Lake Winnipesaukee- looking for specific location

spitfire · 09-09-2009, 09:20 PM

I was wondering if anyone could help me. I used to go to Alton Bay with my father when I was a young girl. Early 70's. I was trying to find out exactly where I stayed. I would love to go back there someday, but I need a point of destination. Everyone that could tell me has passed away since. Here are a few clues in which I hope will be helpful. There used to be a country store at the end of the drive way which went up hill. There was also, I believe, a string of stores that went up in a major fire around this time. There was also a rollerskating rink to the left of the property if you were looking out towards the water. (I always remember hearing the organ playing for the skaters). I was trying to find archives on either the rink or the fire, but can't find anything. If anyone had any such information to point me in the right direction, it would be greatly appreciated. Those were some of my best memories. I also remember a beach across from the property where we stayed. It was a cottage, with a screened in porch. It sloped downhill and there was a pier, which I am sure sounds like most properties there. I would really love to visit there, hoping that it wasn't overcome by condos or torn down. Thank you in advance to anyone who can help me sort this out. My hope is that it is still as beautiful as I remember!

Rattlesnake Guy · 09-09-2009, 10:27 PM

That is an easy one.
The roller skating ring was called the pavilion. It burned down and has been rebuilt as condos that look similar to the original building. There is still a store on the corner. And a picture below shows one that might have been their when you came which is now a post office. Take a ride on route 11 and you will recognize your memories. Some are still there, and some have gone. Many were lost this past winter in a large fire in the area.
Thanks to McDude for the pics.

Gilligan · 09-09-2009, 10:33 PM

Well, RG typed faster than I could so I edit my post to remove the same pictures and the information he provided. Don, er Paul has fast fingers.

The Roller Rink "Pavillion" was right next to the Alton Bay public docks if that information is useful. The public beach was across the bay.

Memories of that area and the rink are wonderful.

spitfire · 09-15-2009, 07:32 PM

Thank you both for your responses. WOW!!! I never thought I would ever get an answer. Please see the pics down below. The beach I am talking about is behind us in the boat. The other is the house we stayed at. Anyone seen it? lol. I really hope to get there someday. I tried google earth to see if I could get an arial view and I believe I found the area. Those photos were absolutely great! Thank you so much. I will be checking back to see if anyone else had any info, but this is already more then I could of hoped for. Does anyone know the name of the street that the store is on?
Again, thanks so much!

Coolbreeze · 09-15-2009, 08:31 PM

Great pictures everyone! The beach in the back of the picture sure looks like tha Alton Public beach to me! The angle of the shot appears to be taken from the public docks on the opposite side. Spitfire, try doing a windows live local or the like search and type in Alton bay Marina or Alton bay. You may get the overview you are looking for. With all this detective work, sounds like a fall road trip is in order, plenty of nice places to stay along the way! Enjoy the experience.

Rattlesnake Guy · 09-15-2009, 09:02 PM

Spitfire.
This will give you a satellite view of the area. Goggle maps only shows the road as route 11. The beach is still there. The boat house is also. I don't recognize the house, but I am sure someone will. Do you remember where it was relative to the roller rink? There was a big fire this spring in which 40 houses were sadly lost.

This'nThat · 09-15-2009, 09:33 PM

Do you remember a mini-golf course near the house, or any ice cream stores? These would be on the West side of the Rt 11 roadway.

RumGuy · 09-15-2009, 09:50 PM

The fire that you had mentioned was probably McGrath's Market, that was located between the Busy Corner store and the beach.

upthesaukee · 09-15-2009, 09:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spitfire

Thank you both for your responses. WOW!!! I never thought I would ever get an answer. Please see the pics down below. The beach I am talking about is behind us in the boat. The other is the house we stayed at. Anyone seen it? lol. I really hope to get there someday. I tried google earth to see if I could get an arial view and I believe I found the area. Those photos were absolutely great! Thank you so much. I will be checking back to see if anyone else had any info, but this is already more then I could of hoped for. Does anyone know the name of the street that the store is on?
Again, thanks so much!

Definitely looking across the bay at the Alton Town Beach, before it was renovated just a few years ago. The point of reference would probably be behind the Shoppes at the bay, or even a little bit more toward the end of the bay, Amilynnes (Busy corner). Here is a picture I took from the pavilion looking at the beach (the right side of the pavillion.)

Note the bathrooms, green building, and Harmony Park, with the covered picnic area to the left. I do not recognize the house.

Just Sold · 09-16-2009, 05:24 AM

Spitfire,
There are a couple of cottages that are between Gillan Marine and the Shops building and one that looks like the one in the picture. It cannot be seen from the road - only the water. I would guess that is where you stayed. On the satellite view it is in the corner of the shoreline and obscured by the trees.

