Why Colony's Block in Keene, NH Survived The Gilded Age

If you are a fan of the Gilded Age, you might be surprised to know that we have many buildings from that ornate, civilized, fancy-pants age right here in New Hampshire. This one in Keene has survived since construction began in the late 1800's.

Colony's Block in Keene, NH is part of the National Register of Historic Places

The application to get the block onto the registry was filed in February of 1983. They cite the block's cultural significance for architecture, commerce and education, according to nps.gov.

Colony's Block is Part of Central Square's Terrace

According to New England Studio, the reason why the Colony's block survived all these years is because it provides housing for the elderly and disabled. The building was upgraded and renovated.

The renovators had to historically restore the façade in the front of the building and that added a lot of quality and craftsmanship and in turn, makes the City of Keene more beautiful.

COVID 19 put a wrinkle in the renovation plans, but they did complete construction during the pandemic. It was a long process, but the project was completed.

Keene, New Hampshire is a Cool Place to Explore

I have spent a lot of time in Keene, as I was a student at Keene State College. I remember that the Keene Pumpkin festival was a very big deal. There was always a huge display right in front of Colony's Block.

I think the festival began in the early 1990's. Over the next 20 or so years, the festival got bigger and bigger, breaking world records for the number of carved pumpkins.

I remember some trouble makers spoiled the fun for a little while, but now the pumpkin festival is back.

If you haven't visited Keene in a while, you should really take a ride to Cheshire County. It reminds me of what Portsmouth, NH used to look like.