Baptist Church at Hudson Center C1905
The First Baptist Church of Hudson was organized in 1805 at the home of Thomas Senter on at what is now the Old Derry Road near the Londonderry Line. For the first 37 years services were held in members’ homes or at the North Meeting House located just east of the Town House. The sanctuary of this church at the corner of Central and Greeley Streets was constructed in 1842. In 1888 a short alcove was added to house the new organ; then, in 1897 the large vestry was added. This photo was probably taken at the time of the centennial celebration of the church in 1905. Over these years the exterior of the building has not changed significantly except for replacing the original steeple which was completed in 2007. To the left of the church we see part of the Greeley/Wentworth home, now the church parsonage. The stacks of wood seen here were used to heat the building. The dirt roadway in front of the church is either Central Street or a short cut from Central Street to Greeley Street. Photo from the collection of the Hudson Historical Society.
238 Central Street
Town House Hudson Center
In 1857 Hudson contracted with William Anderson of Windham to erect this Town House on the site of the Old North Meeting House in Hudson Center. The North Meeting House was deeded to the town by the Baptist Society after The Baptist Church was completed in 1841. Town meetings were held here until the mid 1930’s when there was a desire among the town people to hold meetings at the bridge area. Wattannick Grange held their meetings here from its organization. In 1963 the town authorized the sale of the building to Wattannick Grange. To the right of the Town House is Harvey Lewis’ Coal Grain and Grocery; on the left and rear is the B&M Railroad Depot. Today, now that Hudson and Wattannick Granges have merged, this building is known as Wattannick Hall the home of Hudson Grange No 11. Photo from the Historical Society collection.
Benjamin Dean House — A House Twice Moved
This house was built by Abraham Page about 1747 on Bush Hill Road on part of the old Haselton Farm. Between 1747 and about 1838 this house was likely occupied by Abraham Page, Jr and early members of the Haselton family whom he helped to raise. In 1838 the owner, Rev. Benjamin Dean, moved and remodeled the house to a location on Hamblet Avenue just north of the Eli Hamblet house and facing the east side of the Hudson Center Common. The second floor contained a large room with an arched ceiling, referred to as “Dean’s Hall”. This room was used as a school and a place for public gatherings. Rev. Dean occupied the home until about 1850. The home had various owners until being purchased by the family of Claudia and Richard Boucher. In the early 1960’s when the State of New Hampshire planned out the new route 111 through Hudson Center, this house was simply ‘in the way’. The Boucher family sold the property to the state and later re-purchased the house and had it moved to its present (and third) location on Windham Road. This 1942 photo from the Historical Society Collection shows the house at its second location on Hamblet Avenue.
Post Office Square at Central Street c1900
Go To The Post Office for a Dozen Eggs
The expression “Go to the post office for a dozen eggs” was a common one during years of our town history when the Post Office was co-located within a grocery business. Charles Daniels took over this business site in 1903 and was appointed Postmaster, a position he held until 1921. Soon after 1903 he was joined in partnership with Charles Gilbert and together they operated a successful grain and grocery business for many years. The post office remained here until 1921 when it was moved into the Morey Building. This location previously known as the Greeley Store Building, was rebuilt by owner Elisha Martin in 1877 following a fire the previous year. This circa 1920 picture is one of a number of post cards of Hudson printed and sold by Daniels and Gilbert. From the Historical Society Collection.
Post Office at Ferry Street 1923
Post Office On Ferry Street 1948
In the spring of 1947 the Hudson Post Office was the center of a controversy. A plan to consolidate Hudson service into the Nashua office was being considered by the Postal Department. Town officials and approximately 1,000 Hudson residents submitted a 30 foot long petition expressing the need for and confidence in the existing Hudson Post Office. The decision was made to not only retain but to enlarge the office. The Morey Building on Ferry Street, just above the intersection with Webster Street, was remodeled under the supervision of owner Ernest Morey. The result was this two storey, brick veneer building. The new Post Office occupied 1/2 of the first floor; the remainder was rented out to Trombley’s Shoe Repair. The second floor provided a small number of apartments. This was the location of our Post Office from 1948 until 1959 when town growth required the move to 15 Derry Street. Those serving as Post Master during this time were Paul Richards and Roger Boucher. This building was demolished during bridge and road construction in the late 1960’s. Photo from the Historical Society Collection.
Post Office Corner Derry and Highland Streets
Remember when all services of the US Post Office in Hudson were located in a single building located at the corner of Derry and Highland Streets? By the late 1950’s growth of our town was reflected in the increased demands on postal services; revenues had increased from $10,000 in 1949 to $39,000 in 1959. This building on 15 Derry Street was dedicated as the new US Post Office in Hudson on March 28, 1959. Those serving as Postmaster at this location were Roger L. Boucher, Clayton E. Smith, and Gerald Winslow. By 1976 postal revenues had exploded to $341,490. About 1986 the service locations were moved to 36 Executive Drive and 77 Derry Road. The Derry Street building was re-purposed for commercial uses and is now the home of Showtime Computers. Tune in next week to see where the Post Office was located before 1959! Photo from the Historical Society Collection.
Railroad Station at Hudson Center 1896
In this 1896 photo, we are looking east from the Greeley Street crossing at the Hudson Center Station (left) and the rear of the Town Hall (now Wattannick Hall) on the right. From this point the tracks the headed towards the crossing at Windham Road, on to the crossing at Clement Road and then to West Windham. A Post Office was established in this station in 1876 and Eli Hamblet was the Postmaster; a position he held until his death in 1896. It was at this station that animals and patrons arrived to go to Benson’s. Animals were shipped here and some were walked along the road to the farm. The Jungle Train from Boston brought people on excursions. There was a freight house (center right) and siding for handling goods. At the height of railroad traffic there were as many as 13 passenger trains plus freight activity each day on this line. Considering a single track line, this made for a very busy and dangerous section of the line. The railroad station was later made into a dwelling, but when it was no longer in use it was moved to Benson Park and can still be seen there. Photograph from the Historical Society Collection.
Remember Hudson NH When... 