For centuries, the rural wooded village and Shaker colony of Canterbury has inspired its own share of tales from visitors and locals long drawn to its rich history, unrivaled artistry, kind neighbors and cherished traditions.
Named in 1727 for William Wake, Archbishop of Canterbury, the town of Canterbury saw early life as a militia timber fort and trading post for the British with the Pennacook Indians. It was through the construction of the Shaker Village in 1792, however, that this town would gain its most famous and lasting landmark.
One of 19 such villages built in the U.S. from Maine to Kentucky, Canterbury’s self-contained Christian colony at its peak housed more than 300 people, who lived, worked and worshipped in 100 buildings on 4,000 acres, and made their living through agriculture, and by manufacturing textiles, furniture and other products hailed for their superior craftsmanship. Though the last resident passed away more than 15 years ago, the Shaker Village today survives as a fully-restored living museum and time machine – one of only a handful remaining – interpreting 200 years of Shaker life through exhibits, architecture, gardens, programs and tours.
It also lives on in the artisanship of Canterbury residents, many of whose work was taught or inspired by Shaker techniques. The town is dotted with studios and workshops of Shaker apprentices, from textile artists and carpenters to nationally-renowned furniture builders like David Lamb, who continues to bring the flavor of 100-year-ago technology into his operation.
This work ethic lives on in other operations, as well. No visit to Canterbury during sugaring season is complete without a stop to the Hutchinson Family Sugarhouse, where Roy Hutchinson and his son are now in their 50th year of tapping trees and turning out some of the sweetest maple syrup around; or to the billowing chimney at Fox Smokehouse, where owner Matthew Fox for years has boasted some of the region’s tastiest hams and bacon.
Elsewhere, you’ll want to visit Canterbury Country Store, a century-year-old institution in Canterbury’s iconic whitewashed town center, where regulars stream in and out all day long having their humps busted in good humor by longtime proprietors – and the town’s unofficial welcome wagon – Toni and Joe Halla.
Correction: The February/March issue identified Dr. Edwin Crafts Remick as one of Tamworth’s earliest founders. Dr. Remick was a 20th century town leader, who passed away in 1993.
Town Facts
by Michael DeBlasi
• Population of 2,312 (est. 2007)
• Located in Merrimack County, Canterbury
lies within the Merrimack River
watershed, bounded by the Merrimack
River on the west and drained on the
east by the Soucook River
• Canterbury’s highest point is an unnamed
summit near Forest Pond, approximately
1,390 feet above sea level
• The current site of Canterbury Shaker
Village, designated a National Historic
Landmark in 1969, features 25 original
Shaker buildings, 4 reconstructed
buildings and 694 acres of forest, fields,
gardens and mill ponds
• The annual Canterbury Fair
is held on the last Saturday
in July. At its peak in 1981,
the fair, which celebrates
its 51st year in 2009,
attracted 10,000 people
and received recognition
as part of a National
Geographic Society listing
of outstanding attractions
nationwide
