Rocks Estate Wedding in 2016 ---
 

Bob Jensen at Trinity University 

About 10 miles from our cottage (just off I-93 Exit 40) is a park now known as The Rocks Estate
This park is popular for hiking, weddings, hose-drawn wagon rides,and other events
For reasons explained below it's also a popular Christmas tree farm

The Rocks Estate Near Bethlehem, New Hampshire --- http://www.therocks.org/

The heritage of The Rocks Estate reaches from the pastoral beauty of the 1800s through the property's modern day role as a conservation and education center for the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests.

The rambling stone walls and carefully restored historic buildings at The Rocks Estate evoke the pastoral beauty of the turn of the 20th Century in New Hampshire. Now home to the 1,400-acre North Country Conservation & Education Center for the Forest Society, The Rocks was for many years the summer home of Chicago businessman and International Harvester cofounder John Jacob Glessner and his family.

Glessner, his wife Frances, and their children George and Fanny began visiting New Hampshire's North Country in 1878, seeking refuge in the clean mountain air for George's hay fever during the summer months. In 1882 Glessner purchased a 100-acre farm from Oren Streeter for $2,300. He had the Big House, the family's summer residence, constructed in the Queen Anne Style of architecture in 1883. Designed by Isaac Elwood Scott, the 19-room mansion was situated high on a hill, with spectacular views of the White Mountains. Over the years, the Glessners constructed various buildings, built elaborate gardens (including a formal garden designed by Frederick Law Olmsted's company), and added land to their Rocks Estate.

The Carriage Barn

The family would travel each summer via train from Chicago, with several servants preceding them to prepare the property for the Glessners' arrival. The Rocks Estate boasted a windmill, green house, bee house, observatory, and many other structures. Although the Big House and other residences at The Rocks were removed in the late 1940s, many of the property's original buildings have been restored and are in use today. The Rocks is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In 1978, John and Frances Glessner's grandchildren donated the 1,400-acre Rocks Estate, including 22 buildings, to the Forest Society, with the requirement that there always be a crop in the field. For more than three decades, that crop has been Christmas trees, and people come to The Rocks from near and far each year to find their perfect tree.

The Forest Society offers a host of other activities at The Rocks throughout the year, from the popular springtime Maple Tours and school programs to various natural history talks and customized experiential tours for small groups. The trail system at The Rocks is open daily to visitors and includes the Heritage Trail (Map: 426 KB pdf), which passes and interprets many of the historic buildings on this beautiful property.

On September 6, 2016 one of the sons of our pastor at the Sugar Hill Community Church Was Married at the Rocks Hill Estate
The groom, Parker, is one of 10 children in the family of Rev. Ned Wilson and his wife Teresa
When the family moved to Sugar Hill from Colorado they purchased a B&B beside the church
They restored it into a totally remodeled home for their large family

This is Ned and Teresa before the wedding ceremony
Ned is the pastor of our church
Teresa is our church pianist

The is Ned and Teresa with their latest grandchild who lives in nearby Vermont

This is Ned with a member of our church who officiated at the Wedding
Bill's words about love that day are etched in my memory

Parker is a young policeman in the nearby Village of Bethlehem
These are five of his sisters in this beautiful family

Waiting for the bride and her father

Ringing in the new marriage

The reception was catered by Chef Joe inside the Estate's big barn

Parker's Brother Landen clowning around

This is the Information Center for the Estate

This was the main home on the Estate in the 1800s

This was the nearby (about two miles) Village of Bethlehem in the 1900s

This is main street of the Village of Bethlehem in more recent times
Note the more distant mountains in the background
The road (Highway 302) leads up to Mt. Washington

Near the base of Mt. Washington you can get tickets for a ride on the Cog Railroad
These pictures were taken beside the US Weather Station on top of the mountain

More Pictures of the Cog Railroad

http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/Tidbits/CogRailroad/History1/CogRailroadHistory.htm

http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/Tidbits/Mountains/HistoryWhiteMountains/01/HistoryWhiteMoutains01.htm

Bob Jensen's Photographs of Lake Champlain --- http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/tidbits/Lakes/Set02/LakesSet02.htm

Bob Jensen's Photographs of Moosehead Lake --- http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/tidbits/Lakes/Set03/LakesSet03.htm

Bob Jensen's Photographs of Maine --- www.trinity.edu/rjensen/tidbits/States/Maine/Set01/Maine01.htm

Bob Jensen's Photographs of Vermont --- www.trinity.edu/rjensen/tidbits/States/Vermont/Set01/Vermont01.htm

Lakes in New Hampshire --- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lakes_in_New_Hampshire

Oceans in My Life (Including My Navy Days)
http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/Tidbits/Ocean/Set01/OceanSet01.htm

More of Bob Jensen's Pictures and Stories
http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/Pictures.htm

On May 14, 2006 I retired from Trinity University after a long and wonderful career as an accounting professor in four universities. I was generously granted "Emeritus" status by the Trustees of Trinity University. My wife and I now live in a cottage in the White Mountains of New Hampshire ---
http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/NHcottage/NHcottage.htm

Bob Jensen's Blogs --- http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/JensenBlogs.htm
Current and past editions of my newsletter called New Bookmarks --- http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/bookurl.htm
Current and past editions of my newsletter called Tidbits --- http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/TidbitsDirectory.htm
Current and past editions of my newsletter called Fraud Updates --- http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/FraudUpdates.htm
Bob Jensen's past presentations and lectures --- http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/resume.htm#Presentations   

Our address is 190 Sunset Hill Road, Sugar Hill, New Hampshire
Our cottage was known as the Brayton Cottage in the early 1900s
Sunset Hill is a ridge overlooking with New Hampshire's White Mountains to the East
and Vermont's Green Mountains to the West

Bob Jensen's Threads --- http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/threads.htm

Bob Jensen's Home Page --- http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/