Little Boar's Head LbNA #25793 (ARCHIVED)
Map
Nearby Boxes
Add Note
Add Location| Owner: | Adoptable |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Sep 23, 2006 |
| Location: | |
| City: | North Hampton |
| County: | Rockingham |
| State: | New Hampshire |
| Boxes: | 1 |
| Found by: | zorries |
|---|---|
| Last found: | Sep 17, 2008 |
| Status: | FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFaa |
| Last edited: | Sep 23, 2006 |
Incorporated in 1742, North Hampton, NH is a small community of just over 4,500 residents with a magnificent view of the Atlantic Ocean at its eastern edge. Known as Little Boar's Head, this area attracts sightseers to view the ocean and the stately mansions and summer cottages lining Route 1A.
To find “Little Boar’s Head,” make your way to the North Hampton State Beach which is located just south of where Route 111 (Atlantic Avenue) ends at Route 1A in North Hampton, NH. If you are arriving between Memorial Day and Columbus Day, please park in a metered spot and pay for 1.5 hours. This way you won’t be rushed in your hunt for this letterbox! In season, there are restrooms located at the south end of the parking lot. Across the street from the restrooms is a seasonal take-out restaurant called “The Beach Plum.” They have some of the best ice cream in the USA.
Walk to the north end of the beach parking lot and follow the path between the Atlantic Ocean and the historic fish houses. As you enter this path, you will see a bench on your left with the inscription “In Loving Memory of Mary Agnes Casey.” As you look over this bench and look west across Route 1A, you will see part of the Little River Salt Marsh area. This vital habitat was almost lost until a recent $1.3 million restoration project was undertaken. Read immediately below to learn more.
History of Little River Salt Marsh: The Little River Salt Marsh is a back barrier marsh lying between Little Boar's Head in North Hampton and a rocky headland just south of North Shore Road in Hampton. In the 1800’s, the marsh was nearly 200 acres in size. From 1890 to 1948, various sized culverts were placed near the fish houses but all of these early culverts were too small to allow adequate salt water flow into the marsh and the amount of healthy salt marsh decreased to only 42 acres. Over the years, the lack of saltwater allowed invasive species such as common reed (Phragmites australis) and purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) to dominate large portions of the marsh. Much of the original salt marsh (on the upland edges) was also turning into freshwater red-maple swamp due to lack of tidal flushing and ponding of freshwater runoff. In addition, flooding to nearby houses occurred regularly, as the small culvert was restricting the flow of Little River during and after storms. Little River Salt Marsh was acting like a clogged bathtub.
In the late 1990’s, residents in Hampton and North Hampton bonded together and, after nearly a decade of partnership efforts, adequate tidal flow was restored to Little River Salt Marsh. The solution was actually very simple - replace the old restrictive 48 inch culvert with two 6 by 12 foot culverts that allow adequate daily tidal flow and rapid drainage of the marsh after it rains. Now, recovery of native marsh habitat has begun and freshwater flooding caused by an inadequate outlet will end. Currently, tidal flow has been restored to approximately 170 acres of salt marsh. Approximately 100 acres of marsh have begun to revert back to salt marsh from invasive brackish/red-maple swamp. Salinity levels have returned to "normal" throughout the marsh and systematic monitoring is being conducted to evaluate changes in the marsh over time.
Back to the Clue...
You will walk past ten historic fish houses which are now used as summer cottages. These were originally built in the early 1800’s and owned by old North Hampton families and were used as working fish houses. In mid 1900’s, owners began to make improvements on them for use as seaside retreats. After you pass the tenth fish house, you will see a small garden (in season) on your left. This garden has existed since 1937 and is maintained by the Little Boar’s Head Garden Club, which has been beautifying the neighborhood for over 100 years.
After you pass the garden, look to your right as you walk and you will see land on the horizon. Follow this land as far as you can see to the left. You are looking at the Cape Ann area of Massachusetts which is home to towns such as Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester by-the-Sea. In season, you should also see plentiful lobster trap buoys bobbing. Each lobster fisherman has a particular color scheme for their buoys so that they can distinguish whose is whose.
