Out & About in Bennington

Saturday, July 8

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Woke up to more rain. Rolled over. Woke up later and took this pic out the window by the bed. We’re parked 3’ from the Elks Annex, one of 2 original bldgs on their property. (The other was razed so they could build their lodge; now they’re restoring this one.) Something about the play of sun/shadow/white/red/gray appealed to me. As I shot the picture, a nearby bell started chiming. I checked the clock – 8am. Cool. But then I realized I was hearing the 9th or 10th bell, and then several more rang twice as fast. I figured it was time to get up. (And the same thing happened at 6pm and again at 8 the next morning.)

Elks Annex

Breakfast here. Cheerful folks, good food. 

After breakfast (and another rain shower), we visited the Bennington Arts Center, which includes a covered bridge museum. I hung out in the art galleries – birds (lots of em!), other wildlife, sculpture and fabric art as well as framed works of many media. Wonderful. I finished by joining Greg and watching a video about both the nostalgia and the design/construction of covered bridges. (There are still 100; I believe there once were 600.)

No photos were allowed inside, but the moose outside were just begging to be immortalized in my blog.

This Tiffany Moose was stunning. The photo does not do it justice.

Bloo Moose, on skis.

From the Arts Center we stopped at “First Church” (Officially First Congregational Church). The nickname is best explained online: “The Old First Church was ‘gathered’ on December 3, 1762, the first Protestant congregation in the New Hampshire Grants… The present sanctuary, completed in 1805, is the first church built in Vermont that reflects the separation of church and state.” (oldfirstchurchbenn.org) Over the next 100+ years, significant changes in interior architecture were made for stylistic or utilitarian reasons. In the 1930s, however, the sanctuary was restored to its original design (almost – the lower pulpit was retained). There’s lots of history behind the cemetery too (but this is just a blog, which I often forget). Robert Frost and many of his descendants are buried here. 

These are "box pews," originally purchased
by families to raise money for construction.
It's a beautiful building.

First Congregational Church (1805)

"In a Disused Graveyard"

Headstone for Frost, his wife, 
and 5 children.

Greg napped when we got home. I took a walk downtown. Last night at the play I sat next to a lovely woman who worked part-time at "the bookstore." I found the right bookstore and made a purchase, and the cashier told me she'd let "Chris" know I'd come in. Coming back on the opposite side of Main Street, I made a new friend at the flower box and visited Fiddlehead at Four Corners, a wonderful store full of many artistic surprises, including a large display of glass pieces crafted by a Seattle woman. And, in the last block, I discovered a chair that might support several Papa Bears.

Beautiful flowers & a beautiful lady.

Jolly Green Giant Chair (VT)
(The seat is a good foot above my head)

Papa Bear chair at NH campground

BelatedBlogThoughts... When we were up on Mt Washington the other day, several Hasidic Jewish families were also visiting. Then yesterday or the day before as we passed through Bethlehem, NH, I learned that this town used to be a popular vacation spot for NYC Jews suffering from hay fever. Last night, the play - even though it was clearly a farce - included many references to the difficulties of being Jews (Selznick and Hecht, the new writer) in America. My high school had 2600 kids, with a significant Jewish population. (I think I was the only Hoffman in class on Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah.) I've never worried much about what religion (or none) people subscribe to, but I do find Judaism somewhat fascinating. (Perhaps that's partly due to loving both The Chosen and The Promise, both of which I plan to re-read.) I did a little research on Hasidic Judaism today, but "a little" just isn't enough to gain any real understanding. 
Bethlehem Trivia: In 1987, the town council declared its city the "poetry capital of New Hampshire."  And just outside town we passed a Christmas tree farm called Finnegan's Fine Firs. 😃