LovelyToSeeYou · 09-16-2009, 06:25 AM

A place that my family first rented back in the early fifties? I know my brother was an unplanned but not unloved infant. Mom and Dad used my doll carriage for him. He will be 58 in Dec. My other brother will be 66 in December. As some of you know I am a 67 year old grandmother. It was down Meredith Neck Road and had a white home with a lawn in front that was sometimes used for croquet. There was a barn past the lawn to the left.

Along the right was an area of small cottages. They were tiny and one was a "double" cottage. If you walked down a grassy hill in the woods there was a nice sandy beach that we all used. To get back to the cottage you had to climb back up the hill and there were mosquitos that used to bite us.

I found this place again maybe twenty years ago but did not have my camera. I took my mother out to search for it. Mom will be 93 next month. It still had the tiny cottages but it did not look like they were still being used. I tried to go back some years ago with my camera to look for it again but there had been a lot of construction and I had no idea where it had been. I want to say the family that owned it back in the fifties was named Harris. Not sure though. The cove like beach was only a small part of a piece of land that they owned along the water as I recall Mom saying. Does anyone have a picture of this place? Many years ago I remember seeing sort of a post card with an image of the home and cottages and maybe the beach. Thanks for any help. PS my parents came with another family who were smart enough to purchase a piece of land on Castle Shores for around 500 dollars or something and built a cottage on cement blocks etc. This is how my family came to be lovers of Lake Winnipesaukee. In 1986 I purchased my home here!!

gtxrider · 09-16-2009, 12:39 PM

The boat picture looks like where I used to dock to go to McGrath's. It is at the end of Alton Bay right by the bridge. Now that area is rented dock space.

That boat remindes me of the boat we learned to ski behind. 14" Starcraft with a 10HP Evinrude. We were use kids when we learned.

LovelyToSeeYou · 09-17-2009, 01:37 PM

A home and in front of it where there was grass and an area for croquet that we all played from time to time etc. Barn to the left and cottages to the right. I did not post that it was down Meredith Neck Road before. The owners had sort of a point down on the water that was not developed at that time in addition to the part they lived in and had the TINY cottages my parents and their friends were renting. This was in the early 50ties. So it was a group of small rental cottages in a row one of which was a double and then a barn and a walk down a hilly trail on the property to a cove like sandy beach. Think the owner's name was Harris and there was a small postcard like thing that I once saw that had the pictures of this place. I just do not remember more about this lovely spot but then again I was only about nine. I can see it clearly in my mind's eye though and just wondering if there would be an record of it any where. I did find it some twenty years ago but no camera. My mom and I just laughed and laughed. If anyone can remember this site I would love to hear about it and perhaps see a picture? Thanks, no luck so far but hoping.................

nj2nh · 09-17-2009, 02:28 PM

That house that you have in the picture looks a little like the Tip O the Bay, near what used to be Myrtle Ann's and is now Dockside. I don't remember it being a hotel sort of place though, but I suppose it might have been. It isn't right on the water, though.

nj2nh

Sunset Bob · 09-17-2009, 05:26 PM

Could this be it ? The pavilion is on the right.

Rattlesnake Gal · 09-17-2009, 06:25 PM

Nice job Sunset Bob.

Everyone else too.

SteveA · 09-17-2009, 06:29 PM

Nice Job Sunset Bob... !

mcdude · 09-17-2009, 07:45 PM

nice job Bob! Amazing detective work. How long did it take you to go through all of your photos to find it?

Sunset Bob · 09-18-2009, 04:30 AM

Not long maybe 10-15 minutes.

weim2 · 09-22-2009, 06:28 AM

Nice to see that pic of the Blue Jay. I worked there for 5 summers, 1968-1972. My sister in law was there before me and my husband helped at the mini golf course and he was a regular Mount diver.

Rattlesnake Guy · 09-22-2009, 08:35 PM

Some Pics of the house and area.

Dave R · 09-23-2009, 09:13 AM

I gotta say, you folks impress me. That was some nice detective work and a kind thing to do.

I've got some helm time aboard one of the boats in the pictures Rattlesnake Guy posted.

09-09-2009, 09:20 PM	#1
spitfire Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 4 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Lake Winnipesaukee- looking for specific location I was wondering if anyone could help me. I used to go to Alton Bay with my father when I was a young girl. Early 70's. I was trying to find out exactly where I stayed. I would love to go back there someday, but I need a point of destination. Everyone that could tell me has passed away since. Here are a few clues in which I hope will be helpful. There used to be a country store at the end of the drive way which went up hill. There was also, I believe, a string of stores that went up in a major fire around this time. There was also a rollerskating rink to the left of the property if you were looking out towards the water. (I always remember hearing the organ playing for the skaters). I was trying to find archives on either the rink or the fire, but can't find anything. If anyone had any such information to point me in the right direction, it would be greatly appreciated. Those were some of my best memories. I also remember a beach across from the property where we stayed. It was a cottage, with a screened in porch. It sloped downhill and there was a pier, which I am sure sounds like most properties there. I would really love to visit there, hoping that it wasn't overcome by condos or torn down. Thank you in advance to anyone who can help me sort this out. My hope is that it is still as beautiful as I remember!