Continue along the ocean on the sidewalk. You will walk up a slight incline. Before you get to the green road sign, you will pass a large rock on your right. Engraved on this rock is a wonderful poem written in 1944 by a member of a Navy Patrol Bombing Squadron. The top of this bluff is called Little Boar’s Head and provides a view of the Isles of Shoals to the northeast. These nine rocky islands are 10 miles from shore and are divided along the border of New Hampshire and Maine. The Isles were a key destination for European fisherman before the Pilgrims landed. Today they are surrounded in misty legends made famous by island poet Celia Thaxter.
After passing the road on your left (Route 111, Atlantic Avenue), you will come to a bench on the right that states:
“Rest a while and behold the myriad of glittering jewels upon the ever changing sea. In loving memory of E.L. & R.H. Marcotte.”
A little further along, you will see a road on the left called Willow Avenue. If you are interested, Fuller Gardens is located at 10 Willow Avenue and features 2.5 acres of Colonial Revival Garden, including more than 2,000 rose bushes, a perennial border, a Japanese garden and an all-American annual display garden. The Fuller Gardens represent one of the last working formal estate gardens of the early 20th century and remain a ‘seaside gem’ for the enjoyment of over ten thousand annual visitors. The Gardens are open from mid-May to mid October, seven days a week from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For more info, go to www.fullergardens.org.
As you continue on your walk, you will notice several large, historic homes along the ocean. During the first half of the 19th century, the Little Boar’s Head area was primarily a farming and fishing community. During the mid 1800’s, several residents opened up their homes as boarding houses to accommodate the increasing number of outsiders who desired to visit the area during the summer months. The Eastern Railroad established train service to North Hampton in 1840 which connected the town to Boston in only 1 hour and 40 minutes. The first seaside cottage called the “Bell Cottage” was built in 1862. Ex-President Franklin Pierce purchased a farm and built himself a summer cottage in 1865. The first hotel, the Batchelder Hotel, was built in 1868 and closed in 1929, about the time that the seaside resort activity began to decline. During its heyday as a summer resort, Little Boar’s Head was a retreat for a few national and state political leaders, captains of industry, and some prominent professional people, who, with their families, sought a refuge from fame’s limelight for a month or two of “splendid isolation.” In addition to Franklin Pierce, other residents and regular visitors included: President James A. Garfield, Chester A. Arthur, William H. Taft, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Robert Todd Lincoln, Governor Fuller (MA), Governor Spaulding (NH), Colonel George M. Studebaker, Dr. Harvey W. Cushing and Ogden Nash (poet),
When the path you are on veers away from the road and curves slightly to the right along the ocean, you will come to a bench that reads,
“In Loving memory of Jon J. Gould, The tide may erase our footprints, but only for a moment, for having walked here once, we remain always.”
Continue along the path until you see the next bench on your right. Go past this bench and stop at the second bench which reads "In Loving Memory of Caroline Gage Lent (Mumsy) and Jo-Anne Lent Finke." While sitting on this bench and looking out at the mighty Atlantic, you will see an evergreen bush on your right and left. The Little Boar's Head letterbox is located in the bush on your left. Please be discreet and replace the box in the plastic bag and rehide carefully. Thanks!
From here, you can retrace your steps back to the beach. Or, you may continue along the ocean for approximately 1/5 mile and then loop back around from the other end of Willow Avenue. To continue on, follow the road and path as it turns 90 degrees to the left. After you turn left, look up the coastline to your right (north). You are looking at Rye, NH and then Kittery, Maine in the far distance. The cove to your immediate right is popular with surfers. Continue a short distance and then carefully cross the road and walk left down Willow Avenue. You will see the entrance to Willow at a break in the stone wall and will see the red and white do not enter signs for cars. Walk along Willow Avenue for ¼ mile. As you walk, look at how you are now on the back side of all the ocean front homes. Directly across from Fuller Gardens is Union Chapel, erected in 1877. Union Chapel has held 8 to 10 interdenominational summer services each year since its founding. When Willow Avenue ends, cross over and turn right back onto Route 1A south and retrace your steps back to the beach.
