Salisbury Heights has seen many changes over the decades.
John Dearborn, Chapter XXX, History of Salisbury NH published 1890, p. 393 & 394 has a description from 1823:
Center Road Village (Salisbury Heights) refers to the village along the Old Turnpike which is known as rte 4. It is not along Center Road/Center Range Road.
According to Mr. Eastman writing in the year 1823,
“The Center Road Village is pleasantly situated one mile and half north west of the South Road Village, on the same mail route. Here also are about 30 dwellings houses, a Baptist church, erected in 1791, three stores, one tannery, two shoemaker’s shops, tow cabinet maker’s shops, one blacksmiths shop and a law office”...
…The church and dwellings remain, but age has left its marks upon them. A few of the residences have been improved. Now and then one that was prominent years ago, has been taken down or removed. Some trade is still carried on there and limited mechanical work executed. Recently a hotel was opened. Here, near the church, on the common, stands the Town Hall, where the public meetings of the town and other organizations are held. A school house has long stood in the west section of the village, on the road to the mills.”
- TAVERN: Ca 1775-early 1800’s, at the Abel Elkins House across from Old Baptist Meeting House (Kepper House), home existing
- INN: Ca 1804 likely, Amos Pettengill had a second hotel in this part of town just north of Oak Hill Road on ret 4. Not in existence.
- TAVERN/INN: ca 1816-1877 “Bell Tavern” Or “Traveller’s Home” A.M. Pettengill purchased the farm from Reuben True House and created a tavern known as one of the best hotels in this section. It was not unusual to see a hundred horses stable at night and a house full of guests. Barns were 40×40 and 40×100. Located at the junction of rte 4 and West Salisbury Road.
- WHEELWRIGHT/Blacksmith Shop in the workshop building on the same land, existing shed structure.
- POST OFFICE and Drew’s Store. Previously J.P. Webster’s Store owned 1801-1858. Located (wedged) between Abel Elkins House and Thomas and Eliphalet WIlliam House. Destroyed by fire.
- STORES: 1792 Thomas an Eliphalet Williams House built 1792 ( Corner of Oak Hill Road and Rte 4). “Originally housed a store and a meeting hall upstairs. The store portion probably included all of the west side of the house and the Hall was immediately above the store. 1970’sNan Dexheimers’s gift and craft shop in the 1970’s was located an adjacent building. Remaining as a residence.
- TAILORING SHOP: 1795 William Cate, See Heaths Filling Station Below
- SCHOOL: 1778 West Salisbury Road just off the junction of route 4 and West Salisbury Road, now removed.
- SCHOOL: abt 1877 which is now the Salisbury Free Library, existing.
- MEETING HOUSE: Baptist Meeting House, completed 1794, which now houses the Salisbury Historical Society Offices, existing.
- CEMETERIES: Baptist Graveyard behind the Baptist Meeting House, existing. Oak Hill (Road) Cemetery laid out in 1868, uphill from Salisbury Heights.
- HEARSE HOUSE:built 1850 and town Roller shed, combined, partial library, which now houses the Salisbury Historical Society’s Museum since 1990, existing.
- TOWN HALL: Salisbury Town Hall ca 1839-1840 In use.
- BLACKSMITH George Calef Blacksmith, Carriage and Clock repair shop rte 4, torn down ca 1925
- FILLING STATION: Heath’s Filling Station & the William Cate House (built 1795). In the year 2000 Mary Perry was the owner and operated an Antique Shop that sat further back from the road.
Heath’s Filling Station
This property was in the Heath family from 1905-1957.
- MILL: Hensmith Road
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MASONIC MEETING HALL, meetings held upstairs in the early 1830’s Colonial , corner of rte 4 & Oak Hill Road
Photos 1-3 Courtesy of John Drew Trachy from his family’s photo collection
Additional photos: Salisbury Heights Center Village Schools
3) Horses on Treadmill. Written on the back of the photo: Taken at Salisbury 1907 by Alonzo Cole. Burt Green putting wood on machine; Henry Smith sawing with his horse Pony; Amos Chapman taking away wood; Ed Drew 5 years sitting on ground; Edith Drew 6 and a half years sitting on ground; Will Battis 11 years sitting on ground. Corner of Shaw Hill Road at the Heights? Oak Hill. Sylvester Green’s home in background, old post-office site. this very well may be a view of the Drew Store building from another angle, near corner of Oak Hill Rd.
#1) This building still exists besides the Kepper House (Abel Elkins House). It appears to be a Wheel Wright shop.The notation on the back of the Working at Salisbury picture is “Left – Andrew Lorden, George Calef, John Wilbur, Ed Tucker, at Salisbury NH”. A note attached reads: “small building across from Church at Heights, adjacent to colonial home of F P Drew.”