2nd Annual History day A Big Hit In Haverhill; Rain Held Off, Sun Shone

Bernie Marvin

History Day at Haverhill Common last Saturday, September 26, 2026, featured old-time children's games on the common as part of the day's activities. The Bridge Weekly/Bernie Marvin

Haverhill Corner, NH - It took hours upon hours of hard work to put together the 2nd Annual History Day that had its midpoint locus on the Haverhill Commons. What an astounding piece of work it was!

But it all paid off for the creators this year, as crowds of visitors came to the North and South Commons and adjacent properties to enjoy a full day of local history, with no rain from an approaching Northeast wind and rainstorm that was barreling up the coast.

Not many local programs have ever attracted that many people to events in the Haverhill Commons area. The last time was a magnificent gathering of Harry Potter fans, as Alumni Hall produced a show of shows that had legions of children and a crowd of 2,000 and their interested parents (and Grandparents) skipping through the area to get their hand-made wands and create some magic at several Harry programs and projects in the vicinity of Court Street.

Last Saturday was an amazing display of the many history projects folks wanted to see and experience. So many programs were scheduled that some had to be held before Saturday, such as Michelle Sherburne's book talk and production on the early days of slavery and the Underground Railroad, both in the South and right here in Haverhill Corner and surrounding towns.

The folks at the Haverhill Historical Society, Haverhill Library Association, First Congregational Church, Court Street Arts/Haverhill Heritage, and Haverhill Parks and Recreation came together to present a mix of outstanding projects for visitors to see, ask about, and get close to.

Some of the other activities included in History Day involved a walking tour of the historic district, a tour of the old Grafton County Jail, food vendors, historic displays, Haverhill Academy Open House, Alumni Hall hosted history displays and portraits, Sloan House, and Deep Sleep Inn Taurus tours, and a Haverhill Parks and Recreation table for kids' games and more.

Dalton Thayer operated his horse-drawn wagon throughout the area during the entire History Day program, and there was a musket demonstration at Alumni Hall and a Sons of the American Legion cookout.

According to Haverhill Historical Society Vice President Greg Mathieson, the historic Pearson Hall on the eastern side of the Haverhill North Common was built in 1816. Formerly used by the courts and the library, Pearson Hall was owned by the Haverhill School District until Haverhill Heritage purchased it many years ago. The Haverhill Historical Society will relocate to Pearson Hall and use it as its future home once extensive repairs are complete.

The building was shown for History Day this year, the first time it had been opened and displayed in 18 years. Mathieson wrote in an email that noted "We cleaned up all the accumulated black mold on one classroom wall. A few board members of the Historical Society also scraped the old, peeling paint off the walls, fixed the bell, repaired the roof, installed heating and air conditioning in the nearby Ladd Street School, resurfaced the classroom floor in Pearson Hall, and installed wrought iron rails outside to assist people entering or leaving the building. Power is also expected to be installed in the building in the next few weeks," he said.

Because of the enormity of the reconstruction of Pearson Hall and its intended role as a Haverhill Museum, The Bridge Weekly is working on a story about the steps being taken and the work proposed to create this new museum.