Not sure about you, but I’m always amazed by just how quickly the seasons change here in Somersworth. One day it’s 95 degrees, the next it’s 59, and you know fall is just around the corner. One of my favorite places to walk in the city, especially in the fall, is Forest Glade Cemetery on Maple Street.
If you’ve never taken a trip around this jewel, especially as the trees begin to change colors, you’re in for a real treat. I’ll take you very briefly through the history of this important part of the city.
As the population of Somersworth grew in the mid-1850s, so did the need for a public, non-denominational cemetery. Forest Glade cemetery has been in existence since it was consecrated in 1852.
Forest Glade was modeled as a garden cemetery and its 22 acres were specifically designed to encourage people to wander about on a Sunday afternoon, picnic and gather to talk and remember loved ones. Unlike its Catholic counterparts, where gravestones are generally laid out in rows, garden-style cemeteries feature meandering pathways designed to lead both the visitors eyes and feet to a pleasant vista, which often include fountains or other architectural features.
I’m no arborist, but I am willing to bet some of the maples that are in the cemetery are over a hundred years old and the yellows and golds that twinkle like glittering jewels over the heavy marble and granite gravestones are a sight to behold as the foliage peaks each year.
Today the cemetery is on the National Register of Historic Places and is overseen by a group of trustees. Like everything else, COVID-19 has curtailed some of the cemetery trustees’ plans, such as a series of concerts that has for the past three years been held in Furber Chapel. According to trustee Maggie Roberge, “Forest Glade is alive and doing just great.” She and the other trustees are hopeful that you will spend some time exploring this beautiful and historic cemetery.
My own love of cemeteries began when I was a kid, and I always recall my grandmother telling me that according to British folklore, no one ever truly dies until the last time their name is said. I’m always reminded of this at this time of year as we remember those who perished on 9/11 by reading their names aloud.
As a child, I, of course, took this quite literally and would walk around the cemetery calling names out loud. This is something I still do to this day so if you see the crazy lady walking around the cemetery talking to herself that would likely be me … so please don’t call the police. That said if you get a chance to take a walk in the cemetery, please be sure to take a spin. You won’t be disappointed.
Talking as we are right now of remembrance I want to tell you a little about the progress of the Somersworth Veterans Park on Main Street. You may have noticed there seems to have been little movement over the last few weeks and this is because the company that supplies the granite and art work for the monuments has a backlog which has been caused by COVID-19 and some of the restrictions associated with it. Rest assured, the city is working hard to get the monuments and the park finished before Veterans Day this November.
I want to finish this week on a happy note and wish local store owner and musician Don Berrios a huge congratulations as his store “Toys From the Attic” celebrates 20 years. Located in the Somersworth Plaza on Main Street, the store offers an eclectic mix of fun. As Don likes to say, “If it’s fun, we probably have it!”
Rather than letting the COVID-19 pandemic deter him, he has grasped the bull by the proverbial horns and used the time to remodel his store. This gives the shop a slightly larger footprint and expands the variety of fun things he can sell.
So what can you expect to find when you visit Toys From the Attic? The store is jam-packed with CDs, DVDs, collectible sports cards, vinyl records and lots of toys. Honestly, this self-confessed geek enjoys just wandering through the store and discovering all manner of things. If by chance you have a magic card lover in your life, Don also offers Magic Gatherings in the store, of course with social distancing.
So before you go toy shopping at a big box store, please take a moment to consider a trip down to Toys From the Attic. Don’t forget to wish Don a “Happy 20th” while you are there.
That’s it for this week, but I will be back. In the meantime stay safe and above all be kind to each other as we are all in this together.
This article first appeared in Fosters Daily Democrat on September 14th, 2020.