Around Swanzey: Swanzey, Ashuelot, Winchester, Richmond, Fitzwilliam, and Hinsdale (Images of America)

By: Pamela Apkarian-Russell

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Synopsis: Nestled against the Massachusetts and Vermont borders are six New Hampshire communities largely unconnected with the rest of their home state. The picturesque bedroom and summer vacation communities of Swanzey, Ashuelot, Winchester, Richmond, Fitzwilliam, and Hinsdale all developed from industrial or agricultural economies, although this fact is less than apparent today. The factories have nearly all vanished, and so has the extreme wealth and glamorous lifestyle of former residents like playwright Denman Thompson. Routes 10 and 12 are still the main roads that connect these towns, however, and the Ashuelot River is slowly recovering from years of pollution in a return to its pure and natural state. In fact, the area's Old Homestead persona seems to have experienced a revival in recent years in the absence of major industry, and it becomes more and more important for residents and tourists alike to be reminded of the area's nineteenth-century economic development.