Paul Oman
Pittsfield, NH 03263
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NORTHWOOD NH
Pittsfield NH /Northwood NH - (find
us on BING)
Digital Photos
by
Paul Oman
Homes, schools, businesses, pictures, links from the Town of Northwood, NH
Northwood, NH - Enjoy digital views of Harvey Lake
Northwood, NH Harvey Lake Boats and Homes
Below are just a few teaser images before you link to our third party online photo album
Appropriate Audio
Harvey Lake is one of about five lakes in Northwood, NH and at 95 acres, it is number four in size, with only one other Northwood lake smaller. The smaller Lucas Pond, doesn't allow motor boats. The other lakes, include Harvey Lake, do allow boats with motors. The three larger lakes are much larger and thus have the lion's share of motor boat traffic. This keeps Harvey Lake nice and quiet!
Northwood is located midway between the New Hamsphire seacoast communities (Portsmouth, Durham, etc.) and the state capital, Concord, located in the middle of the state. The road connecting the coast to the capital is one of the first highways in the state, going back to colonial times. Northwood, with it lakes and level ground, was a convenient stopping point along that road. Thus, besides the ever present farms (which supplied produce to both the capital and seacoast), the town has a history of Inns and eating establishments that continued into the 1970s. Today, the highway through town is know as Antique Alley (which even has its own web site) and consists of one antique shop after another. Two other noteworthy Northwood stops along the highway are the tiny Northwood Meadows State Park (a great place to walk) and the Puzzle Time jigsaw puzzle shop which is practically across the street from the State Park. Johnsons Seafood and Dairy Bar is also located on the highway in Northwood and is the best and largest restaurant between Portsmouth and Concord. Originally opened around 1950 (under different owners) the outdoor walk up dairy bar is always packed all summer long and its ice cream regularly gets high marks in 'best ice cream' surveys. The restaurant is large and comfortable with a good menu and very reasonable prices. I love their clam chowder.
Like most old New Hampshire towns, the original Northwood consisted of several 'sub-towns' located a few miles
from each other. These days, it is all blended together, but the result is no 'central downtown' or town green.
There is an old church and cemetery here, and another one a few miles away. Main Street and School Street are no
longer the busy center of town and there are no schools left on School Street. For most folks today, Northwood
consists of about seven miles of highway with lots of antique shops, old homes, a few glimpses of lake views, a
couple of schools and small businesses on either side of the road. Except for maybe stopping for ice cream or dinner
at Johnsons, most folks just 'pass through' Northwood heading east toward the seacoast (and Interstate 95) or west
toward Concord (and Interstates 93 and 89).
Harvey Lake - Northwood, NH
The dog days of summer, maybe?
Harvey Lake - Northwood, NH
"Blueberry Point" - Lakeside living
burned down sept 2019
Harvey Lake - Northwood, NH
Take your shoes off, rest a spell!
Harvey Lake - Northwood, NH
Winter Fun on Harvey Lake
"There is nothing nicer than experiencing early morning on a bright summer day at a New Hampshire lake. My own experiences at 100 acre Harvey Lake in Northwood, NH illustrates that point well.
Mid summer in New Hampshire can be nasty. The humidity is always high and the temperatures are generally in the
80s. The dark thick trees and plants, along with the well insulated, non-air conditioned houses absorb all the
heat and humidity and radiate it back at you by mid-day. Except for sitting in the shade sipping on some sweet
ice tea, outdoor activities such as yard work or gardening can be most uncomfortable.
But lakeside life is much better, especially on the down wind side of the lake.There is generally a breeze, hopefully
light and refreshing and not blowing too hard. This is in sharp contrast to the hot stillness found everywhere
else, places shielded by vegetation and hillsides. There is a coolness too, given off by the water and carried
by the breeze that is refreshing.
And in the early mornings the scenery is easy on the eyes and ears. No loud motorized crafts loaded with children
screening in glee and leaving behind wakes to rock boats, slam against shorelines and ruffle the surfaces of where
lake meets land. The mornings are generally filled with silently moving crafts occupied by a silent fisherman or
two patiently sampling the water for fish. Ducks and other marine birds, often with their young swim by undisturbed.
