Newmarket in Rockingham County, New Hampshire — The American Northeast (New England)

Brooks Block

1826

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, October 1, 2024

1. Brooks Block Marker

Inscription. Benjamin Brooks, a master mechanic in No. 1 Mill, built the Brooks Block with shops on the ground level and his residence upstairs. The Masonic Lodge held its first meeting here in 1826, and the Newmarket Manufacturing Co. moved its company store here in 1827. In 1849, Brooks booked passage around Cape Horn to California in search of gold the same year the railroad came to town. From the late 1800s on, the Brooks Block housed a tailor shop, a tin shop, and eventually, Hector Brisson and Louis Loiselle's grocery business.

Erected 2023 by Newmarket Main Street Corporation. (Marker Number 35.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Fraternal or Sororal Organizations • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the New Hampshire, Newmarket Downtown Walking Tour series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1826.

Location. 43° 4.798′ N, 70° 56.143′ W. Marker is in Newmarket, New Hampshire, in Rockingham County. It is on Main Street (New Hampshire Route 108) north of Central Street, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 72 Main St, Newmarket NH 03857, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on New Hampshire’s Seacoast. It is also in the American Northeast

and in New England.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker

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: Branscomb's Tavern (a few steps from this marker); Kingman Building (within shouting distance of this marker); No. 4 Mill (within shouting distance of this marker); Newmarket, NH Memorial Pavilion (within shouting distance of this marker); Edward Smith Building (within shouting distance of this marker); Hotel Willey (within shouting distance of this marker); No. 5 Mill (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Barnard Block (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Newmarket.

Also see . . . Site Number 35. The Brooks Block. In 1735 here once stood a large wooden house, with gardens stretching south past today’s Central Street. It was the homestead of Walter Bryant, Sr., a colonial surveyor who traveled throughout the province setting boundaries, including the state boundary between New Hampshire and Maine. In old colonial papers he was called the “Royal Surveyor”. “Bryant Rock” in the Lamprey River was named after him, and this property stayed in his family until the Newmarket Manufacturing Company purchased it almost 100 years later. (New Market Historical Society) (Submitted on November 13, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, October 1, 2024

2. Brooks Block Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on November 14, 2024. It was originally submitted on November 13, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 129 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on November 13, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 2. submitted on November 14, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.