Welcome to the Downtown Derry Historical Walking Tours!
Enjoy two walking tours focusing on Downtown Derry from 1850-1950. During this time, Broadway went from residential to industrial and welcomed the advent of electricity, the automobile, and telephone services. It saw social clubs and fraternal orders come and go. It welcomed new residents, saw the rise and fall of prohibition, built libraries and churches, and much more. There are three ways to view each tour:
a) Utilize the Geotourist app and listen as you walk.
b) Access Geotourist.com and explore from the comfort of your own home.
c) Grab an abbreviated print version and travel the old fashioned way.
East Broadway Downtown Derry Historical Walking Tour:
The East Broadway walking tour travels west down Broadway, departing from the Derry Public Library toward Sabatino's, where it then crosses the street and travels back to the library.
How to take the tour:
a) Listen as you walk: Download the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play. Click here for detailed instructions.
b) Explore from home: Visit Geotourist.com to listen or read the history from your computer.
c) Explore in print: Download the pamphlet, or pick up a copy from the library.
West Broadway Downtown Derry Historical Walking Tour
This West Broadway tour takes you from 6 West Broadway, the Depot Building, to 32 West Broadway, The Foundation Kitchen and Bar, then crosses to the Adams Memorial Building and heads back to the Farmer's Market Green.
How to take the tour:
a) Listen as you walk: Download the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play. Click here for detailed instructions.
b) Explore from home: Visit Geotourist.com to listen or read the history from your computer.
c) Explore in print: Download the guide pamphlet, or pick up a copy from the library.
The Downtown Derry Walking Tours share just a fragment of the rich history in Derry. If you're interested in learning more about a specific location, many historical resources can be referenced at the library.
Historical Source List
Houses of West Derry, New Hampshire by Harriet Chase Newell
Derry News archives
Lithograph of Derry by George Norris, 1887
Street map of Derry Depot by D.H. Hurd and Company, 1892
Lithograph of Derry, New Hampshire by Oakley Hoopes Bailey, 1898
Map of the Derry Depot, New Hampshire by Sanborn Fire Insurance Co, 1902
Map of the Derry Depot, New Hampshire by Sanborn Fire Insurance Co, 1921
Willey’s Book of Nutfield by George F. Willey, 1895
Turnpike to Interstate by The Derry Heritage Commission, 1977
Glimpses of Derry, New Hampshire, 1719-1969 Town of Derry Historical Booklet Committee, 1969
works and article by retired town historian, Richard Holmes
Derry Postcard Collection provenance of the Derry Museum of History
New Hampshire Folk Tales by the New Hampshire Women’s Federation, 1936
Special Thanks to
TJ Cullinane
Anisha Mendonca
Bev Donovan
Jen Khoury
Susan Brown
Derry Heritage Commission
Derry Public Library
Written by Erin Moulton Robinson
The audio tour is narrated by Erin Moulton Robinson of the Derry Public Library and TJ Cullinane of the Derry Heritage Commission