And on some days the cry and the deeply submerged body of a loon or two add to the landscape.
Add to that a comfortable chair on the shore of the lake and perhaps the smell of bacon from a nearby kitchen.
The pull of the not too hot, not too cold, lake water with its rocky but sometimes mucky, watch your step, bottom
is what summer down time is all about. Harvey Lake summers."
The show continues
Northwood NH - Harvey Lake Weather
(note: data below is for Concord, NH - about 15 miles west of Northwood)
| DATE | AVERAGE HIGH | AVERAGE LOW | RECORD HIGH | RECORD LOW | SUNRISE | SUNSET |
| May 1 | 64 | 37 | 88 | 26 | 5:39 | 7:47 |
| May 5 | 66 | 39 | 91 | 25 | 5:33 | 7:52 |
| May 8 | 67 | 40 | 93 | 22 | 5:30 | 7:55 |
| May 13 | 69 | 41 | 88 | 27 | 5:24 | 8:00 |
| May 20 | 71 | 44 | 96 | 25 | 5:17 | 8:08 |
| May 28 | 74 | 46 | 94 | 29 | 5:10 | 8:15 |
| June 5 | 76 | 49 | 93 | 35 | 5:06 | 8:22 |
| June 8 | 76 | 50 | 93 | 34 | 5:05 (min early) | 8:24 |
| June 19 | 79 | 53 | 98 | 36 | 5:05 | 8:28 |
| June 20 | 79 | 53 | 98 | 37 | 5:05 | 8:29 (latest) |
| June 22 | 79 | 54 | 95 | 37 | 5:05 | 8:29 |
| June 23 | 80 | 54 | 94 | 39 | 5:06 (going shorter) | 8:29 |
| JULY 4TH | 82 | 56 | 95 | 40 | 5:11 | 8:28 (going shorter) |
| July 20 | 83 | 58 (max high) | 101 | 41 | 5:23 | 8:19 |
| July 21 | 84 (max high) | 58 | 101 | 41 | 5:24 | 8:19 |
| July 27 | 83 (going down) | 58 | 97 | 37 | 5:30 | 8:13 |
| Aug. 7 | 83 | 57 | 96 | 41 | 5:42 | 8:00 |
| Aug. 8 | 82 | 57 (going down) | 95 | 42 | 5:43 | 7:58 |
| Aug. 23 | 80 | 54 | 91 | 38 | 5:59 | 7:36 |
| Aug. 24 | 79 | 54 | 95 | 38 | 6:00 | 7:34 |
| Aug. 27 | 79 | 53 | 96 | 36 | 6:04 | 7:29 |
| 9/05 (LABORDAY) | 76 | 51 | 91 | 35 | 6:13 | 7:14 |
| Sept. 8 | 75 | 49 | 94 | 32 | 6:17 | 7:08 |
| Sept. 9 | 74 | 49 | 95 | 30 | 6:18 | 7:06 |
| Sept. 12 | 73 | 48 | 91 | 30 | 6:21 | 7:01 |
| Sept. 20 | 71 | 45 | 92 | 28 | 6:30 | 6:46 |
| Sept. 24 | 69 | 43 | 87 | 24 | 6:34 | 6:39 |
| Sept. 27 | 70 | 44 | 92 | 28 | 6:32 | 6:43 |
| Sept. 29 | 67 | 41 | 86 | 25 | 6:44 | 6:30 |
| Oct. 4 | 65 | 39 | 84 | 22 | 6:46 | 6:21 |
| Oct.7 | 64 | 38 | 90 | 21 | 6:49 | 6:16 |
| Oct. 16 | 61 | 35 | 87 | 17 | 7:00 | 6:01 |
| Oct. 17 | 60 | 34 | 89 | 14 | 7:02 | 5:59 |
| Oct. 19 | 59 | 34 | 82 | 11 | 7:04 | 5:56 |
| Oct. 25 | 57 | 32 (first freeze) | 83 | 16 | 7:12 | 5:47 |
| Oct. 28 | 56 | 32 | 78 | 11 | 7:15 (latest dst) | 5:43 (end dst) |
| Oct. 31 | 54 | 31 | 78 | 14 | 6:19 | 4:38 |
