The North Conway Academy

 

 

 

 

This wonderful piece of ephemera was recently donated to the Conway Public Library. It adds greatly to understanding of local history, especially when studied in context with other items already in the collection.

 

 

 

 

We have never seen this kind of detailed information about the operation of the Academy.

 

 

 

 

With its distinctive four pronged tower, the old Academy building is useful in identifying North Conway in White Mountain Art.

 

 

 

Click on this image and you can see the Academy building in this Currier and Ives print. Contact us for more artworks showing the Academy building and visit us at the Conway Public Library to see a large oversized mural of a very famous print showing the Academy.

 

Organized in 1828, the Academy continued operation until the building was torn down in either 1874, or as some other sources say, 1885. The area later became the site for the North Conway Community Center. That building is now planned to become part of the NH Ski Museum system and a new community center has been built near by.

 

The newly planted trees along the boardwalk in the background have been traced in photographs through the years, and a few of the trees remain.

 

 

 

 

Another view of the Academy building in our online collection.

 

 

 

Recently we travelled through Henniker, NH and saw that they had a very similar Academy building. This one now serves as their local historical society museum. More research to be done here!