Historic Hillsborough, New Hampshire
Home of the Hillsborough Historical Society
How did Hillsborough’s Curtains
End Up in Goshen?
In 1963 the Hillsborough grange closed and sold its curtains to the Goshen Grange. The Sunapee Mt. Grange survived for many more years. When that grange hall closed in 2002, it was donated to the town of Goshen and residents formed the “Friends of Goshen Grange Hall” to raise money for renovations to the building. It was through the efforts to preserve the Goshen Grange Hall that the theatre curtains were resurrected.
Documents from the Sunapee Mt. Grange in Goshen record that three of “the roll up curtains were purchased by the Home Ec, when Hillsborough Grange had to give up their hall.” A check for $36 was written on February 23, 1963 to secure the deal, including purchase of dishes and a clock as part of the lot. Two of the curtains were painted for Hillsborough New Hampshire Grange approximately 75 years ago.
The “Grand Drape,” painted and signed by A.S. Ives, is dated 1933, measures 8' x 14'4" and displays a well-known, double-arched stone bridge in Hillsborough framed with velvet curtains held aside by cupids.
“One of the nice things about the Hillsborough curtains—especially the Grand Drape of the Twin Bridges—is that it is clear it is Hillsborough, and that it couldn’t be anywhere else,” notes Hadsel. “Many Grand Drapes illustrated generic representations of history or far away lands such as Venice. It’s especially nice that Hillsborough has its own romantic image, in this case the bridge.”
An unsigned “Street Scene” curtain portrays whimsical buildings and a floating dirigible festooned with advertisements for Hillsborough businesses. There is a central “airship” in the upper sky. There are similar advertising curtains in Vermont, but Hillsborough’s is more finely painted. Unsigned but possibly painted by Robert Naves during the 1930s, this curtain measures 9'6" x 14'4".
“The advertising curtain is special because, even if individual businesses are no longer around, there are still a lot of people who are related to those who were alive when they were,” says Hadsel. “The curtains provide a snapshot of what life was like in the 30s in Hillsborough.”
A third curtain, “Rosewald Farm,” differs in style from the other two and was probably painted as the backdrop for a play.
The fourth curtain discovered more recently, “Newport Advertising,” has a lively stream (possibly the Sugar River) in its center surrounded by advertisements for Newport area businesses. How this fourth curtain ended up in Goshen is still unknown.