| Nov. 6 | 52 | 30 | 75 | 14 | 6:27 | 4:30 |
| Nov. 9 | 50 | 30 | 74 | 11 | 6:30 | 4:27 |
| Nov. 11 | 50 | 29 | 70 | 9 | 6:33 | 4:25 |
| Nov. 12 | 49 | 29 | 65 | 7 | 6:34 | 4:24 |
| 11/23 (THANKSG) | 44 | 25 | 73 | -1 | 6:48 | 4:15 |
| Nov. 26 | 43 | 24 | 64 | -2 | 6:52 | 4:13 |
| Dec. 3 | 40 | 21 | 60 | -4 | 7:00 | 4:10 |
| Dec. 5 | 39 | 20 | 62 | -7 | 7:02 | 4:10 |
| Dec. 7 | 38 | 19 | 65 | -5 | 7:04 | 4:09 (shortest est) |
| Dec. 12 | 36 | 17 | 67 | -15 | 7:08 | 4:10 (going longer) |
| Dec. 19 | 34 | 15 | 60 | -16 | 7:13 | 4:11 |
| Dec. 21 | 34 | 14 | 60 | -21 | 7:15 | 4:12 |
| CHISTMAS | 33 | 13 | 55 | -18 | 7:16 | 4:15 |
| Dec. 27 | 32 (first subfreeze) | 13 | 58 | -8 | 7:17 | 4:16 |
| Dec. 30 | 32 | 12 | 54 | -21 | 7:18 (latest est) | 4:15 |
| Jan. 8 | 31 | 10 | 59 | -25 | 7:17 (going longer) | 4:27 |
| Jan. 11 | 30 (min low) | 10 | 58 | -27 | 7:17 | 4:30 |
| Jan. 15 | 30 | 9 (min low) | 63 | -19 | 7:15 | 4:35 |
| Jan. 24 | 31 (going up) | 9 | 57 | -27 | 7:09 | 4:46 |
| Jan. 29 | 31 | 10 (going up) | 48 | -21 | 7:04 | 4:53 |
| Feb. 2 | 31 | 10 | 52 | -15 | 7:00 | 4:59 |
| Feb. 3 | 32 | 10 | 52 | -15 | 6:59 | 5:00 |
| Feb. 9 | 33 (first nonfreeze) | 11 | 57 | -19 | 6:52 | 5:08 |
| Feb. 13 | 34 | 12 | 60 | -23 | 6:46 | 5:14 |
| Feb. 19 | 35 | 14 | 64 | -13 | 6:37 | 5:22 |
| Feb. 24 | 36 | 15 | 62 | -13 | 6:30 | 5:28 |
| Feb. 26 | 37 | 16 | 66 | -15 | 6:26 | 5:31 |
| March 3 | 39 | 18 | 59 | -11 | 6:18 | 5:37 |
| March 5 | 40 | 19 | 61 | -4 | 6:15 | 5:40 |
| March 14 | 43 | 22 | 72 | -11 | 6:59 (dst) | 5:51 (dst) |
| March 16 | 44 | 23 | 68 | 2 | 6:56 | 6:53 |
| March 18 | 44 | 24 | 64 | -13 | 6:52 | 6:55 |
| March 22 | 46 | 25 | 74 | 5 | 6:45 | 7:00 |
| March 28 | 49 | 27 | 82 | 2 | 6:33 | 7:08 |
| March 31 | 50 | 28 | 69 | 10 | 6:29 | 7:10 |
| April 2 | 51 | 28 | 73 | 13 | 6:25 | 7:15 |
| April 4 | 52 | 29 | 77 | 9 | 6:22 | 7:16 |
| April 8 | 54 | 30 | 77 | 12 | 6:13 | 7:21 |
| April 16 | 57 | 32 | 88 | 15 | 6:02 | 7:30 |
| April 17 | 58 | 33 (first nonfreeze) | 94 | 18 | 6:00 | 7:31 |
| April 20 | 59 | 34 | 92 | 16 | 5:55 | 7:34 |
RAINFALL:
Rainfall is a pretty uniform 3 to 3.5 inches each month (about 35-40 inches per year). Of course, in winter the rain becomes snow. One inch of snow forms 4.5 to 6 inches of snow. Average annual snowfall is about 60-65 inches each year (about 4 inches in Nov., 14 inches in Dec., 18 inches in Jan., 14 inches in Feb., 11.5 inches in March, and 2.5 inches in April).
