Views and Reviews of Old Rockingham
By Roland D. Sawyer
Hampton Union, December 25, 1947
[The following article is courtesy of the Hampton Union and Seacoast Online.]
[Photos not in the original newspaper article]
The Garland Homestead on Winnacunnet road is one of the oldest family owned and operated farms in this section of the country. The first Garland living on the place was John, who settled there in 1650, coming to Hampton from Charlestown, Mass., where he originally settled. David and Barbara, son and daughter of Mr. and Mrs. O. Raymond Garland are the 10th generation living on the place.
The present house is the second residence on the property and was built about 1812. The so-called John Price house on High Street is the ell of the original Garland house that was torn down in the 1890's. The 84 foot bar was built in 1809. The original house was built further west looking south over the river and marshes, as did all that other houses built in that day. This section of Winnacunnet road was then called Sandy Lane.
Although practically every place on Winnacunnet road was originally a farm, at present the Garland Farm is the only one being farmed to any extent today. The present owner, O. Raymond Garland, operates it principally as a poultry and market garden proposition.
At one time the Garlands operated a tannery on the place and the late A. Dana Garland, father of Raymond, could recall seeing hides drying on all the back fences. To show how short is the history of our country, he could remember well his grandfather who was born before the War of the Revolution.
Among the papers in the house are four of considerable interest as they are the army commission papers of Jonathan Garland. The first was issued in 1772 when New Hampshire was a province and was signed by John Wentworth, Captain-General and Governor in Chief of the Province. Then follows one issued in 1775 signed by Matthew Thornton, President of the Congress of the Colony of New Hampshire and one issued in 1776 by Mr. Weare, President of the Council of the Colony of New Hampshire. Finally, one issued in 1786, signed by John Sullivan, President of the State of New Hampshire. Jonathan Garland was buried in the Pine Grove cemetery. [Note: This is incorrect. He was actually buried in the Ring Swamp Cemetery .]
For many years Garlands was a popular summer boarder establishment being operated as such by Mr. and Mrs. A. Dana Garland. To this day people stop in to talk about the pleasant times they had while stopping here.
