A Horse and Sulky at Pinkerton Academy - Weathervane Wednesday

 This weathervane was photographed above the cupola on the red barn behind the Stearns House on the Pinkerton Academy campus in Derry, New Hampshire. It is not visible from the road, but you can view it from the parking lot of the Stearns building or from the athletic fields on the hill beside it.  The Stearns House is located at 19 North Main Street (Bypass Route 28), next to the new historical marker.  

This is a fine three dimensional weathervane featuring a running horse, a driver and a sulky.   Harness racing was a big deal in this area until a few years ago when the Rockingham Race Track closed in nearby Salem, New Hampshire.  I used to see sulkies on the local roads in Londonderry, training the horses.  A sulky is a small cart with two wheels and a only one seat for a driver.  Both horses and dogs were trained for harness racing using sulkies.  Harness racing goes back to ancient times - just think of the Roman chariots and the ancient Egyptians!

The Stearns House on the Pinkerton campus is used as an administrative building.  It was formerly the headmaster's office, and is now a visitor center. 

There is a link below to another weathervane featuring a sulky and driver, photographed in 2012 in Windham, New Hampshire, just south of Derry.  

For the truly curious:

An old blog post about Pinkerton Academy: 

 https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2014/04/200th-anniversary-of-pinkerton-academy.html  

Another "Weathervane Wednesday" featuring a horse and sulky from 2012:

https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2012/04/weathervane-wednesday-horse-and-sulky.html  

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To Cite/Link to this post:  Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "A Horse and Sulky at Pinkerton Academy - Weathervane Wednesday", Nutfield Genealogy, posted June 2, 2021, (  https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2021/06/a-horse-and-sulky-at-pinkerton-academy.html: accessed [access date]).  

200th Anniversary of Pinkerton Academy in Derry, New Hampshire

Pinkerton Academy was founded in 1814 by Major John Pinkerton and Elder James Pinkerton, who had previously been financial supporters of the classical high school in eastern Londonderry, New Hampshire (now Derry, New Hampshire).   The new academy opened on December 4, 1815 with the Pinkerton's contribution of $16,000.    This new school accepted both girls and boys. Later, when the Adams Female Seminary opened in 1821, Pinkerton stopped accepting girls.

In 1881 the academy received another financial contribution from John Morrison Pinkerton, the son of Elder James. The school was expanded with new buildings and a library. 

Pinkerton Academy was an independent school until 1948 when it entered into a new agreement with the town of Derry to educate all the high school students.  The town paid tuition and the academy remained a private school. Over the years students from Chester, Hampstead, Auburn, Londonderry and Windham all went to Pinkerton Academy under the same agreement.  Over time, Londonderry and Windham eventually built their own public high schools and withdrew from the Pinkerton agreement.  

The campus of Pinkerton Academy is 170 acres with 23 buildings.  Their mascot is "Astroman" in memory of astronaut Alan Shepard, who was born in Derry and attended Pinkerton Academy (class of 1940).  Other famous alumni are Samuel Colcord Bartlett, president of Dartmouth College; Samantha Brown, TV host on the Travel Channel; and Tricia Dunn-Luoma, Olympic ice hockey player. The poet Robert Frost was a teacher at Pinkerton Academy 1906 - 1911.

Old postcard of Pinkerton Academy

This year the academy is celebrating it's bicentennial year with special events for students, alumni and the community.  Click here for a calendar of bicentennial events:
http://www.pinkertonacademy.net/announcements/200th%20Calendar%20of%20Events_112113.pdf 

Pinkerton Academy 200th Anniversary Store online website:
http://pinkerton.geigerstore.com/staging/store.html?cid=10112&pcid=10112&vid=20130729001

The Pinkerton Academy website http://www.pinkertonacademy.net/  You can take a virtual tour of the campus from the link on the home page.

