For years, when I took the state road instead of the highway to my former job in Concord, NH, I’d pass by the back of Wilkins Lumber in Milford, NH. I could see a smokestack and some old red buildings. Now seems like a good time to check out things that I’ve been meaning to explore provided that it allows me to keep a social distance from others. I drove there today and parked next to Hartshorn Pond. A brook of the same name flows out over a dam (a future post) and then steeply down to the mill. The driveway to the mill was located on the other side of the property. After passing an old trailer that serves as the lumber mill’s sign (pictured above), I came to a spot where the slope to walk directly from the road to the mill wasn’t so steep. I hiked down it and found myself inside a cluster of buildings. Here you can see a smokestack standing alone next to a building whose purpose I’m not quite sure. The B&W image shows the mill itself. Look at the post and beam work. You can see the brook flowed under the mill presumably to power it back in the day when water power was the way to go. The other shot is a piece of milling equipment that I believe is a planer. Today, there is a modern power box on the wall next to it. It was a fun shoot that was in the back of my mind for a long time. What shoots have you been meaning to get to?
What an intriguing group of photos! I’m very curious about that smokestack.
I am too. It was freestanding. One theory is that they once had a steam-plant to power the mill.
That seems logical.
Interesting place! Of late, I’ve been trying to think of places that would allow me to use a drone to explore the area for unique views. So far, it’s just been the Arizona desert.
Yes, there are a lot of regulations around drones and you can only take so much footage of the desert. The National Parks are out. I don’t know.
As a licensed drone pilot, I know a lot about where it is possible to fly them… unfortunately, many of those places aren’t particularly photogenic. 🙂
Many parks are out, already ruined by individuals who have no regard for others while they play with their new toy.
Nice bit of history. Is this where Woody came from? 🙂
Thanks, Teri. Negative. Except for the screws and other hardware that keep hime together, he is all salvage from the yard or the town dump. He’s rather proud of his heritage.
He came from modest beginnings 🙂
But he’s proud of his beginnings.
I drove downtown yesterday. Everything is closed except for the restaurants providing to-go dinners. No fishermen, nothing….. Our governor is thinking about making Florida a stay-at-home state.
We might as well be. The only place I see people other than the grocery store is walking on hiking trails.
What a great location, and I love the black and white shot.
Thank you! 😊
I had to google “smokestack”, it’s the chimney, right? The bw image has a very ancient-archives feel… nice set of images, Chris!
No shoots planned, we are stuck at home at this point…
Yes, it’s a big chimney. Thank you, Alex. I’m glad you enjoyed them.
Great pics and a nice piece of history!
Thank you, Kirt. It was really interesting to see it and how it’s gone from water to electric power over the years.
There is a shot in Providence that I haven’t gotten to my satisfaction yet. It involves the early morning sun through a gate onto a stone wall, and it is not available all year as the position of the sun keeps changing. Reminds of the the one hour of the year when the angle of the sun allows Bilbo to see the keyhole for the dragon Smaug’s back door.
Those are tricky shots that take a lot of patience and visits to the spot. Good luck.
Nice pictures Chris! There are a few old farm properties I’ve wanted to photograph but they are hard to get to off of busy 2 lane highways. I really like the black and white above.
Thank you, Sandra. Sometimes it’s really tricky getting to places. When I’m planning photo shoots, I often spend a lot of time looking at satellite views on Google Maps. Have a good night. 💤
That’s a really good idea Chris. I should try that. You have a good night too!
Enjoyed this insight into a hidden world.
Stay well
Regards Thom
Thank yuo. You as well, Thom.
Really love these photos and posts like this one, Chris! The honey-colored wood and green roof look so lovely, as does the mill itself. How wonderful that you can still go out doing these photo shoots, keeping distance here in the city is a real challenge these days, and I reckon the best thing I can do to help our doctors and nurses is to stay home at the moment. Although I’ve been toying with the idea to have a little look at Berlin Mitte – without the tourists it could be a nice opportunity for some good shots. 😉
Thank you, Sarah. Yes, most places in Berlin are likely empty. I’m wary of going into Boston because the state has many cases of people testing positive for Coronavirus.
Same here. And I don’t really want the police to take notice of me going on a photo shoot instead of grocery shopping. 😉
Maybe you could take a few pics on the way to the grocery store. 😉
Haha! Good thinking! 😉