Byway may attract tourists

Bow Editor — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 00:13:00 GMT

BY ROD HANSEN

The hills and roadways of Dunbarton, Goffstown, New Boston and Weare have long been associated with Gen. John Stark and his family, and a new scenic byway could blanket all those towns with the Stark name.

A submission for a General John Stark Scenic Byway has already made it through the first cut of review by the state byways council, said Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission executive director David Preece.

If seen to completion, the initiative stands to increase tourist interest in the area that once served as home to one of the area’s most recognized families, Preece said.

“John Stark has played such an important role in the history of this state that we felt we should honor him,” said Preece.

“The idea is to showcase this area for its scenic beauty and historic significance.”

The planning commission’s application proposes the scenic byway take a circular route within Hillsborough County, running along Route 13 from Goffstown to New Boston, north along Route 77 and into Route 114 in Weare, a thoroughfare already known as the John Stark Highway.

The byway would then run east along Route 77 to Dunbarton, and finally south along Route 13 back to Goffstown.

Goffstown Town Planner Steve Griffin said he worked with the Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission on the proposed byway, which was also endorsed by selectmen and members of the Economic Development Council.

“It’s mostly a tourist-generating venture, and working locally with (SNHPC), we told them of things they should be aware of, such as historic structures and the best views of the Piscataquog,” said Griffin.

The byway route runs through the center of Goffstown Village, which is itself a registered historic district, Griffin said.

The scenic byway may find its strongest links to the Stark family in Dunbarton, said town historian Harlan “Bud” Noyes, who authored a book on local historic homes titled, “Where Settler’s Feet Have Trod.”

Dunbarton is still home to many structures associated with the Stark family, including the home built by Molly Stark’s father Caleb Page, now known as the Molly Stark House; as well as Stark Mansion, where John and Molly Stark’s son Caleb once operated a store.

Dunbarton’s association with the Stark family goes even deeper than Gen. John Stark, Noyes said. The town was once known as Starkstown after early settler Archibald Stark, father of the future general.

John Stark himself built a sawmill in Dunbarton on 100 acres of land prior to the Revolutionary War, Noyes said.

A number of other historic sites can be found along Routes 77 and 13, Noyes said, many of them relating to the Starks.

“There are a lot of historic homes in that neighborhood, and it’s beautiful country. Even if it just starts with getting people to talk about the Stark family, there’s a lot to see up there,” said Noyes.

Members of the state byways council will be touring the proposed route in the spring and will host public meetings in each of the towns before making its final decision on the application, Preece said.

Dunbarton news : John Stark Scenic Byway

Byway may attract tourists