is a celebration of all the children in our midst to enjoy the season, be entertained a little, and to receive a small present. Entertainment this year will be a "You are Special" multi-cultural trip around the world with 100 + interactive puppets and singing. The Community Christmas Tree Party has been a Sandwich tradition since at least the Great Depression in the 1930’s. Even the oldest folks in town can't remember a year when this party didn't happen. In the 30's and 40's, the local girl scouts under the direction of Helen Ingles and others decided to make gifts, put on a skit, sing carols, and have a party for all the children in town. Over the years many individuals and groups have kept this tradition alive. Timmy Nolan and Charlotte Paddleford (1980's), and Lee Webb (late 80's to mid 2000's) were among the Head Elves. In 2017, the Sandwich Fair added their sponsorship. As you read this, elves are active in our community. Thanks to their efforts, all children from birth through grade three will receive mesh bags of fruits, cookies, candy canes, and gifts of hand-sewn items, hand-knit hats, and/or a small toy or book from Santa. Older kids (grades 4-6) at the school will find gift baskets in their classrooms on Monday. Older kids wishing to attend the party may volunteer to sing, dance, serve as elves, or be reindeer. Families who do not celebrate Christmas may request that the gifts not be wrapped or wrapped in something other than Christmas paper. They can even make arrangements to pick up the gift after the party if they wish. It is the intent of the committee to include all children who are in town in this event of hospitality and good will. Gift bags can be delivered to those unable to attend the party. Gifts not given out at the party can be picked up under the Christmas Tree in the children's area of the Samuel H. Wentworth Library. Santa will be at the library from 3-4 on Monday, December 17, to visit with children who may have missed the party and/or for those who need to add something to their list. The Sandwich Woman's Club
The Sandwich Woman’s Club is a civic and social organization that serves the women and children Sandwich. Members meet four times a year for lunch, an interesting speaker or program, and a short business meeting. The ladies raise funds for book and supply money for college students from Sandwich and sponsor the annual holiday party for all children in Sandwich. Woman of all ages in Sandwich and environs are welcome to join. The club is run by a membership of nearly 80 women and an executive board. Regular meetings, programs, and a meal are held on a Wednesdays in March, May, September and December at local restaurants. Funds are raised by a summer raffle held during Old Home Week, a snack bar during the Old Home Week Art Show, and by dues and donations. Annual dues are $10. Donations are always welcome (Sandwich Woman’s Club, PO Box 48, Center Sandwich, NH 03227). Saturday, December 1st, the village of Center Sandwich will be alive with good cheer and the holiday spirit. The Sandwich Central School, the Doris Benz Center, and the Sandwich Historical Society will have more than 40 crafters from Sandwich and beyond with handmade goods and goodies; these locations will be open from 9-4 Saturday. For over 40 years, the first full December weekend in Sandwich has been a celebration of craftsmanship. This year is no exception. Many artisans, farmers, bakers, craftspeople, individuals, businesses, and organizations are each doing something in the spirit of community and the holidays. The weekend will feature a tree-lighting, live entertainment, food, local hand-made gifts, fund-raisers for youth, live animals, and so much more. Combined efforts will mean a weekend of fun and festivities for all who come to enjoy. Each day more is being planned. Maps and events listings will be available around town and information (and photos) can be found on Facebook at Christmas in the Village–Sandwich, NH and right here. There will be a Farmer's Market at the Mount Israel Grange, lunch with Santa at the Corner House, and lots of workshops, artist studios, galleries, and more open. The Community Church of Sandwich will have the annual Ladies Aid Chowder Luncheon and craft tables in the Methodist Meetinghouse; and there will be wreath making in the Baptist Meetinghouse. The Sandwich Business Group is sponsoring a horse-drawn wagon ride throughout the village which will take folks from location to location. The Sandwich Home Industries and a group of juried craftspeople, The Arts Center at 12 Main Street (Home of Advice To The Players), Willow Pond Antiques and Goods, Surroundings Gallery, Tappan Chairs, Will Lehman Custom Framing, The Village Green Cafe and Market, Soft Touch Farm, Kindred Spirits Farm, as well as other locations, will be open Saturday, December 1, and Sunday, December 2. Enjoy some time in the quaint town of Sandwich and buy some locally made unique gifts. FMI, please call Diane at 284-7168.
Congratulations to the Patricia Ladd Carega Gallery for its recognition in the Excursions column of Art New England magazine's September/October issue. The article is not available online but photos of the pages are below. Our little village of Sandwich is remarkably rich in establishments dedicated to art and craft—making, selling and teaching. Many are located right in the center of town. In addition to the Patricia Ladd Carega Gallery, we have Surroundings Art Gallery, the League of NH Craftsmen Gallery, Tappan Chairs and Willow Pond Antiques and Goods. Just outside the center of town, you can visit Field Fine Art to buy a painting or take a class. Needle felting supplies and lessons are available at Soft Touch Farm. Other local artisans include Botanical Lampshades, Basket Street Papers, Pease Gallery, Derek Marshall Lighting and Will Lehmann Frames. This is by no means a comprehensive list of all the people in Sandwich who are engaged in art and craft making. The Sandwich Historical Society, also in the center of town, has many exhibits showing arts and crafts in Sandwich's history. And while we're talking about art in the center of town, we would be remiss not to mention the Art Center at 12 Main Street, home of Advice To The Players, Sandwich's Shakespeare Company that offers so much more than performances of Shakespeare's plays. Theatre camps for young people, improv meetups for all ages, and musical and other performances throughout the year. We who make our home in Sandwich are blessed to live in such a rich and rewarding environment. We welcome visitors to our little town and hope that you will find a visit here to be a fullfilling and enjoyable experience. Look around this website for a more comprehensive picture of all that Sandwich, New Hampshire has to offer.
