Bethlehem New Hampshire (NH) Real Estate Tour
-- Tour Bethlehem, NH neighborhoods, condominium developments, subdivisions, schools, landmarks, recreational areas, and town offices.
Bethlehem, New Hampshire, located in the beautiful White Mountains region, offers clean, fresh air and an unparalleled array of outdoor recreational activities. Bethlehem provides its residents a safe, small-town community environment. Bethlehem is known as the Star of the White Mountains. The town, although teeming with history, retains its rural village flavor.
Granted as Lloyd's Hills in 1774 by Colonial Governor John Wentworth, the town was named for James Lloyd of Boston. It would be the last of the provincial grants in New Hampshire. In the aftermath of the Revolutionary War, the original grant could not be found. Lack of documentation would deter settlement until 1787, when the first permanent houses where built. Dropping its homage to Lloyd, a Loyalist, the town would be incorporated as Bethlehem on December 27, 1799, the name selected on the last Christmas Day of the century. There were just 33 families, with agriculture the only industry.
By 1850, however, the population had grown to 950, and Bethlehem contained a gristmill, 5 large sawmills and 2 starch factories. Then, in 1867, the railroad came to Bethlehem Junction. With it traveled tourists from Boston, New York and elsewhere, many seeking to escape respiratory ailments in the low pollen-count environment of the highest town in New Hampshire (as claimed on a present-day sign in the village, although several other towns in the state are higher), by then nationally known for its clean air. Others were drawn to Bethlehem by the paintings of the White Mountain artists. Conveniently located near Mount Washington and other attractions of the White Mountains, Bethlehem developed into a Gilded Age resort for the rich and famous.
In 1873, at the beginning of a building boom, Governor Henry Howard of Rhode Island built Howard House. Eventually, over 30 hotels would line Bethlehem's streets. Seven trains arrived daily, some direct from Grand Central Station, stopping at Bethlehem's five depots. Patrons included Presidents Grant, Hayes, Roosevelt, Taft and Harding, as well as author Thornton Burgess and poet Robert Frost. Entertainments included strolling Main Street on a two and a half mile raised boardwalk, carriage rides in the countryside, croquet games or simply lounging about the hotels' sweeping piazzas.
On the hills and thoroughfares of Bethlehem were built large summer cottages, including that of the Woolworth family. Beginning in 1887, an annual Coaching Parade was held in Bethlehem, with prizes awarded for lavishly decorated horse-drawn carriages. Ornamentations cost as much as $5000, prompting visitor Phineas T. Barnum to proclaim it the Second Greatest Show on Earth.
But the rise of the automobile would bring the decline of grand hotels. Tourists could now explore regions beyond the limits of rail service. Beginning about 1916, Jewish families began arriving in town, often seeking relief from hay fever symptoms. It was at Bethlehem, in fact, that the National Hay Fever Relief Association was founded. World War II gave the hotels a second life, as tourists avoided war-ravaged Europe and stayed closer to home. By the 1950s, however, hotel attendance had dwindled. Many would close and be demolished.
Today, Bethlehem is known for its special Christmas postal cancellation stamp. Every year, people from all over the world send Christmas cards to the Bethlehem post office to have them postmarked. In 2000, it handled 56,000 Christmas cards. Boasting a wealth of historic summer estates, pristine vacation cottages, stunning alpine vistas and a fabled downtown district, Bethlehem has once again emerged as a major tourist destination at the outset of the 21st century, a crown jewel at the heart of the White Mountains. For other town tours visit . For towns in NH visit . For NH relocation information go to .
Bethlehem New Hampshire
I created this video with the YouTube Video Editor (
Beautiful Place #275 Oh Little Town of Bethlehem NH
This is great little historic town nestled in the White Mountains. Lots of industrialists with deep pockets built huge summer homes here helping to develop and bring commerce to this part of the region .
It's home of the historic Colonial Theatre and grand hotels , some still standing others gone . It was a great day hanging out here . Enjoy
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Live, Work, Play in Bethlehem, NH: Rek'-lis Brewing Co.
Zealand Falls, Bethlehem, NH 6/27/14
Zealand Falls is about 2.8 miles south of the Zealand Falls trailhead, with an altitude gain of about 575 feet. The trail follows the Whitewall Brook most of the time. It passes over many small wooden bridges, and many small but loud cascades. The trail is made up of boulders, roots, mud, and flat ground. I also passed by a few beaver ponds before I arrived at the falls. A very scenic trail.
Flyeater Train Tracks Live at the Eagles Club in Bethlehem, NH 04/23/16
Flyeater playing Train Tracks live at the Eagles Club in Bethlehem, NH on 04/23/16.
Audio recorded by Jimmy Gray.
