New Hampshire has a long history entrenched in New England sensibility. The Indigenous Tribes of the Penacook, Winnipesaukee, Pigwacket, Sokoki, Cowasuck, and Ossipee — collectively known as the Abenaki — lived and thrived there, arriving about 11,000 years ago.
The Granite State was one of the country’s 13 original colonies and was founded in 1623 by John Mason, who named it after his home county of Hampshire, England. It ratified the Constitution on June 21, 1788, becoming the ninth state in the Union.
New Hampshire’s natural beauty has inspired many artists with its mountains, fall foliage, and pine forests.
It is known for its art scene, which includes a thriving fine arts community with visual, performing, and traditional disciplines represented.
The state has several spots to inspire a visitor. Maybe you are looking for a piece to put over your couch in your living room. Perhaps you’re visiting the state to find the perfect maple syrup for your grandmother’s pancake recipe. According to U.S. News & World Report, the state’s maple industry produces almost 90,000 gallons of maple syrup yearly!
Whatever it is, the White Mountain State contains several spots to motivate your creativity. Many of them can be found in its National Monuments and landmarks. Read on to learn more!
The Epic of American Civilization: Art lovers will want to swing by the basement of Baker Memorial Library on Dartmouth College’s campus when visiting Hanover, New Hampshire. They will find The Epic of American Civilization mural by painter José Clemente Orozco. He is said to be one of the key figures in bringing Mexican culture and mural art to the forefront of North American artistic consciousness. The mural, painted between 1932 and 1934, consists of 24 panels that cover all four walls of the library’s Reserve Book Reading Room. In these frescos, Orozco depicts how Indigenous and European peoples have impacted North America, and the piece depicts reactions to the horrors of the Mexican Civil War and World War I. In 2013, the mural was designated a National Historic Landmark. Self-guided tours are available, and for docent-led ones, contact the Hood Museum Tour Coordinator at least a month in advance.
Photo Courtesy Jeffrey Nintzel/Hood Museum
Harrisville Historic District: Visiting Harrisville in southwest New Hampshire is like walking into a 19th-century painting. The town represents the quintessential mill village, similar to others built on waterpower sites in New England before the Civil War. The Harrisville Historic District consists of about 200 acres and about 135 structures largely maintained in their original forms. Declared a National Historic Landmark in 1977, the district includes several historic homes, worker cottages, and churches, as well as a storehouse, general store, and cemetery. For 150 years, the textile industry provided the town’s livelihood. Today, many of the district’s buildings are owned by Historic Harrisville Inc., a historic preservation organization established in 1971. When visiting the town, discover its rich history by taking a walking audio tour, hiking public trails on conserved land, exploring the mill, or swinging by the General Store.
Photo Courtesy Historic Harrisville
MacDowell: An art sanctuary is nestled among the rugged rural beauty of Peterborough, New Hampshire. The MacDowell is an artist’s residency program founded in 1907 by composer Edward MacDowell and his wife, pianist, and philanthropist Marian MacDowell. After Edward died in 1908, Marian established the artist residency program through a nonprofit to honor her husband — she led the organization for 25 years. According to the program’s website, an estimated 9,000 artists from different disciplines have been supported in residence, with 300 coming yearly. MacDowell alums have gone on to win Pulitzer Prizes, National Book Awards, Tony Awards, MacArthur Fellowships, Grammys, Oscars, and Guggenheim Fellowships. Some famous names include James Baldwin, Audre Lorde, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Leonard Bernstein, and Katherine Min. In 1962, the property where the MacDowell is located was designated a National Historic Landmark District. Not generally open to the public as artists are actively working, the program hosts a Medal Day each summer, where artists open their studios to visitors for a rare viewing for a couple of hours.
Photo Courtesy MacDowell