CLOUD COVER:
Approx. 25% of the days are clear and cloud free; 25% are partly cloudy and 50% of the days are considered cloudy. Again, these percentages are pretty constant all through the different months.
Northwood, NH History (copyright - Northwood Historical Society)
As explained in the Northwood Historical Society web site
Northwood – A Brief History
A small town in southeastern New Hampshire, Northwood was originally part of the Nottingham Grant of 1722 with the first settlers making their way to the area that would become Northwood in 1763.
Ten years later, Northwood was founded when its first settlers successfully petitioned the Governor’s Council requesting separation from Nottingham. Because this section of Nottingham had been known as the great north woods, the newly formed town was called Northwood.
Our first town meeting took place on March 23, 1773. At that meeting the town voted to raise six pounds lawful money for preaching, and seven pounds, four shillings for schooling. As the town grew, nine school districts were formed so that no child had to walk more than a mile to school.
Two years later, our first census showed a total of 313 people in town. By 1860, that number had swelled to 1502 and by 1930 we counted only 873 souls. Today, about 3200 persons are full-time residents with nearly twice as many having second homes here.
The first New Hampshire Turnpike was built about 1800 to connect Portsmouth – New Hampshire only seaport – with the state capital, Concord; it runs the length of Northwood. Now called Route Four, the highway has been a major influence on the town since it was constructed. Throughout the 19th century, our many early taverns accommodated sledge and stage passengers. In the 20th century travelers with speedier vehicles have enjoyed our summer boarding houses, overnight cabins, motels and restaurants. Other visitors, not seeking food or sleep, go antiquing in the dozens of shops along the road.
An important factor in our earlier history was the shoe industry, which came along about 1830 and flourished for the next century. At one time, Northwood had three large shoe factories. In addition, many local families, who farmed during the spring, summer and fall, spent the long winters turning out shoes and parts for shoes. As the demand increased, more people spent more time filling that demand. By the early years of the 20thcentury, the industry was dying in Northwood, but lingered on until about 1930 when the last shoe factory was closed.
Thousands of motorists each day see our town only as they hurry along our eight-mile "main street." Though Northwood is sometimes called a bedroom community, there are more than one hundred small businesses in town, employing from one to twenty-five workers each.
Northwood is proud of the nine lakes and ponds, which are either totally or partially located in town (Little Bow, Bow, Harvey, Jenness Pond, Wild Goose, Durgin Pond, Northwood and Pleasant Lakes, Lucas and North River Ponds). In addition our mountain views, miles of country roads, and many lovely old homes and public buildings make Northwood the perfect place to visit or in which to settle down.
This information was obtained and in most cases directly quoted from the following sources: Northern Comforts: A collection of recipes from old timers, new timers, & summer timers of Northwood, New Hampshire(prepared to celebrate Northwood’s 225th Anniversary in 1998); The Northwood Guide (undated, but about 1950; published by the Northwood Community Association); and A Guide to the History and Old Dwelling Places of Northwood, New Hampshire, Written and Compiled by Joann Weeks Bailey, 2nd edition, 1992.
Contributed by Janet Clark
Northwood Historical Society home
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