A previous blog post about the Adams Female Seminary in East Derry:
http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2010/03/adams-female-academy-1824-derry-new.html

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The URL for this post is
http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2014/04/200th-anniversary-of-pinkerton-academy.html

Copyright (c) 2014, Heather Wilkinson Rojo

Weathervane Wednesday - Two at one School

I've been collecting photographs of the many, many weather vanes in the Nutfield area (Derry and Londonderry, New Hampshire).  If you want a challenge, I'll post the locations at the bottom of the page so you can scroll down far enough to see the photo, but not the location, and try to guess where you may have seen these lovely weathervanes.

Do you know the location of weather vanes #11 and #12?

These two weather vanes are located at Pinkerton Academy in Derry.  The fish is on top of the steeple at the white Alumni Hall building, and the other one (what is it?) is located on top of the brick tower at the Main Pinkerton building.  These two buildings are located side by side on the Pinkerton campus.

Pinkerton Academy school website http://www.pinkertonacademy.net/

Click here to see the other weather vanes in this series

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Copyright 2011, Heather Wilkinson Rojo

Tombstone Tuesday - Pinkertons at Valley Cemetery

These gravestones were photographed at the Valley Cemetery in Londonderry, New Hampshire.  It is located on Pillsbury Road.

ELIZABETH PINKERTON

WIFE OF

ELDER JAMES PINKERTON

DIED AUG. 25, 1804 AGE 42

In Memory of

Isabella daughter of

Elder James Pinkerton

who died April 6th 1790

aged 2 years 7 months 16 days

We scarce enjoy the balmy gift

But mourn the pleasure gone

MARY

relict of the late

John Pinkerton

died Nov. 29, 1848

Aet. 68

(verse obscured by lichen)

Matthew Pinkerton

son of

Lieu. John & Mrs. Mary

Pinkerton died Nov.

1809 Etat. 4

I previously posted some other Pinkerton gravestones from Londonderry at these links: 

http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2009/12/pinkertons-buried-at-valley-cemtery.html

and 

http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2011/04/john-pinkerton-tombstone-tuesday.html

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Copyright 2011, Heather Wilkinson Rojo

Pinkerton Tavern Update

The former Pinkerton Tavern photographed 2009

In 2009 I wrote a blog post about the Pinkerton Tavern in Derry, New Hampshire.  It was a Halloween story because even though this beautiful building has an interesting history, it is most famous as having a resident ghost!   Please click on the link at the bottom of the page to read this story.


This 270 year old building is back in the news.  The restaurant inside closed a few months ago, and it is now for sale.  However, the building must be moved due to a project to widen Manchester Road in Derry.   Hopefully the building will be relocated nearby, but who knows its fate?  This is a nearly $6 million dollar project being held up while the town negotiated for property from 15 different property owners from Crystal Avenue to Ashleigh Drive.  One of the last parcels is where the tavern stands now. 

There is great concern around town for the building.  Someone even started a “SAVE THE PINKERTON TAVERN” facebook group!    The town of Derry was accepting proposals for a buyer who would move the building and possibly renovate it, and there were several interested parties who toured the building.  No one came forward to move the building.  You can make a proposal at derry-nh.org, or you can make a bid at the town hall.  The town is hoping to begin the roadwork in the fall.  Since no one was willing to relocate the building, the town is now looking for a buyer to dismantle the tavern for parts or to sell it as salvage.  For information or to tour the building, please call the public works department at 432-6144.


Last week the members of the Derry Heritage Commission toured the property for items of interest to preserve for the Derry History Museum.  They plan on producing a local access cable TV show on the 270 year history of the Pinkerton Tavern.  There were not many items worth salvaging, since the building had been remodeled so many times.  Most of the building is new, or not original to 270 years ago.  The curator of the museum, Karen Blandford- Anderson, took a small rock from the original fireplace for display in the town museum. 


