Chesterfield
is a lovely town in southwestern New Hampshire and has been my home for 37
years. It is actually a collection of three villages, my village of
Spofford around Spofford Lake, West Chesterfield and the main center of Chesterfield.
The town is a photographer’s delight with rolling hills, farms, classic
buildings and dramatic waterfalls.
I
have written articles illustrating many of the visual attractions of the town,
but I have tended to focus on my home village of Spofford. It is
time to spotlight some of the best features of Chesterfield Center.
Heading
west on Route 9, a left turn onto Route 63 South will quickly bring you to
Chesterfield’s understated center. The village has a classic stone town
hall from 18--. With modest population growth, the annual town meetings
have moved to the more spacious environment of the adjacent school gymnasium,
but the town hall is still the historic center of Chesterfield and a great
subject for photography, in all seasons. 
In the 1960s, the building was
used in the opening credits of the TV series Peyton Place, to represent the
quintessential, although scandalous, New England town. In recent years,
the town have done a creditable job trying to design newer town building to fit
the feel of a classic New England village center. The impression is
helped by the fact that there is no commercial development in the town center.
The Town Hall is flanked by a small structure which matches the stone
construction and is now the home of our active town historical society.
On the other side is a lovely modern town library constructed in a
similar style. Across the street, the small post office compliments
the other structures.
To
the south on Route 63 are the K – 8 school, the town offices and fire station.
The school’s sports field provide nice areas of open space with the feel
of an expansive town green.
The
visual highlight of the drive through Chesterfield Center is its 
location
perched along a high ridge with long dramatic views to the west and the Vermont
mountains. From here Mt Snow is easily seen and the sunsets are
frequently spectacular. All along this stretch of road, farms,
pastures and grazing animals provide interesting foregrounds for the
dramatically shifting colors. Turning away from the sunsets, the warm
light can transform the village structures, especially the Town Hall and
a position on top of this ridge can provide an excellent spot to catch the
rainbows which form as storms pass to the east.
location
perched along a high ridge with long dramatic views to the west and the Vermont
mountains. From here Mt Snow is easily seen and the sunsets are
frequently spectacular. All along this stretch of road, farms,
pastures and grazing animals provide interesting foregrounds for the
dramatically shifting colors. Turning away from the sunsets, the warm
light can transform the village structures, especially the Town Hall and
a position on top of this ridge can provide an excellent spot to catch the
rainbows which form as storms pass to the east.
Chesterfield
Center is just one of the opportunities for discovery in my town. Nearby
are a number of active farms, Madame Sherri’s Castle and forest, Indian Pond,
and Mt Wantastiquet, but a good start is to take that left turn off of Route 9
and step into a classic small New England Village.
For
more information and pictures of Chesterfield’s attractions check out these
links and my Chesterfield Center Gallery.
- Chesterfield Gorge
- Chesterfield’s 250th Anniversary
- Madame Sherri Album
- Great Hiking in Chesterfield
- The Mystery of Madame Sherr’s Castle
- No Good Hiking Trails
Jeffrey Newcomer
