When Will the Climbing Stop?

They say that the race starts with the last 6.2 miles of a marathon. Well, they (whoever "they" are) aren't kidding. And if you happen to be running the Manchester City Marathon, that means the race starts on the West Side, on a long, seemingly endless ascent up McGregor Street and Coolidge Avenue, only to be followed by another, seemingly endless ascent up Bremer Street. 

Thankfully, the elevation plateaus on the peaceful Piscataquog Trail, but by that point, the damage is done, and it becomes an all-out test of will to reach the finish line. It's a good thing the West Side is rich in history, such as being home to the country's first credit union, or I would hold a grudge.

America's First Credit Union, 420 Notre Dame Ave., Manchester, NH

Just kidding. As challenging as this race was, I wouldn't change a thing. I can't think of a more beautiful and supportive city in which to run my first marathon. Once my body recovers, I'll be back out there, running all around, looking for more historical treasures to research and share. Luckily, there is no shortage of treasures here.

Thank you to the race organizers for a wonderful experience.

This is Why I Love Manchester - Part Deux

I just had to share this sign I saw when leaving the polling station today for Manchester's primary election. 

It stands as a perfect reminder of Manchester's rich Franco-American heritage and the continued vitality of the Franco-American community.

For research buffs like me who love primary sources, here's an excerpt of an interview with a French Canadian textile worker discussing the life of French Canadians who immigrated to Manchester in the 1870's and 1880's. The description of the home as the center of activity is so vivid, it's like you're standing in the kitchen.

Good stuff. 

À la prochaine!

This is Why I Love Manchester

Boyfriend and I were on a stroll down Elm Street last night when we came upon the Pembroke Building. As we've done before, we peered in the windows to see how much progress has been made on the Thirsty Moose fit out. With his nose pressed against the glass, boyfriend asked, "I wonder when it's going to open?" A man behind us replied, "October." Boyfriend asked how the man knew that, to which the man replied, "I own the building."

And thus marked our introduction to Bernard Gasser, a gracious man who chose to strike up a conversation rather than ignore us or, even worse, think we were casing the joint! A good thirty minutes later, we shook hands and parted ways knowing so much more about this beautiful Manchester landmark. The history of the Pembroke Building is Bernard's to tell, but I dare say that he was meant to buy it and bring it back to life. Ask him about the window molding, and you'll know what I mean. 

I'll leave you with a then-and-now. Peek in if you can!

Photo credit: Manchester Historic Association.

Photo credit: By AlexiusHoratius (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.

What Does it Say?!

My interest in Manchester’s history piqued when I began training for the Manchester City Marathon. As my training runs get longer, there are only so many things I can do to pass the time. Options include: (1) hallucinate, (2) dream of devouring a Crescent Beach pizza from Portland Pie Co., or (3) stare at unique buildings.

Having executed the third option on a recent 13-mile run, I noticed this partial sign on 341 Elm, home to the Manchester Music Mill and Van Otis Chocolates:

To my surprise, it only took me a short time on nhdeeds.com to make a solid guess that the sign was for Goulet Supply Company, Inc., a plumbing, heating, and cooling supply business that operated in the building during (at least) the 1970s. 

Now, I wonder if I can figure out what happened to the other part of the sign....

To Be Continued.

P.S. Trust me on the pizza choice. You're welcome.

The Building without a Face

I've always been fascinated by the building at 941 Elm, mostly because it looks nothing like the other buildings on Elm. In fact, it looks nothing like any other building I've ever seen. The front of the building, save for the first floor, has been entirely covered over with (what I think is) cement and painted the color maize. I'm not sure why, but I call it "the building without a face." Maybe I think of windows as features of a building, much like features of a face. If eyes are windows into the soul of a person, then windows are eyes into the soul of a building.

Fueled by fascination and armed with the internet, I set about researching the history of 941 Elm. Several hours later, I was able to piece together a few tidbits. Back in the 1800's, the building was known as Weeks' Block, named after an owner, George W. Weeks. Throughout its history, the building has been home to many businesses, including a fancy goods store, a millinery, an insurance agency, a cosmetics store, a lingerie store, a photography center, a store for Apple accessories, and most recently, the bar Spite.
 
But best of all, thanks to the photographic records of the Manchester Historic Association, I was able to see the building's face!

Photo on the left used with permission of the Manchester Historic Association.

The long and the short of it? 941 Elm has lots of soul. You just can't use the windows to see it.