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Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Weathervane Wednesday ~ on a Tall Tower

The hunt for historical weather vanes has expanded to the area close to Londonderry.  This one might stump you!

Do you know the location of weather vane #34?   Scroll down to see the answer!





This weather vane is located at 300 Bedford Street in the Manchester Millyard.  Most of the buildings in the millyard have either belltowers or clocktowers, and in the early 1800s the mill girls and workers would rely on the bell system to announce when it was time for work, for breaks, and to signal the time to go home.  This is the only one east of the Merrimack with a surviving weathervane.  I suppose that before TV and radio the weather vanes would help forecast the day's weather.

Originally textile mills, the surviving mill buildings in the Manchester millyard now have been rennovated for use as offices, college classrooms, radio stations, laboratories, manufacturing, restaurants, museums, shopping and many other uses. One building even houses a large paintball area, and the top floor and elevator shaft are used for a rope climbing facility.  My hair salon, favorite Manchester brewpub and a TV station are here, too.  This building at 300 Bedford Street is used as offices, a dance studio, a design studio and a photo lab. 

On a different mill building, on Commercial Street, just behind this one, there is a windsock.  I know there is a nearby radio station, and perhaps the weatherman at the radio station uses the windsock to forecast the weather report.  Do anyone know why there is a windsock there?

Nearby is the Manchester Millyard Museum, run by the Manchester Historical Society.  You can read their website at this link http://www.manchesterhistoric.org/mill.htm



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Copyright 2012, Heather Wilkinson Rojo

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