My post on the history of the Pinkerton Tavern in Derry, New Hampshire: http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2009/10/pinkerton-tavern-ghosts.html

http://www.nutpub.net/html/nnmain.html   Nutfield News 20 July 2011, "Residents Find Little to Preserve as Pinkerton Tavern Faces Dismantling"


Derry News, 24 March 2011, column “More tales to tell before Pinkerton Tavern is gone” by Rick Holmes, former Derry Town Historian and author of “Nutfield Rambles”, http://www.derrynews.com/derry/x357288292/Its-the-end-of-the-road-for-tavern-building

Derry News, 15 June 2011 “Buyer- and mover- sought for tavern” http://www.derrynews.com/local/x357067834/Buyer-and-mover-sought-for-tavern

Derry News, 6 July 2011 “It’s the end of the road for tavern building” http://www.derrynews.com/derry/x357288292/Its-the-end-of-the-road-for-tavern-building


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Copyright 2011, Heather Wilkinson Rojo

John Pinkerton - Tombstone Tuesday

This ledger stone is known as the Pinkerton Memorial, and it is located at the Old Hill Cemetery, Londonderry, New Hampshire.  There are several Pinkertons buried here, and at the Valley Cemetery in Londonderry, as well as at the Forest Hill Cemetery in Derry (behind the First Parish Church).

IN

MEMORY OF

Mr. JOHN PINKERTON ESQ

WHO DIED MAY 1, 1816

AGED 81 YEARS

He was born in the County of Antrim

Northern Ireland

and came with his parents when a child to

this Country. He was a man of strict integrity,

active benevolence and exemplary piety.

For many years he was a useful member and elder

of the church of Christ

and a distinguished benefactor of the town. By

prudence and industry he acquired an ample income

which he chiefly devoted to objects of public utility.

He was the principal founder of the Pinkerton

Academy in Londonderry

And endowed each of the two religious so-

cities in this place with a fund for the

support of the gospel

ministry.

The righteous shall be in everlasting

remembrance

Also in memory of Mrs. RACHEL

First wife of John Pinkerton Esq. who died

Sept. 13, 1781 aged 36 years

Note: The income of the Pinkerton fund grew to the ….

is to be appropriated to the sole purpose of …

Orthodox Presbyterian Ministry of the …

...ish. …. to the constitution of the Presbyterian …

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John Pinkerton and his brother James were the major benefactors of Pinkerton Academy, situated in Derry, New Hampshire (at the time his ledger stone was erected, this was known as Londonderry). The two brothers were successful merchants, and left bequests to endow the school. Pinkerton Academy was an independent boarding and day school until 1948. In 1949 the town of Derry entered an agreement to send their students to Pinkerton, and the town would pay the tuition. It is still an independent high school, serving Derry, Hampstead, Chester and parts of Auburn, New Hampshire. Robert Frost was once an English teacher at Pinkerton Academy.

Pinkerton Genealogy:

Generation 1: John David Pinkerton, born about 1700 in Antrim County, Northern Ireland, died 10 February 1780 in Londonderry, New Hampshire; married about 1718 to Mary Elizabeth Farmer, born about 1700 in Northern Ireland, died on 10 September 1754 in Londonderry, New Hampshire.

Children:

1. David Pinkerton, born about 1720

2. Major John Pinkerton, born about 1720 (see below)

3. Matthew Pinkerton, born about 1735, died 1814 in Londonderry, New Hampshire; married Ann McCurdy.

4. Mary Pinkerton, born about 1740, died 23 September 1807 in Londonderry, New Hampshire; married Alexander McGregor.

5. Elizabeth Pinkerton, born 1741, died 4 November 1793 in Londonderry, New Hampshire; married Deacon James Aiken in May 1768 in Londonderry, New Hampshire.

6. Samuel Pinkerton, born about 1745, died 16 Mar 1780 in Londonderry, New Hampshire.

7. Deacon James Pinkerton, born about 1748, born 6 January 1829 in Londonderry, New Hampshire; married in 1771 to Elizabeth Nesmith; married second to Sarah Wallace on 15 May 1809.

