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Fundraising

2021 Suncatcher Features 18th-Century Law Office
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Located at 9 Courthouse Road, this small building (built circa 1796) was Amherst’s first post office and subsequently the Law Office of Charles H. Atherton, Esq. (1773-1853), one of Amherst’s most prominent native sons. (Depicted circa 1913; from Emma B. Locke’s Colonial Amherst, 1916.)

Debuts Voting Day, June 8, at Souhegan High School

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      BY KATRINA HOLMAN

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      AMHERST – The tradition continues!  This year’s glass collectible, 33rd in the Historic Amherst series, depicts the Charles H. Atherton Law Office at 9 Courthouse Road in Amherst Village. In case you missed it (during this past year of awkward schedules and postponed or canceled events), the motif for last year’s suncatcher is the mid-18th-century house at 244 Boston Post Road, which served as a tavern-inn from 1813-1836 and hence is depicted with the stage coach. These two latest suncatchers come in new colors – pretty shades of purple:  deep rose-purple (2020) and pale lilac (2021).

      Both original designs were commissioned by Nipmugs, a local chapter of The Questers, from a New Hampshire craftsman, Old Hancock Glass works of Antrim, who hand-presses each piece, giving the suncatchers their special character and color variations. Proceeds from suncatcher sales go to the preservation and restoration of historic artifacts and buildings. The newest suncatchers cost $12 and can be bought at the Nipmugs Questers table outside polling station (Souhegan high school) on voting day, 8 June 2021, or Mike’s Auto in Amherst Village; or call Robin at 672-8147.

Building History

      The small old building with shallow hip roof and 12-over-12 windows that is featured on the 2021 suncatcher is historically significant for both its architectural function and for the prominence of its earliest two occupants, both titled “Esquire” at start of their careers and “Honorable” by end. It is the only remaining 18th-century (or even 19th-century) “office building” in Amherst. It is also Amherst’s earliest remaining post office.

      This office building was erected by William Gordon, Esquire (died 1802, aged 39) around 1796 (it existed by April 1797 per deed 46:436). Gordon had graduated from Harvard College in 1779;  read law with Hon. Joshua Atherton, the rehabilitated Tory who lived at 232 Boston Post

Road; and married his mentor’s daughter Frances in 1787. Gordon had a distinguished career cut short by his early death:  He began the practice of law in 1787, at Amherst; served as county register of probate 1790-1797; was appointed first postmaster at Amherst in 1791 (succeeded by Samuel Curtis, the tavern/inn-keeper, in 1797) and Justice of the Peace in 1794; served as N.H. representative to U.S. Congress 1797-1800, resigning his seat after return from Philadelphia in June 1800; and finally was appointed N.H. Attorney-General in June 1801, in place of his father-in-law Hon. Joshua Atherton, resigned.

      The building next served as the law office of Gordon’s brother-in-law, Charles H. Atherton, Esquire (1773-1853) until about 1810. Atherton, also a Harvard grad, became a lawyer like his father and brother-in-law Gordon, with both of whom he did his legal training, and, further following family tradition, young Atherton became county register of probate in 1798, a position he held until 1837, overlapping as president of the successful local Farmer’s Bank from its incorporation in 1822 until its end in 1843. He was also active as a director of Hillsborough Mutual Fire Insurance Company. Then he had a long run as a prominent N.H. politician beginning in 1837. A savvy businessman, Charles H. Atherton, who lived in the SE corner of the Village, would supplant – or succeed – Col. Robert Means of 1 Pierce Lane as the richest man in Amherst. An oil portrait of Atherton by renowned artist Gilbert Stuart hangs in Amherst Town Library.

      Although C. H. Atherton owned this office building until 1834, he stopped occupying it as his own office in 1810, when he leased it as a tailor’s shop, first to Hugh Moor in 1810, later to Caleb Woodward in 1816. By 1833, it was the shoemaker’s shop of Lewis Stiles.