09-09-2009, 10:27 PM	#2
Rattlesnake Guy Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 1,254 Thanks: 423 Thanked 366 Times in 175 Posts	That is an easy one. The roller skating ring was called the pavilion. It burned down and has been rebuilt as condos that look similar to the original building. There is still a store on the corner. And a picture below shows one that might have been their when you came which is now a post office. Take a ride on route 11 and you will recognize your memories. Some are still there, and some have gone. Many were lost this past winter in a large fire in the area. Thanks to McDude for the pics. Attached Images

09-09-2009, 10:33 PM	#3
Gilligan Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: The Bay State Posts: 119 Thanks: 8 Thanked 11 Times in 4 Posts	What Rattlesnake Guy said Well, RG typed faster than I could so I edit my post to remove the same pictures and the information he provided. Don, er Paul has fast fingers. The Roller Rink "Pavillion" was right next to the Alton Bay public docks if that information is useful. The public beach was across the bay. Memories of that area and the rink are wonderful. __________________

09-15-2009, 07:32 PM	#4
spitfire Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 4 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Thank you! Thank you both for your responses. WOW!!! I never thought I would ever get an answer. Please see the pics down below. The beach I am talking about is behind us in the boat. The other is the house we stayed at. Anyone seen it? lol. I really hope to get there someday. I tried google earth to see if I could get an arial view and I believe I found the area. Those photos were absolutely great! Thank you so much. I will be checking back to see if anyone else had any info, but this is already more then I could of hoped for. Does anyone know the name of the street that the store is on? Again, thanks so much!

09-15-2009, 09:02 PM	#6
Rattlesnake Guy Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 1,254 Thanks: 423 Thanked 366 Times in 175 Posts	Spitfire. This will give you a satellite view of the area. Goggle maps only shows the road as route 11. The beach is still there. The boat house is also. I don't recognize the house, but I am sure someone will. Do you remember where it was relative to the roller rink? There was a big fire this spring in which 40 houses were sadly lost. Attached Images

09-15-2009, 08:31 PM	#5
Coolbreeze Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 332 Thanks: 0 Thanked 51 Times in 26 Posts	Great pictures everyone! The beach in the back of the picture sure looks like tha Alton Public beach to me! The angle of the shot appears to be taken from the public docks on the opposite side. Spitfire, try doing a windows live local or the like search and type in Alton bay Marina or Alton bay. You may get the overview you are looking for. With all this detective work, sounds like a fall road trip is in order, plenty of nice places to stay along the way! Enjoy the experience.

09-15-2009, 09:33 PM	#7
This'nThat Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 534 Thanks: 19 Thanked 134 Times in 61 Posts	Do you remember a mini-golf course near the house, or any ice cream stores? These would be on the West side of the Rt 11 roadway.

09-15-2009, 09:50 PM	#8
RumGuy Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Cape Cod / W.Alton Posts: 76 Thanks: 4 Thanked 9 Times in 5 Posts	Fire The fire that you had mentioned was probably McGrath's Market, that was located between the Busy Corner store and the beach.

09-16-2009, 05:24 AM	#10
Just Sold Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Suncook, NH, but at The Lake at Heart Posts: 2,612 Thanks: 1,082 Thanked 433 Times in 209 Posts	Spitfire, There are a couple of cottages that are between Gillan Marine and the Shops building and one that looks like the one in the picture. It cannot be seen from the road - only the water. I would guess that is where you stayed. On the satellite view it is in the corner of the shoreline and obscured by the trees. __________________ Just Sold At the lake the stress of daily life just melts away. Pro Re Nata Last edited by Just Sold; 09-16-2009 at 07:26 AM.

