Physical Location of Museum and other VIS property:
The Melville Academy Museum, built in 1833, maintained by the Jaffrey
Center Village Improvement Sociey since 1919 (and depicted in our logo),
is on Thorndike Pond Road at the corner of Blackberry Lane. From Route
202 in Jaffrey, take Route 124 west just past The Inn at Jaffrey Center
and turn right on Thorndike Pond Road. Melville Academy is one block down on the left.
The VIS also owns
and maintains
six properties
in Jaffrey Center
as parks, open
spaces, and
wildlife habitats. Cutter Park is
the village
green on Route
124 between
Thorndike Pond
Road and the
blinking yellow
light at Laban
Ainsworth. The
Swale is the
meadow behind
the houses at the
corner of Route
124 and Thorndike
Pond Road. The
VIS also helps
the town and other
organizations maintain
the Meetinghouse,
built in 1775.
Dates and Hours of Operation: Melville Academy is open to the public
on Saturdays and Sundays during July and August from 2 to 4, and by
special request (Contact: housechair@jcvis.org. There are no fees).
Collection or Exhibit Highlights: Melville Academy has an excellent
collection of Hannah Davis Bandboxes, scrapbooks documenting VIS activities,
19th century kitchen and agricultural tools, samplers made by local
residents in the early 19th century, the old mailboxes of the Jaffrey
Center Post Office (which closed in 1991), and other artifacts relating
to life in 19th century Jaffrey Center. The upstairs has been maintained
as a schoolroom, with information on Melville Academy. The Academy
opened its doors in 1833 and later served as a public school. The
school was closed by the town in 1920.
Dues and Membership: Open to all persons interested in preserving
the natural beauty and historical structures of Jaffrey Center. Annual
dues are $10.
Meetings:
Annual meeting
held on Sunday,
July 26th, 4
pm at Melville
Academy.
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 722, Jaffrey, NH 03452
Contact: Ken
Campbell, President. Email: President@jcvis.org
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