We hope you enjoyed your seaside tour of the Little Boar’s Head area of North Hampton!
To find “Little Boar’s Head,” make your way to the North Hampton State Beach which is located just south of where Route 111 (Atlantic Avenue) ends at Route 1A in North Hampton, NH. If you are arriving between Memorial Day and Columbus Day, please park in a metered spot and pay for 1.5 hours. This way you won’t be rushed in your hunt for this letterbox! In season, there are restrooms located at the south end of the parking lot. Across the street from the restrooms is a seasonal take-out restaurant called “The Beach Plum.” They have some of the best ice cream in the USA.
Walk to the north end of the beach parking lot and follow the path between the Atlantic Ocean and the historic fish houses. As you enter this path, you will see a bench on your left with the inscription “In Loving Memory of Mary Agnes Casey.” As you look over this bench and look west across Route 1A, you will see part of the Little River Salt Marsh area. This vital habitat was almost lost until a recent $1.3 million restoration project was undertaken. Read immediately below to learn more.
History of Little River Salt Marsh: The Little River Salt Marsh is a back barrier marsh lying between Little Boar's Head in North Hampton and a rocky headland just south of North Shore Road in Hampton. In the 1800’s, the marsh was nearly 200 acres in size. From 1890 to 1948, various sized culverts were placed near the fish houses but all of these early culverts were too small to allow adequate salt water flow into the marsh and the amount of healthy salt marsh decreased to only 42 acres. Over the years, the lack of saltwater allowed invasive species such as common reed (Phragmites australis) and purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) to dominate large portions of the marsh. Much of the original salt marsh (on the upland edges) was also turning into freshwater red-maple swamp due to lack of tidal flushing and ponding of freshwater runoff. In addition, flooding to nearby houses occurred regularly, as the small culvert was restricting the flow of Little River during and after storms. Little River Salt Marsh was acting like a clogged bathtub.
In the late 1990’s, residents in Hampton and North Hampton bonded together and, after nearly a decade of partnership efforts, adequate tidal flow was restored to Little River Salt Marsh. The solution was actually very simple - replace the old restrictive 48 inch culvert with two 6 by 12 foot culverts that allow adequate daily tidal flow and rapid drainage of the marsh after it rains. Now, recovery of native marsh habitat has begun and freshwater flooding caused by an inadequate outlet will end. Currently, tidal flow has been restored to approximately 170 acres of salt marsh. Approximately 100 acres of marsh have begun to revert back to salt marsh from invasive brackish/red-maple swamp. Salinity levels have returned to "normal" throughout the marsh and systematic monitoring is being conducted to evaluate changes in the marsh over time.
Back to the Clue...
You will walk past ten historic fish houses which are now used as summer cottages. These were originally built in the early 1800’s and owned by old North Hampton families and were used as working fish houses. In mid 1900’s, owners began to make improvements on them for use as seaside retreats. After you pass the tenth fish house, you will see a small garden (in season) on your left. This garden has existed since 1937 and is maintained by the Little Boar’s Head Garden Club, which has been beautifying the neighborhood for over 100 years.
After you pass the garden, look to your right as you walk and you will see land on the horizon. Follow this land as far as you can see to the left. You are looking at the Cape Ann area of Massachusetts which is home to towns such as Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester by-the-Sea. In season, you should also see plentiful lobster trap buoys bobbing. Each lobster fisherman has a particular color scheme for their buoys so that they can distinguish whose is whose.