09-16-2009, 06:25 AM	#11
LovelyToSeeYou Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 49 Thanks: 3 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Great information...Any Meredith people who remember... A place that my family first rented back in the early fifties? I know my brother was an unplanned but not unloved infant. Mom and Dad used my doll carriage for him. He will be 58 in Dec. My other brother will be 66 in December. As some of you know I am a 67 year old grandmother. It was down Meredith Neck Road and had a white home with a lawn in front that was sometimes used for croquet. There was a barn past the lawn to the left. Along the right was an area of small cottages. They were tiny and one was a "double" cottage. If you walked down a grassy hill in the woods there was a nice sandy beach that we all used. To get back to the cottage you had to climb back up the hill and there were mosquitos that used to bite us. I found this place again maybe twenty years ago but did not have my camera. I took my mother out to search for it. Mom will be 93 next month. It still had the tiny cottages but it did not look like they were still being used. I tried to go back some years ago with my camera to look for it again but there had been a lot of construction and I had no idea where it had been. I want to say the family that owned it back in the fifties was named Harris. Not sure though. The cove like beach was only a small part of a piece of land that they owned along the water as I recall Mom saying. Does anyone have a picture of this place? Many years ago I remember seeing sort of a post card with an image of the home and cottages and maybe the beach. Thanks for any help. PS my parents came with another family who were smart enough to purchase a piece of land on Castle Shores for around 500 dollars or something and built a cottage on cement blocks etc. This is how my family came to be lovers of Lake Winnipesaukee. In 1986 I purchased my home here!!

09-16-2009, 12:39 PM	#12
gtxrider Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Piscataway, NJ Posts: 1,030 Thanks: 2 Thanked 46 Times in 24 Posts	Oh yes! The boat picture looks like where I used to dock to go to McGrath's. It is at the end of Alton Bay right by the bridge. Now that area is rented dock space. That boat remindes me of the boat we learned to ski behind. 14" Starcraft with a 10HP Evinrude. We were use kids when we learned.

09-17-2009, 01:37 PM	#13
LovelyToSeeYou Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 49 Thanks: 3 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	The place I am looking for on Meredith Neck had.. A home and in front of it where there was grass and an area for croquet that we all played from time to time etc. Barn to the left and cottages to the right. I did not post that it was down Meredith Neck Road before. The owners had sort of a point down on the water that was not developed at that time in addition to the part they lived in and had the TINY cottages my parents and their friends were renting. This was in the early 50ties. So it was a group of small rental cottages in a row one of which was a double and then a barn and a walk down a hilly trail on the property to a cove like sandy beach. Think the owner's name was Harris and there was a small postcard like thing that I once saw that had the pictures of this place. I just do not remember more about this lovely spot but then again I was only about nine. I can see it clearly in my mind's eye though and just wondering if there would be an record of it any where. I did find it some twenty years ago but no camera. My mom and I just laughed and laughed. If anyone can remember this site I would love to hear about it and perhaps see a picture? Thanks, no luck so far but hoping.................

09-17-2009, 02:28 PM	#14
nj2nh Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: NJ Posts: 518 Thanks: 62 Thanked 42 Times in 23 Posts	That house that you have in the picture looks a little like the Tip O the Bay, near what used to be Myrtle Ann's and is now Dockside. I don't remember it being a hotel sort of place though, but I suppose it might have been. It isn't right on the water, though. nj2nh __________________

09-17-2009, 05:26 PM	#15
Sunset Bob Deceased Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 1,701 Thanks: 115 Thanked 25 Times in 13 Posts	Could this be it? Could this be it ? The pavilion is on the right. Attached Images

09-17-2009, 06:25 PM	#16
Rattlesnake Gal Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Central NH Posts: 5,252 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 1,451 Thanked 1,349 Times in 475 Posts	Looks Like! Nice job Sunset Bob. Everyone else too.

09-17-2009, 06:29 PM	#17
SteveA Deceased Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Gilford, NH Posts: 2,311 Thanks: 1,070 Thanked 2,054 Times in 497 Posts	Wow! Nice Job Sunset Bob... ! __________________ "Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in his shoes. That way, if he gets angry he'll be a mile away and barefoot!" unknown

09-17-2009, 07:45 PM	#18
mcdude Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Rock Haven Lake - West Newfield, ME Posts: 5,361 Thanks: 374 Thanked 1,044 Times in 490 Posts	nice job Bob! Amazing detective work. How long did it take you to go through all of your photos to find it? __________________

09-18-2009, 04:30 AM	#19
Sunset Bob Deceased Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 1,701 Thanks: 115 Thanked 25 Times in 13 Posts	Not Long Not long maybe 10-15 minutes.

09-22-2009, 06:28 AM	#20
weim2 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 92 Thanks: 7 Thanked 8 Times in 7 Posts	Blue Jay Pic Nice to see that pic of the Blue Jay. I worked there for 5 summers, 1968-1972. My sister in law was there before me and my husband helped at the mini golf course and he was a regular Mount diver.

09-22-2009, 08:35 PM	#21
Rattlesnake Guy Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 1,254 Thanks: 423 Thanked 366 Times in 175 Posts	Some Pics of the house and area. Attached Images

09-23-2009, 09:13 AM	#22
Dave R Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 2,974 Thanks: 246 Thanked 736 Times in 438 Posts	I gotta say, you folks impress me. That was some nice detective work and a kind thing to do. I've got some helm time aboard one of the boats in the pictures Rattlesnake Guy posted.