Welcome New Hampshire Shlicha- Noam Wolf (2017)
Jewish Federation of New Hampshire Returns Beloved Shlicha Program:
Noam Wolf to Arrive August 16th
By Melanie Zalman McDonald, Executive Director
They bridge the gap between Jews of different backgrounds and Israel. They increase Jewish awareness and pride within our community. They promote an understanding of Israel and its ideals. For those of us fortunate to connect with them, shlichim bring the very heart of Israel- its people, culture, traditions, language, spirit to us….. right here in New Hampshire.
For many of New Hampshire’s Jewish children, a Shlicha is often their first “up close and personal” connection with Israel- a distant land they have heard stories about in Hebrew school, or located on a map in their middle school classroom. Jewish Federation is proud to restore this program at the encouragement of our beneficiary communities state-wide who have longed for its return since Shlicha Inbar Keren departed from our halls in 2013.
The program, an initiative of our partners at the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI), hand-selects emissaries and Shaliach (which means “messengers”) dedicated to the Jewish People, Jewish Heritage, and to Israel from all facets of Israeli society and a wide array of professional and academic backgrounds.
I have had the pleasure of fostering a friendship with our new Shlicha Noam Wolf for several months. Each day, we speak by phone, we chat in live video, and each interaction is a chance to learn and strengthen my connection to Eretz Yisrael. As a grown Jewish woman who has never had the pleasure of traveling to Israel (too old by the time Birthright was founded), my interactions with Noam are unlocking something in me that I didn’t realize was there. There’s a new curiosity, an unquenchable thirst to learn more, to connect with her, to connect with this beautiful land- home of my ancestors countless generations ago.
Noam’s energy is infectious. Her excitement about moving to New Hampshire from her home and family in Tel Aviv is palpable. Her curiosity about our community and her interest in learning about all of the many different pockets of Jewish life in our state is magnificent. No doubt, her personality and her presence will make an indelible impression on all whom she encounters. She is a 26 year old former soldier in the IDF, a businesswoman, a songwriter, and a talented vocalist.
When asked to describe what kind of Israel she would like to bring to our community, Noam glowingly responded: “I hope I can bring my kind of Israel, which is very beautiful, full of warm people. The closeness of the community, especially during tough times. The ethical army, my experience and most importantly, the love of my country and Jewish/Israeli values instilled in me.”
The presence of a Shlicha touches so many lives in meaningful and powerful ways. While the commitment to reinstate the Shlicha Program for New Hampshire’s Jewish community was unanimous among our board, the plan to deficit-fund this transformative program for our community will certainly be a struggle. Despite the $70,000 a year program price tag, and the tremendous commitment of staff and volunteer resources, it was clear to everyone that the potential impact of the program’s return at this moment in Federation’s evolution is critical and outweighed the risk.
To learn more about how you can give of your time, talent, or tzedakah to help us raise these much-needed funds – or- to RSVP to our Annual Meeting, please call Federation at (603)627-7679 or email director@jewishnh.org.
Concord Arts Market Flash Mob Concord, NH
(June 4, 2011) The opening Saturday of the Concord Arts Market in downtown Concord, NH, included a flash mob, among the participants in which was Red River's own Office and Events Manager Kaleena Guzman.
Beginning around 11:30 a.m., on a picture perfect sunny Saturday, apparently random shoppers broke into coordinated dance moves, leading a line down the steps of the lovely Bicentennial Square location, picking up a few shoppers and vendors eager to join the fun, and then returning for more dance steps on the main plaza level.
A flash mob (or flashmob) is defined as a group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual and sometimes seemingly pointless act for a brief time, then disperse, often for the purposes of entertainment and/or satire. Flash mobs are organized via telecommunications, social media, or viral emails. The term, coined in 2003, is generally not applied to events and performances organized for the purposes of politics (such as protests), commercial advertisement, publicity stunts that involve public relation firms, or paid professionals.
Responsibility for Concord's flash mob is still undetermined. Perhaps it was just an inspired moment of Concord Arts Market magic.
For more on the Market of juried craftspeople, which is held every Saturday from 9a.m.-3p.m., now in a new location of Bicentennial Square, just off Main and Warren Streets (listen for the live music if you don't spot signage or balloons), visit:
concordartsmarket.com
Note: Videographer for this video was at the Market, walking through and distributing flyers with a costumed volunteer, to help promote Red River Theatres' two screenings of POLLYANNA, and luckily was able to flip to video mode when this festive flash mob began.
Recon Trip to Franconia, NH
Researching the next GSC hiking trip to Mount Lafayette.
Middle Son Splattered Animals/Complacency Kills Live at the Bethlehem Skate Park
Middle Son playing Splattered Animals and Complacency Kills live at the skate park in Bethlehem, NH on 08/13/16.