Continue along the ocean on the sidewalk. You will walk up a slight incline. Before you get to the green road sign, you will pass a large rock on your right. Engraved on this rock is a wonderful poem written in 1944 by a member of a Navy Patrol Bombing Squadron. The top of this bluff is called Little Boar’s Head and provides a view of the Isles of Shoals to the northeast. These nine rocky islands are 10 miles from shore and are divided along the border of New Hampshire and Maine. The Isles were a key destination for European fisherman before the Pilgrims landed. Today they are surrounded in misty legends made famous by island poet Celia Thaxter.
After passing the road on your left (Route 111, Atlantic Avenue), you will come to a bench on the right that states:
“Rest a while and behold the myriad of glittering jewels upon the ever changing sea. In loving memory of E.L. & R.H. Marcotte.”
A little further along, you will see a road on the left called Willow Avenue. If you are interested, Fuller Gardens is located at 10 Willow Avenue and features 2.5 acres of Colonial Revival Garden, including more than 2,000 rose bushes, a perennial border, a Japanese garden and an all-American annual display garden. The Fuller Gardens represent one of the last working formal estate gardens of the early 20th century and remain a ‘seaside gem’ for the enjoyment of over ten thousand annual visitors. The Gardens are open from mid-May to mid October, seven days a week from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For more info, go to www.fullergardens.org.
As you continue on your walk, you will notice several large, historic homes along the ocean. During the first half of the 19th century, the Little Boar’s Head area was primarily a farming and fishing community. During the mid 1800’s, several residents opened up their homes as boarding houses to accommodate the increasing number of outsiders who desired to visit the area during the summer months. The Eastern Railroad established train service to North Hampton in 1840 which connected the town to Boston in only 1 hour and 40 minutes. The first seaside cottage called the “Bell Cottage” was built in 1862. Ex-President Franklin Pierce purchased a farm and built himself a summer cottage in 1865. The first hotel, the Batchelder Hotel, was built in 1868 and closed in 1929, about the time that the seaside resort activity began to decline. During its heyday as a summer resort, Little Boar’s Head was a retreat for a few national and state political leaders, captains of industry, and some prominent professional people, who, with their families, sought a refuge from fame’s limelight for a month or two of “splendid isolation.” In addition to Franklin Pierce, other residents and regular visitors included: President James A. Garfield, Chester A. Arthur, William H. Taft, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Robert Todd Lincoln, Governor Fuller (MA), Governor Spaulding (NH), Colonel George M. Studebaker, Dr. Harvey W. Cushing and Ogden Nash (poet),
When the path you are on veers away from the road and curves slightly to the right along the ocean, you will come to a bench that reads,
“In Loving memory of Jon J. Gould, The tide may erase our footprints, but only for a moment, for having walked here once, we remain always.”
Continue along the path until you see the next bench on your right. Go past this bench and stop at the second bench which reads "In Loving Memory of Caroline Gage Lent (Mumsy) and Jo-Anne Lent Finke." While sitting on this bench and looking out at the mighty Atlantic, you will see an evergreen bush on your right and left. The Little Boar's Head letterbox is located in the bush on your left. Please be discreet and replace the box in the plastic bag and rehide carefully. Thanks!
From here, you can retrace your steps back to the beach. Or, you may continue along the ocean for approximately 1/5 mile and then loop back around from the other end of Willow Avenue. To continue on, follow the road and path as it turns 90 degrees to the left. After you turn left, look up the coastline to your right (north). You are looking at Rye, NH and then Kittery, Maine in the far distance. The cove to your immediate right is popular with surfers. Continue a short distance and then carefully cross the road and walk left down Willow Avenue. You will see the entrance to Willow at a break in the stone wall and will see the red and white do not enter signs for cars. Walk along Willow Avenue for ¼ mile. As you walk, look at how you are now on the back side of all the ocean front homes. Directly across from Fuller Gardens is Union Chapel, erected in 1877. Union Chapel has held 8 to 10 interdenominational summer services each year since its founding. When Willow Avenue ends, cross over and turn right back onto Route 1A south and retrace your steps back to the beach.
We hope you enjoyed your seaside tour of the Little Boar’s Head area of North Hampton!