8. Rachel Pinkerton, born about 1749, died 17 November 1796 in Londonderry, New Hampshire.

9. Jane Pinkerton, born 1753, died 14 February 1809 in Londonderry, New Hampshire; married to David Brewster about 1774.

Generation 2: Major John Pinkerton, born about 1720 in Antrim County, Northern Ireland, died 1 May 1816 in Londonderry, New Hampshire; married first in 1760 to Rachel Duncan daughter of William Duncan and Naomi Bell; married second to Polly Tufts on 18 December 1801 in Londonderry.

Children:

1. Mary Pinkerton, Polly, born 8 May 1768 in Londonderry

2. Naomi Pinkerton, born 13 January 1770 in Londonderry

3. Elisabeth Pinkerton, Betsey, born 1 September 1771 in Londonderry

4. John Pinkerton, born 12 October 1777 in Londonderry; married Mary Wagner

5. Esther Pinkerton, born 1778

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For more information:

The Pinkerton Academy website http://www.pinkertonacademy.net/

Londonderry Vital Records, pages 139-140, and 703

A Sermon, Delivered at Londonderry East Parish, May 5, 1816, occasioned by the death of John Pinkerton, Esq. by Reverend Edward L. Parker, published by George Hough, Concord, NH: 1816

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Copyright 2011, Heather Wilkinson Rojo

Tombstone Tuesday- The Patterson Family

The Patterson Family Monument

Glenwood Cemetery, Londonderry, New Hampshire

located right by the stone wall along Mammoth Road

Governor George Washington Patterson (1799- 1879)of New York State

erected this monument to his family in 1870

He paid $700 for the large stone of New Hampshire Granite,

and had it inscribed with the names of all the Pattersons

descended of Peter Patterson (1716-1800) the original Nutfield immigrant

Governor Patterson was the son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Wallace) Patterson.

He graduated from Pinkerton Academy and went to the Genesee Valley, New York

with his brother George. Later, brothers Robert and Peter joined them in New York.

The last brother, Thomas Patterson stayed in Londonderry.

Thomas Patterson lived on the Patterson Homestead on Adams Road.

It is now a cellar hole on Mack's Orchard land.

The Patterson Monument was photographed for RAOGK

and for a genealogy request through the Londonderry Historical Society.

Names incribed on the Patterson Monument:

Stone #31

Patterson, David 2/11/1793 - 2/12/1793
Elizabeth (Baker) 6/10/1791 - 6/6/1875
Elizabeth (Burns) 1765-1848
Elizabeth Wallace 10/14/1755 - 12/30/1875
Grisey (Barret) 3/26/1776 - 11/13/1850
Grisey (Burns) 1761 - 1845
Hannah 4/26/1798 - 11/12/1869
James 11/21/1777 - 6/4/1815
Jane (Frank) 10/30/1795 - 2/19/1867
John 1750-1793
Margaret (Holmes) 1755 - 1838
Mary (McNeill) 4/11/1783 - 2/22/1812
Peter 11/14/1779 - 2/18/1865
Peter 1716-1800
Rachel (McNeill) 1752- 1838
Robert 1744-1828
Thomas
Thomas 10/23/1746 - 5/20/1834
Thomas 8/11/1786 - 10/27/1838
William 6/4/1789 - 10/27/1869

Also listed are several Wallaces and Wilsons and 1 Washington on Stone #31
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Copyright 2010, Heather Wilkinson Rojo

Adams Female Academy, 1824, Derry, New Hampshire

As I blogged about last fall, Jacob Adams bequeathed $4,000 to start a school for girls in Derry in 1824 “to be located within one hundred rods of the East Parish meeting house in Londonderry.” It was one of the first all female schools in New England. The first principal of the school was Zilpah Banister, and Mary Lyon was her assistant. Students came from all over New England, and there were over 100 girls attending. At the 50th anniversary of the school in 1873, Mrs. Bannister attended for the first time since leaving the school forty seven years earlier. Former students include Ellen Louisa Tucker, the first wife of Ralph Waldo Emerson, as well as other daughters of prominent New England families.

