Volume 42, Issue 1
Fall 2025
Newsletter
Perseverance
1: persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.
2: a) continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition b) the action or condition or an instance of persevering c) steadfastness
Perseverance Pays Off Message from the President Jeff Bartlett
In the spirit of the early settlers of Franconia and our surrounding towns, the Franconia Heritage Museum has persevered through another season, welcoming a record number of visitors through the doors of our 1872 farmhouse. Perseverance is the operative word, as the second floor of the Museum has been closed to the public for the past two seasons while we made significant updates and improvements to the space. New sheetrock has been installed in closets, to walls, ceilings and stairwells – everywhere needed, fresh paint was applied, floors refreshed, new rugs laid, and minisplits installed to provide consistent climate control to accommodate and preserve our collection of genealogical files and historical artifacts unique to our community. Much of the work has been performed by our volunteer Board of Directors, and for that, I am truly grateful! Hopefully you had a chance to venture upstairs and take a look.
Our next major project will be climatizing our attic space, making it suitable for storage of items not currently on display. This will involve a significant fundraising effort – details to be announced.
Our 2025 Exhibit
“Stitches in Time II”
Our Exhibit, “Stitches in Time II”, curated by Alyssa Sherburn, is being retired after a very successful 2-year run. Forty-Six Signature Quilt Squares, or quilt blocks, were found in the attic of Franconia’s Pinestead Farm; built in 1852, and owned and operated by the Whitney - Sherburn family ever since. These Squares were created and embroidered by local ladies (and one man) between 1876 and 1895, and are remarkably well preserved. It is thought that this community of 46 quilt makers came together at Pinestead Farm in support of Harriet Jesseman Whitney (18311878), who was ailing from an infection in her knee. Harriet died of bone cancer on September 5, 1878 at the age of 46. It is believed that the majority of the squares were made between 1876 - 1878.
The quilt squares and biographies of those who made them will be preserved in a binder, so they will still be available to view.
Our website, www.franconiaareaheritage.org, has a complete list of the square makers. Please inquire about opportunities to support the Museum by purchasing replicas of these pieces of history.
Harriet Jesseman Whitney
Alyssa Sherburn, 3G Granddaughter of Harriet Jesseman Whitney
Abbie Francis Burnham Greenleaf
1841-1914
Abbie Frances Burnham was born 17 January, 1841 in Newbury, Vermont, to Denison Rogers Burnham and Abigail Hopkinson Carleton. She married in 1867, Charles Henry Greenleaf, born 23 July, 1841, in Danville, Vermont, son of Seth Greenleaf and Lydia Hall Burnham.
She was a member of the Boston Daughters of Vermont and the Daughters of the American Revolution. She married Charles Henry Greenleaf in 1867 and was known to have lived in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. She was said to have loved the White Mountains and the people of Franconia. In April, 1914, at the age of 73, she died in Boston, MA. In her obituary which appeared in the Littleton Courier on April 23, 1914 she was described as “a woman of strong individuality [with interest] in numerous charities and in all movements for the public betterment.”
In 1912, her husband Charles Greenleaf ordered the construction of the Abbie Greenleaf Library and gave the building and an acre of land to the Town of Franconia in her memory.
We all scream for Ice Cream!
Old Home Day 2025
Our entry in the 2025 parade was an Ice Cream Float! Our team, dressed in period attire, handed out coupons which were redeemed for free ice cream back at the Museum. Quite a crowd had gathered by the time we got back there! There were no awards given this year, but we think we were definitely “Most Chill”!
Annual Meeting
Franconia Area Heritage Council Annual Meeting
Please RSVP on our website at www.franconiaareaheritage.org
FAHC welcomes you to our annual meeting on Thursday, November 13, 2023 at Chef Joe’s Bistro in Franconia. We will meet in the downstairs dining room at 5:30 PM. This year’s event is free of charge, serving Chef Joe’s famous heavy hors d'oeuvres, with a cash bar available.
Featuring Franconia Area Trivia – With Prizes!
Upcoming Events
Santa Returns to Franconia
Saturday, December 13th, 1:00 – 3:00 PM
Bring the kids to see Santa on Saturday, December 13th at the Franconia Heritage Museum. Refreshments will be served!
Call for Volunteers
FAHC needs you! We are a 501c3 non-profit corporation and presently have a Board of 8 people. We are recruiting for volunteers and Board Members, we can always use help in lots of areas, including collecting oral histories, digitizing our collection of photos using our new computer and scanner, etc. We would also like to speak with you if you have an interest in joining our Board of Directors.
Interested? Please send an email to info@franconiaareaheritage.org
Membership and Donations
Please consider adding your name to our membership and/or donating to the Franconia Area Heritage Council. As many of you who live in the area are aware, the cost for heating oil is quite high and as we’re only open for a few months a year, there are months when our expenses are higher than our income. We need your help keeping the building heated throughout the winter and in repairing and maintaining the building from the usual wear and tear that come with living in a full four-season location. Our priorities lie in protecting and preserving the items that have been donated to the museum so that we can continue to share them with our community. Membership is $25.00 per year.
Board of Directors
Jeff Bartlett, President
Open Position, Vice President
Alyssa Sherburn, Recording Secretary
Katherine Whitcomb, Corresponding Secretary
Phil Krill, Treasurer
Sara Daley, Archive Committee Chair
Shepherd Holcombe, Archive Committee
Timothy Brown, Archive Committee
Ted Cammann, Building Committee
Elizabeth Aiken, Philanthropy Chair
Franconia Area Heritage Council
553 Main Street
Franconia, NH 03580
FAHC Annual Meeting – Thursday, November 13, 2025, 5:30 PM
Chef Joe’s Bistro
651 Main Street, Franconia, NH
The Franconia Area Heritage Council invites you to its annual meeting on Thursday, November 13, 2025 at Chef Joe’s Bistro in Franconia. We will meet in the downstairs dining room at 5:30 PM. This year’s event is free of charge, serving Chef Joe’s famous heavy hors d'oeuvres, with a cash bar available. We will be playing Franconia Area Trivia this year, with prizes!
Please RSVP at www.franconiaareaheritage.org
