Northern New England is full of reminders of past lives: stone walls, old foundations, a century-old lilac struggling to survive as the forest reclaims a once-sunny dooryard. What forces shaped the settlement and later abandonment of these places? Adair Mulligan explores the rich story to be discovered in what remains. See how one town has set out to create an inventory of its cellar holes, piecing together the clues in the landscape. Such a project can help landowners know what to do if they have archaeological sites on their land and help stimulate interest in a town’s future through its past.

5:30 to 6:30 p.m. via Zoom. To get the login details, register here. Please save the confirmation email you receive from Zoom to access at the time of the event. Closed captioning will be available. For more information, contact Susie Spikol. Note: This talk will not be recorded, so we hope you can join us live!

This event is part of the New Hampshire Humanities “Humanities to Go” series.

About Adair Mulligan

Fascinated by the natural and cultural history of northern New England, Adair Mulligan is the author of The Gunstock Parish: A History of Gilford, New Hampshire. She has also contributed to Proud to Live Here in the Connecticut River Valley; Where the Great River Rises: An Atlas of the Upper Connecticut River; and Beyond the Notches: Stories of Place in New Hampshire’s North Country. Formerly executive director of the Hanover Conservancy, conservation director of the Connecticut River Joint Commissions, and education director of NH Audubon, she serves on the Orford Conservation Commission and board of directors of the Lyme Historians. She holds an MA from Smith College.

Stone walls and cellar holes hold clues to the past. (photo © Brett Amy Thelen)