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Barrington, NH Completes Series!

2022 marks Barrington, New Hampshire’s 300 year anniversary. For the occasion, the Barrington Tricentennial Committee commissioned Hampshire Pewter to make a series of three custom pewter ornaments with one being released each year leading up to 2022.

Nottingham, NH Custom Ornament

Nottingham, New Hampshire has commissioned Hampshire Pewter to make a second ornament commemorating the town’s tricentennial. This year they chose to feature the Center School, located on Stage Road directly next to the Nottingham Police Department. The schoolhouse was built in the early 1800s and originally used as a church. Learn more about the Center School by clicking below.

250^th Anniversary | Northwood, NH

 While most of our custom projects are ornaments, we offer a variety of customizable products such as glassware, pins, keychains and coins. For Northwood’s 250^th anniversary they decided to have us create a custom coin for the occasion. Northwood is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire. It borders Deerfield, Epsom and Strafford, Barrington and Nottingham. It was first settled in 1763. To learn more about Northwood click below.

6th Ornament in Series

Each year, we’ve created custom ornaments for the Guilford Keeping Society beginning in 2016. This year, the Cranbrook Tower is featured. It is a cylindrical stone water tower built in 1869. The tower was built to supply water to the Abel Chittenden house at 1 Broad Street in Guilford Connecticut.

For the third in a series of five ornaments celebrating the 400-year anniversary of Dover, New Hampshire, the city chose to feature the Fire Station located on Central Avenue. It was built in 1899 when fighting fires was a lot different than today. It served as the Fire Departments headquarters for over a century. It is still used today.

The Swing Bridge in Milford, NH

The Swing Bridge is a 200 foot iron cable suspended footbridge, spanning the Souhegan River in Milford New Hampshire. Built in 1889, pedestrians continue to use the bridge to this day. It's located on Souhegan St. and crosses the river into downtown near Pine St. The custom ornament was commissioned by the Milford Historical Society.

St. George's Independent School - 2021 Ornament

St. George's has commissioned Hampshire Pewter to make several custom pieces over the years including keychains and ornaments. In 2021, the school chose one of our own ornament designs and customized it to make it their own. To read more about St. George's Independent School click below. 

Custom Ornament for the Jamestowne Society

Last year, Jamestowne Society exclusively funded the rebuilding of the Barracks Structure, originally built in 1607 at James Fort. They contacted us to create a custom pewter ornament to properly commemorate such a significant historical undertaking. This was our second ornament we have designed for the Jamestowne Society. In 2018, we created a replica of the Jamestown Church Bell which was in commemoration of the 400^th anniversary of the first General Assemply of Jamestown Colony in 1616. Both ornaments are currently available for purchase to members of the Jamestowne Society.

Barrington, NH – Barrington Depot

The Barrington Tricentennial Committee will be marking the 300^th Anniversary of Barrington, New Hampshire with a celebration in 2022. They have assigned us the task of creating a series of three custom ornaments, one of which was released last year. The first ornament features Barrington Depot, the town’s old train station that no longer remains.

North Church | 350th Anniversary

We have made many custom ornaments for churches over the years and last year we added the North Church of Portsmouth, New Hampshire to our growing list. North Church is a member of the United Church of Christ denomination. The historic building is located right in Market Square, the heart of downtown Portsmouth, and its’ famous steeple can be seen from the Piscataqua River and as far as the shore of Maine. 2021 marks the 350th anniversary of the North Church. 

Axe Handle Distilling | Custom Keychains

While most of our custom projects are ornaments, we offer a variety of customizable products such as glassware, pins, paperweights, medallions, and keychains. Axe Handle Distilling requested two styles of keychains to be sold in their gift shop. The distillery is located in Lee County, Virginia, tucked into the picturesque landscape of the Appalachian Mountains. Axe Handle offers both bourbon and rye whiskeys as well as American gin. While a new company, they are growing constantly and even added nine additional employees during the global pandemic. To learn more about Axe Handle Distilling click below.

Vandalia, Illinois | 200th Anniversary

One of our recent custom collaborations was with Vandalia Historical Society in Vandalia, Illinois to celebrate the cities 200^th Anniversary. The ornaments were given to all attendees of their 2019 Christmas Gala at the historic Vandalia Statehouse. The Gala was an elegant event held December 6^th with food, drinks and live music. The Vandalia Historical Society is responsible for maintaining the Little Brick House, supporting the Historic Vandalia Statehouse, and promoting the rich history of Vandalia and the impact it has had on the development and growth of Illinois.

Camp Calumet - Custom Ornament

Last year we were assigned the fun task of creating a custom ornament for Camp Calumet. The camp was founded in 1959 and is located on picturesque Lake Ossipee, in Freedom, NH. Calumet is a year-round ministry of the Lutheran churches in New England. The ornament design they chose features a starry sky, pine trees, two figures beside a bonfire and a large setting sun in the background. A small crescent moon is cut out of the ornament. The name of the camp is featured on a banner across the bottom and 2019 is written across the top. The back of the ornament shows Lake Ossipee with sailboats afloat as well as a canoe rack. Find out more about Calumet by clicking below.