      The former law office was converted into a dwelling house in 1834 for Mrs. Betsey (Prince) Hildreth (1783-1869), wife of Samuel Hildreth (1773-1837) of Amherst, yeoman. The house therefore bears her name on the 1858 map of Amherst Village.      At the beginning of the 20th century, the place was called Saints’ Rest when occupied by widower Charles W. Dodge (1842-1912) from 1801 until his death. C. W. Dodge was born and raised in the brick house at 4 Main Street, son of Perley Dodge, Esq. Unlike the Gordon and Atherton sons, the Dodge boys did not follow the law like their father. C. W. Dodge had been a grocer in Nashua; for two summers, 1899 and 1900, he ran his brother’s

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2020 Historic Amherst suncatcher

summer boardinghouse, called Echo House then (now known as the Beehive) at 18 Foundry Street; and in his final years, while living here on Courthouse Road, he was janitor for both the Brick School and the Baptist Church in the Village, “and during his services there he endeared himself to those with whom he came in contact” (said his obituary).

      The former law office is still a dwelling house today.

Past Preservation & Restoration projects funded by the sale of Amherst suncatchers include:

      - contribution to restoration of Amherst Town Library’s 1910 canopy (in 2002);

- restoration and framing of 19th-century crayon enlargements of Judge & Mrs. Edmund Parker (2012), now showcased on wall of Amherst Town Library;

- restoration of old oil portrait of B. B. David, local buggy whip manufacturer, in Amherst Historical Society’s Chapel Museum (funded in part by a grant from The Questers International, 2014);  

- conservation/ restoration of unique hand-drawn map of 1881 school districts of Amherst (funded in part by another grant from Questers, 2018);

- half the cost of conservation of Amherst Library Society record book 1792-1832 (2018);

- framed enlarged historic photographs, from digital images supplied by the Historical Society, hung in Amherst Town Hall and Town Library (2006, 2014);

- contributions to restoration of 1858 wall map of Hillsborough County, N.H. at Mont Vernon Historical Society museum (2016) and Mont Vernon’s Lamson Farm hen coop (2017); and

- educational signage for 300-year-old Lawrence Barn which serves as Hollis Community Center (2016). Nipmugs welcome suggestions for future projects.

Acknowledgments:

      Nipmugs Questers extend a huge Thank You to Mickey Larivee of Mike’s Auto who graciously resolved their dilemma of how/ where to sell the 2020 suncatcher, and now offers the 2021 collectible. (Avid collectors will recall that Mike’s Auto was featured on 2018 suncatcher, alas all sold out.) And, of course, Nipmugs are grateful to all of you, from near and far, who support this charitable fundraiser and thus enable more preservation of our tangible history.

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2021 Historic Amherst suncatcher

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Wood Flower Fundraiser

      There’s so much in our lives that makes time fly. It’s nice to have a way to help us stop and remember. A wood flower planted in your garden or placed in a vase can do that. Remember loved ones… Celebrate family and special dates… Be Inspirational or brighten up your work or business place.  

      The Amherst Lions Club’s Wood Flowers Fundraiser is back by popular demand.  We’re offering the original styles of plant stakes, Tulip, Daisy and Lily with choice of colors Red, White, Blue, Yellow, plus new colors Pink and Purple!  The flowers include engraving up to 30 characters and are $10 each.

      This year we’re adding an American Flag and a cute ladybug to accent your garden and show your patriotism! A one sided flag is $10 and a 2 sided flag is $15. The ladybug is $10.  There will be no engraving on the flag or the ladybug.

      Create a colorful garden with our wood flowers, flags and ladybugs. 

      Once completed they’ll be placed on the Bridge of Flowers (Corner of Rt. 122 and Boston Post Road) weekly.  A receipt and picture of it will be emailed to you.  At the end of the season, Oct. 1, we will arrange to get the plant stakes back to you or on request

      Help us to continue to fund our local charities. To order online or by mail go to our website: www.e-clubhouse.org/sites/amherstnh 

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JUNE 2021

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