If you are the kind who really plans ahead, the date for Old Home Day 2010
is August 21. Do you have ideas about what would make a good theme for next
year’s parade and events? Please contact Jaan Luikmil, Carol Frekey-Harkness,
Sue Hartley, JoAnn Luikmil, Julie Raposa, or Hannah West. The next committee
meeting is October 28, so you have most of October to be thinking.
Happy Birthday to Skip Jarvis on October 8 and Brianne Stone on
October 9.
Does your birthday fall in the Fall? Would you like to see it
listed in the paper? Call Hannah West at 798-5783 or e-mail
[email protected]. It is OK to list
all your family birthdays for the year with one call or e-mail.
Chichester Central School Sending Library
The fundamentals of reading begin at a very early age. Parents are
encouraged to begin looking at books with their child from infancy.
Although you as parent may get tired of the same book, your young child will
love to hear the same book in the same way. The way that you talk about the
pictures and make sounds will make this time together very special. Before
you know it, your child will be turning the pages and anticipating what will
happen next! It is then that they are well on their way to being a reader.
Chichester Central School would like to be a part of that process. The
“Jumpstart to Reading” library is open for preschool aged children at the
school, (219 Main Street), on Thursday afternoons from 12:30-2:30. Children
who visit will have access to 1000 books and take a little treat home!
The school is also starting a “Sending Library”. Chichester
parents interested in having a free book sent to their home every other
month for their pre-schooler can contact the school at 798-5651. By
providing your child’s name, address, and age, a book will be sent that can
be enjoyed by both you and your youngster.
This program is made possible through very generous donations and will
continue as long as the funds do—Don’t miss out!
Chichester Historical Society ~ West Road
By Walter
Sanborn
The accompanying
picture is the farm as it looks today owned by Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Drinan.
The last article on Chichester roads was the history of Bailey Road and
Staniels Road running off of Horse Corner Road.
If you travel up Staniels road about one half way between Horse Corner
Road and Pembroke town line there is a road on the left leading off of
Staniels Road called West Road. The name West Road does not indicate
the direction of West on a compass but is named after three generations of
the West family.
West Road is about one quarter mile long and is a dead end road to the
farm.
This farm is the most Southern part of Chichester and was the earliest
land grant to Paul Morrill, the first proprietor of Chichester. Paul Morrill
was the 4th generation of Morrills to come over from England.
After the town of Chichester was granted in 1727, Paul Morrill came from
Salisbury, Massachusetts, as the first settler in Chichester in 1758 at the
age of 52. He was granted 250 acres of land and when his son John, who was
the first child born in Chichester, was born he was granted another 35 acres
of land making it the largest acreage of land of any proprietor in town.
Other than Canterbury Road, this road was one of the earliest roads in
Chichester. West Road was also an early road.
The Morrill farm was sold to William Garvin in 1845 who also built the
Garvin Hill Farm.
In the 1860’s the farm was sold to George West and held by three
generations of Wests for which the road was named. The Wests abandoned the
farm in the 1930’s until it was bought by P. T. Sanders in 1938. The
farm is presently owned by Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Drinon.
The original Morrill home burned and was rebuilt in 1839 so the present
buildings are not the original Morrill home.
This farm is on part of Plausau Hill and the road at one time continued
with the Plausau Hill Road in Pembroke but was discontinued by the
time the West family moved there.
From the high elevation of the land to the west can be seen Mt. Ascutney in
Vermont and to the north can be seen the Sandwich range of mountains and Mt.
Washington. In the foreground can be seen the City of Concord and the Eagle
on the State House lighted up at night.
As you travel East from Concord or South from Route 106 this farm can be
seen as a white house on the hill just left of the radio towers on Plausau
Hill.