In 1886 the Adams Female Academy merged with Pinkerton Academy, and became a co-education institution. The Adams School became a public elementary school, and astronaut Alan Shepard was a student in the early 20th century. Pinkerton Academy is a private school dating from 1814, and it is still operating as the public high school for the towns of Derry, Hampstead and Chester. It operated as a boarding school until 1948. Because of its tuition agreement contracts with several towns it is now the largest independent academy in the United States, serving over 3,400 students.

The Adams Female Academy building still stands in East Derry, New Hampshire. It is well known for its Rufus Porter Murals, which were discovered recently, removed and auctioned in 2007. The murals were removed in thirteen panels and sold in two lots. The house is now privately owned, and it is not open for tours.

Zilpah P. Grant Banister (1794- 1874) was educated at the Byfield Female Seminary in Massachusetts, and she taught at several schools until arriving at Derry in 1824 as the founding principal of the Adams Female Academy. In 1828 she was asked to form a new Female Seminary at Ipswich, Massachusetts, where she remained until she retired in 1839. In 1841 she married William B. Banister. She spent the rest of her life in Newburyport, Massachusetts but was an active promoter of women’s education.

Mary Lyon (1797- 1849), was educated at the Sanderson Academy and also at the Byfield Female Seminary, where she met Zilpah Grant and became her assistant at Derry and at Ipswich. She established the Wheaton Female Seminary in Norton, Massachusetts, which is now Wheaton College. Two years, in 1837, and later she established the Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, which is now Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts, famous as one of the “Seven Sisters” to the Ivy League Colleges. She was the first president of Mount Holyoke for twelve years. It is the oldest woman’s college in the United States which was established from its inception as a woman’s college!

The records of the Adams Academy are now kept at the Mount Holyoke College Archives in South Hadley, Massachusetts under the call letters of MS 0503 in the Manuscript Collection. They include catalogues of teachers and students, minutes from trustee meetings, student compositions, and photographs. Zilpah Banister’s papers are also at the Mount Holyoke Archives under the call letters MS 0506. Mary Lyon’s papers are also at Mount Holyoke, including over 27 feet of her own letters and papers, family papers, portraits, and other material written about her life under the call number MS 0500.

My previous blog posts about Adams Female Academy:

January 13, 2010 Lafayette Visits Derry, New Hampshire
The story of General Lafayette's visit to Derry in 1824 and his stop at the Adams Female Academy.

November 2, 2009 Mill Girls from Derry and Londonderry
The story of Eliza Adams, one of Mary Lyons’ Derry students

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For more information:
A biography of Mary Lyon from the Mount Holyoke College Website http://www.mtholyoke.edu/marylyon/

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Copyright 2010, Heather Wilkinson Rojo

Pinkertons Buried at Valley Cemetery, Londonderry

I recently received a request from "Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness" to photograph a Pinkerton tombstone at the Valley Cemetery in Londonderry. I went ahead and photographed all the Pinkertons I could find, and I have kept them on file. I thought I would show a few here, and if anyone is interested in another Pinkerton family gravestone, please contact me for a copy of a photo. There were over 20 different Pinkerton stones here at the Valley Cemetery, as well as various other siblings, cousins, etc. who married into other Londonderry families.

Pinkertons



Ensign John Pinkerton, d. 1821


James, son of John and Mary, d. 1803


Children of Deacon John Pinkerson and Mary,
Jedediah, d. 1799 and Sarah, d. 1818


Elder John Pinkerton, d. 1829
his daughter, Eliza Dickey, d. 1825 at Constable, NY

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Copyright 2009, Heather Wilkinson Rojo

Pinkerton Tavern Ghosts!

Pinkerton Academy, Derry, New Hampshire

Pinkerton Tavern Ghosts
A Post for Halloween!