Once again the galleries of Sandwich will be open after hours for our annual Gallery Walk from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday evening August 17th. Stroll leisurely through our town viewing fine art and craft while sipping wine and enjoying refreshments at each stop. Best of all – a visit to each gallery entitles you to a discount at the Corner House Inn compliments of CHI’s owner, Don Brown. We look forward to welcoming you to an evening in our town. Patricia Ladd Carega Gallery at 69 Maple Street will be featuring an exhibit of Crystallized Banned Books by artist, poet and author, Georgia Heard. Also on view are the luminous landscapes in oil and cold wax by Cameron Byron Roberts as well as a sneak preview of our September exhibit…Barnyard Basics. For more information visit www.patricialaddcarega.com, or call 603 284 7728. The League of NH Craftsmen Sandwich Fine Craft Gallery features traditional and contemporary fine crafts by juried craftspeople throughout New Hampshire. See our display of wedding gift ideas, check out the annual League ornament by Sibel Alpaslan, view prints by Matt Brown, Bruce Peck, William Mitchell and photography by Richard Stockwell, Andrew Thompson, and Dana Clemons. For more information about us and our classes coming up in August, September, and October, visit centersandwich.nhcrafts.org or call 603-284-6831. Tappan Chairs, at 6 Skinner St., will be opening its doors at the old general store for its first gallery walk. We'll be firing up our most vintage machinery from the 1800's and giving pointers for how to spot historic Tappan Chairs in a crowd...a preview of our planned "Tappan Spotters' Guide" to be published next year! 603 726-6550 info@tappanchairs.com, www.tappanchairs.com Surroundings is excited to have Ann Musto join our other long standing artists. Come see her perspectives on local scenery. Wendy Lichtensteiger has introduced a new carving subject. Rather than her bird carvings, we have some beautifully carved whales. The gallery also has a lot of new work from all our artists. We look forward to having you see the wonderful artistic talent on display from our locally connected artists. Surroundings Art Gallery is at 12 Main Street, 603-284-6888, www.surroundingsart.com The Galleries of Sandwich and the Corner House Inn look forward to seeing you on August 17th!
House Tour
The Sandwich Business Group presents a house tour of four historic Sandwich homes on Saturday, August 18, from 10 – 3. Learn about the history of the town as you walk through these wonderful homes, two in the village center and two on Wentworth Hill Road, both with amazing views of surrounding mountain ranges. All have undergone renovations by the current owners. Visitors can start at any of the 4 houses and pay and get a ticket. Their ticket will be hole-punched at each house.The suggested donation of $10 for all four homes will benefit the 2018-2019 Sandwich Central 6th grade class trip to Washington DC in April 2019. 29 Church Street: Historically called the E.J. Bryant house, physician Aaron Howe owned the home in 1850. William Ham, another resident, died as a result of wounds received during the civil war and was given the first military funeral in Sandwich. 15 Maple Street: The Heard Family home was built by Quaker Timothy Varney in 1948. James L. Marston, proprietor of a successful basket shop, owned the home for a time, before passing it to Arthur M. Heard in 1920. His heirs are the current owners. 252 Wentworth Hill Road: The Wentworth Homestead was built by Col. Joseph Wentworth in the grand style of a southern mansion. The views from the house are extraordinary. 284 Wentworth Hill Road: The Isaac Adams Homestead (formerly Chestnut Manor) is perhaps the best known house in Sandwich. Originally built in 1844, Isaac Adams added other houses to the original house, numerous outbuildings, and developed extensive gardens. Subsequent owners made other changes to the property, and the current owner is doing extensive renovations, bringing the buildings and property back to life. Sandwich Home Industries, the fine crafts gallery of Center Sandwich, NH welcomes local craftsperson, Diane Johnson, who will be teaching two felting workshops at the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen Gallery in Sandwich on August 2, 3 and 11. The first class is for families to create a project together. Wee Felting World - Family Project will be held in two sessions August 2nd and 3rd 10:00 am – 12:00 noon. Tuition is $85 per family of 3 or 4, materials included. At least one adult must accompany children ages 3 and up. Both large and small families are welcome! In Session 1 you will be creating fields, a pond, flowers, a shelter, and paths. Session 2 teaches you how to make a tree, some rocks or bushes, an animal, and a person or two (could also be a fairy, gnome, or mermaid). Everyone works on different parts and then combines everything into one interactive project. On August 11th, from 10 - 12, Diane will teach Simply Sandwich Souvenir - using wool from local sheep, goats, and alpacas to create a unique Sandwich Souvenir. Whether you live here year-round, come here seasonally, or are visiting the area for the first time, this is a chance to make a truly personal souvenir of Sandwich. You may choose to make a sheep, an angora goat, or an alpaca. The core wool will come from one of the sheep at the Sandwich Creamery (after class, you can take your project to the Creamery, eat some ice cream and visit the sheep and cows). The surface fleece will come from an animal that lives here in town. Along with that wool fleece, you will receive a picture with the name of the animal from which the fiber was shorn. Tuition is $40, materials and felting kit included. To find out more about all of our summer and fall classes, go to centersandwich.nhcrafts.org. A founding member of the League of NH Craftsmen, Sandwich Home Industries is located at 32 Main Street, in the historic village of Center Sandwich. To register for classes, contact sandwichcraftgallery@gmail.com or call 603-284-6831. The gallery, representing over 170 juried craftsmen, is open daily during the summer/fall season.
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News & Views
News of what's happening in Sandwich and other items of interest. Meet Our Members
Please enjoy the Sandwich Business Group's 2021 project called Meet Our Members. Read interviews with fascinating people who live here and run businesses, organizations, and engage in other creative pursuits.
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