Auburn, NH | 175 Years

Auburn, NH commissioned us to create a custom ornament commemorating their 175^th anniversary. Auburn is a small town located 12 miles east of Manchester, NH. The ornament design they chose features a minute man standing in front of the Lake Massabesic, the town’s largest body of water. Originally settled by Native Americans as a fishing village called Massabesic, meaning "the place of much water," Auburn was finally incorporated with its’ current town name in 1845. Auburn, NH provides the perfect balance of rural living amidst New England’s picturesque scenery, while still offering quick and easy access to the city.

Dover, NH celebrates 400 years!

We are honored to begin working with the city of Dover on a series of custom ornaments celebrating their upcoming 400^th anniversary in 2023. For the first ornament, the city chose to feature the William Damm Garrison house. The house is not only the oldest house in Dover, but one of the oldest intact garrison houses in the U.S. It was built in 1675 in the back river district of Dover by William Damm for his son, John. The house was given to the Woodman Institute, where it now resides, by Mrs. Ellen P. Rounds. The house contains many historic artifacts and is open for touring during Woodman Institutes hours of operation.

GAWDA - LINCOLN MEMORIAL CUSTOM PIECE

This will be our second year working with GAWDA on making a custom piece for their Annual Convention. In 2018 we collaborated to make a model of the Seattle Space Needle as the convention was held in Seattle, Washington. The 2019 Convention will be held in Washington, D.C. at the end of September, and we have collaborated to make a replica of the Lincoln Memorial. Founded in 1945 as the National Welding Supply Association (NWSA), the Gases and Welding Distributors Association (GAWDA) has represented the distributors and manufacturers of welding supplies and materials for decades. To find out more about this project click below. 

We are excited to add another geographic ornament to our Christmas ornament collection. The latest locale represented is Cape Cod, Massachusetts! The hand-cast pewter piece features the map of the peninsula in it’s well-known “flexing arm” shape. The cape is a vacation destination for thousands of people every summer. It is known for its quaint New England towns, beautiful shorelines, outdoor activities, and of course fresh locally-caught seafood. Cape Cod is a perfect escape for those in search of an idyllic beach getaway.

The town of Tilton, New Hampshire commissioned Hampshire Pewter to make a commemorative ornament celebrating the 150^th anniversary of Tilton’s establishment in 1869. We collaborated with Tilton and together, we came up with a unique design featuring a few of the town’s landmarks. The front of the ornament features the Tilton Memorial Arch, also referred to as Tilton’s Folly. It is a 55-foot tall arch built in 1882, by Charles Tilton. The structure is located on Elm Street in Northfield, NH, atop a hill overlooking the town of Tilton. The back of the ornament depicts a statue as well as the old Tilton railroad station. The statue is called Timetable Mabel and shows a beautiful lady atop an arch that says “Tilton” across it. The statue is made of Italian marble and used to stand in front of the railroad station. Now she lives near the entrance to Tilton Island Park.

PILGRIM MONUMENT - PROVINCETOWN, MA

BROOKFIELD, NH - 225th ANNIVERSARY

We have teamed up with the town of Brookfield, NH to make a custom ornament in celebration of the town’s 225^th anniversary. Incorporated in 1794, the Town of Brookfield, New Hampshire is in Carroll County and is home to Kingswood Lake. It is a small town with a population of only 712, according to the 2010 United States Census Bureau, and has a mere 23.3 square miles of land. Brookfield is proud to be a residential, rural community that has resisted the commercial development seen in surrounding New Hampshire. It maintain's it's small-town serenity to this day.

CASTLE IN THE CLOUDS - THIRD IN SERIES

Castle in the Clouds has commissioned Hampshire Pewter to do a third custom ornament for their series.  The custom piece we have collaborated on features the Fall of Songs, a 40-foot plunge waterfall. It flows from Shannon Brook and it is a short 0.1 mile walk from the main road. The first two ornaments in this series are of the castle itself, one of the front and one of the back.  

GUILFORD'S FOURTH IN SERIES

The Guilford Keeping Society, in Guilford, CT, has done it again. They have developed a commemorative ornament in conjunction with Hampshire Pewter depicting the Monroe Cottage on Grass Island aka the"Grass Island Shack"  This is the fourth in the series, the first being Mead Stone Tavern in 2016. The second in 2017 was the Thomas Griswold House, and the third in 2018 being Faulkner's Light. For more information about the Guilford Keeping Society please visit https://www.guilfordkeepingsociety.com/.  

TRAVEL ACCESSORIES

Summertime (and wintertime) is all about spending time relaxing and exploring with your family and friends. You may have planned trips to tropical beaches, lakeside campsites, family members across the country, and destinations abroad. Maybe you are a skier or snowboarder, maybe you enjoy winter mountain climbing.  The keys to having a safe and enjoyable time while travelling include having a plan, knowing some tips and tricks, and having the right accessories.  Hampshire Pewter and Laser Creations USA can help with some of these items, like bag tags for luggage, backpacks, tent bags, golf clubs, etc.  We also have sturdy oil lamps to take to the ski lodge for light, some heat and ambiance.  Finally, what could be better than an engraved picture frame for all those memorable pictures you take.