In October, thoughts of ghosts and witches come to mind. There were plenty of accused witches, even one who was found guilty in the 1600’s, and New Hampshire has its share of ghosts. When we first moved to Londonderry over 25 years ago, the first ghost we heard about was the one haunting the Pinkerton Tavern, in Derry. At the time, this building was an unfinished furniture store, and then a series of restaurants, now “The Pinkerton Tavern.”

The Pinkerton Tavern building is 270 years old, built by Elder James Pinkerton. James and his brother, Major John Pinkerton, were merchants in Derry. John started as a peddler, and soon owned a store. James was an influential man, a deacon of the church, a representative to the General Court, and Major John served in the American Revolution. They were quite wealthy for the time, and often made loans to the people of Derry, before there were formal banks. In 1814 the Reverend Edward L. Parker asked the merchant brothers to donate money to start a school, which is now known as Pinkerton Academy.

Pinkerton Tavern, Derry, New Hampshire

The Pinkerton family homestead lost its barn in a fire, and the land was later sold to the Hood Dairy Farm. Later it became the unfinished furniture store, and then restaurants. According to the Pinkerton Tavern website www.thepinkertontavern.com the resident ghost is called “Rachel”. I remember when it was a furniture store, and the clerk explained to me that the best place to see the ghost was on the stairway. The current owners say that “Rachel” is a friendly ghost.

When the restaurant used to be called “Neets”, about five years ago, the owners said that the ghost was often seen in the basement. Other restaurant staff said the ghost of “General Pinkerton” would slam doors, even though Major (not General) Pinkerton never lived there. You can read about the ghost at http://www.neghostproject.com/casefiles/neets.htm and how some ghostbusters apparently photographed this spirit!


Pinkerton Family Genealogy:

1. John Pinkerton, born about 1690 in Ireland, died 10 February 1780 in Londonderry; married about 1722 to Mary Elizabeth Farmer. Both are buried at the Hill Cemetery, Londonderry.

Children:

1. David, born 1732 in Ireland, died 8 May 1808 in Londonderry
2. Major John, born 1735 in Ireland, died 1 May 1816; married first about 1760 to Rachel Duncan, five children; married second 18 December 1801 to Polly Tufts, no children.
3. Matthew, born about 1738 in Londonderry, New Hampshire, died about 1814; married first to Ann McCurdy; married second to Mary Unknown.
4. Samuel
5. Elder James, born about 1747, died 6 January 1829; married first about 1771 to Elizabeth Nesmith, daughter of John Nesmith and Elizabeth Reid, born 19 April 1762 in Londonderry; married second 15 May 1809 to Susan Wallace, born 8 November 1741, died before 1835. (see children below)

Children with Elizabeth:

1. Betsey, born about 1780, died 1837; married 26 April 1807 in Boston to her first cousin John Aiken, son of James Aiken and Elizabeth Pinkerton.
2. Isabella, born about 1785
3. James, born about 1790, died young.
4. Mary B, born 10 May 1791; married William Choate.
5. Clarissa, born 1793; married Robert E. Little.
6. Jane, born 1796, died 1875; married 28 July 1815 in Londonderry to her first cousin, Joshua Aiken, brother to her sister Betsey’s husband.

Children with Susan:
John Morrison Pinkerton, born 6 February 1818, died 6 February 1881; unmarried
6. Mary, born 1740, died 23 September 1807.
7. Elizabeth, born 1748, died 1793; married May 1768 in Londonderry to Deacon James Aiken.
8. Rachel, born 1749, died 17 November 1796.
9. Jane, born about 1753, died 14 February 1809, buried at the Valley Cemetery in Londonderry; married about 1774 to Deacon David Brewster.

Sources:
Londonderry Vital Records
"History of Londonderry" by Rev. Edward L. Parker
www.thepinkertontavern.com


Copyright 2009, Heather Wilkinson