Events
Chesterfield Historical Society Meetings
The CHS Board has been meeting on the 4th
Tuesday of the Month at 7PM
Contact CHS via e-mail for location
Queen Elizabeth II - "Her Majesty"
Wed. June 25th
7pm
Chesterfield Town Hall
By Sheryl Faye
Join us for a command performance of Elizabeth II by Sheryl Faye. “Her Majesty The Queen” was a true icon, inspiring people around the world with her strength, courage, resilience, and dedication to a life of service. For 70 years and 214 days, she remained a constant presence as a sovereign, shepherding the people of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth countries through both joyful times and darker periods of challenge and uncertainty. To cover her long life, Faye will make numerous costumes changes and use multimedia. Faye’s attention to detail makes this performance historically accurate, witty, and quite educational.
Free Program - Refreshments Served
Co-sponsored by the Chesterfield Library
About the Presenter
Since 2003, Sheryl Faye has been presenting Historical Women throughout the country to inspire children and adults alike. Currently she portrays eleven amazing women, from Abigail Adams to Eleanor Roosevelt, by way of Anne Frank and Ruth Ginsberg. Last year, she regaled us with her presentation of Ameilia Earhart. Sheryl Faye is a veteran actress who has appeared in theaters, films, and on television. Her presentations are full of funny anecdotes as well as astonishing facts. More information can be found on her website.
Who was John Stark
Tues. August 19
7pm
Chesterfield Town Hall
Presented by George Morrison
The state motto "Live Free or Die" is widely recognized, but few know it originated with General John Stark. Besides being a prominent figure in both the French and Indian, and Revolutionary Wars, he is remembered as a rare commander who knew the limitations of his men. As Brigadier General of the New Hampshire Militia, he rallied untrained civilians, many from Chesterfield, to engage the British at Bennington, VT. The British defeat there led to a Patriot victory at Saratoga, which is considered a major turning point in the Revolutionary War. In this presentation, George Morrison reveals the man, a ransomed captive, Ranger officer, road-builder, lumberman, husband, father of eleven, and an outstanding commanding officer who often clashed with his “superiors”.
Free Program - Refreshments Served
A New Hampshire Humanities to Go Program
About the Presenter
George Morrison earned a B.A. in History at the University of New Hampshire. He served for 27 years as a high school teacher. A long-time researcher of unpublished primary sources, Morrison has contributed to the work of numerous aviation historians and artists in several countries. He is a lifelong photographer, historian, and motorcyclist. Morrison has already traveled over 18,000 miles in the course of researching monuments and memorials, an interest sparked by a puzzling 1918 monument inscription.
The Connecticut: New England's Great River
Wed. Sept. 17th
7pm
Chesterfield Town Hall
Presented by Adair Mulligan
The largest river in New England rises in a small beaver pond near the Canadian border and flows over 400 miles through four states, falling 2,670 feet to the sea through America's only watershed-based national fish and wildlife refuge. Adair Mulligan leads an armchair tour of this great river in New Hampshire and Vermont, exploring its history and natural beauty through the seasons and among the communities that have sprung up along its banks. Next, the discussion will shift to how the river has influenced the lives of those who live there, and how they, in turn, have affected the river. Much more than a travelogue, this presentation explores the many issues involved in managing the health of this major river, and how citizens from all walks of life have created a vision for its future.
Free Program - Refreshments Served
New Hampshire Humanities to Go Program
Adair Mulligan has a runaway curiosity about the natural and cultural history of northern New England. Author of The Gunstock Parish: A History of Gilford, New Hampshire, she has also contributed to Proud to Live Here in the Connecticut River Valley; Where the Great River Rises: An Atlas of the Upper Connecticut River; and Beyond the Notches: Stories of Place in New Hampshire's North Country. Executive director of the Hanover Conservancy, she served for 20 years as conservation director of the Connecticut River Joint Commissions. Mulligan holds an MA degree from Smith College.
What to look for in a Cemetery Walk
Tues. May 13th
7PM
Chesterfield Town hall
Presented by Charles Marchant
Cemeteries are outdoor museums. One of moderate size will reveal evolving community values. From Puritan, into the American Enlightenment, through the Victorian and Edwardian periods, and now modern times, gravestones have evolved to reflect the values of the day. Charles Marchant's presentation will demonstrate how grave markers’ size, shape, design and carvings can reveal the history of an era and family’s feelings about death. It can all be read in the stones.
Free Program - Refreshments Served
Charles Marchant is Townshend, VT Cemetery Commissioner and a Board Member of the Townshend Historical Society. A former history teacher, he became interested in reading gravestones while placing flags on veterans' gravestones.
Spin A Yarn
Wed. April 30th
7PM
Chesterfield Town Hall
By Marie Elena Potter
In the 19th century, woodworking shops in Chesterfield Factory (Spofford) thrived with the manufacturing of Accelerator Heads for Great or Walking, Wheels. One notable manufacturer was Benjamin Pierce, who produced both Accelerator Heads and spinning wheels. However, he was not the only one, over a million Accelerator Heads were made in Chesterfield. But what exactly is an Accelerator Head, and why was it so significant that it became the logo of the Chesterfield Historical Society? Marie Elena Potter will answer these questions in this engaging program, demonstrating the process of spinning yarn—from sheep to Great Wheel to sweater.
Free Program - Refreshments Served
